Thank you for opening this email even though there is no mention of Trump or impeachment in the subject line. There is other vital news and information to share.
If you haven't already seen the Washington Post's police shootings database, brace yourself. What you find there are jarring statistics that signal how policing in America has evolved from a mission of "protect and serve" to "intimidate and control." Some of the wisest and most soul-searching observations on what can be done about this can be found on David Couper's "Improving Police" blog. Couper is an ex-Marine who went on to become a patrol officer and eventually a chief of police. On the wall of the police chief's office during Couper's tenure were portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. Couper recently agreed to join We Are Many-United Against Hate's advisory board.
Speaking of Gandhi, with what's happening right now in the world's two largest democracies, his spirit needs to be summoned again, says Amitabh Pal, another member of our advisory board.
Speaking of crime and punishment, famed actor Morgan Freeman said, "There are no words for me to express how humbled I was meeting Abdul-Munim Sombat Jitmoud." Watch this to see why.
Income inequality in America has hit its highest level in more than 50 years. This condition is a breeding ground for hate and a recruiting tool for hate groups. As former white supremacist and current We Are Many-United Against Hate advisory board member Arno Michaelis points out, "violent extremist ideologies prey upon stresses like economic insecurity." Helps explain the 20% increase in the number of hate groups in America just since 2014. When jobs paying a living wage are hard to come by, immigrants and racial minorities get scapegoated even when the primary culprits are automation, outsourcing and offshoring. Robots don't become the targets of hate, people do. This is why We Are Many-United Against Hate calls for policies creating greater economic security, including a living wage guarantee and a pilot program testing the effectiveness of replacing traditional welfare programs with a Universal Basic Income program.
Times are especially tough in rural areas, particularly for family farmers who are getting no sympathy whatsoever from the current U.S. agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue. Against this backdrop of abandonment, those living in rural communities are left to their own devices to keep the heart of small towns beating. In so many ways, that heart is the local school. Retired school principal, Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance executive director and We Are Many-United Against Hate advisory board member Kim Kaukl warns against falling for school privatization schemes and instead urges a heightened focus on investing in rural kids and keeping local schools open.
Economics unquestionably is a major factor driving rising division, fear, hate and violence in our society, but so too is widespread angst over immigration. We Are Many-United Against Hate believes openness to foreigners has been a defining characteristic of America and is essential to who we are as a nation. We also believe immigration has made our country stronger, not weaker. That's why we advocate policies creating greater economic security, promoting religious tolerance, celebrating differences and honoring America's heritage of openness to foreigners. It all starts with promoting understanding of what's happening and why. It continues with getting in the ear of our elected representatives.
Thanks again for taking a look at this email. If you think more people need to hear about these kinds of things and be challenged to think long and hard about them, contact us to request a speaker or work with us to organize an event in your community.
 |
 |
To cancel click here, to edit your subscription click here.
http://united-against-hate.org