When Did Existing in this Life Become so Combative?

How to shift the trend in hate crimes.

When did life become so combative as you navigate through day-to-day existence? You have seen an upward trend of idea sharing and liberal acceptance. However, albeit a positive rise in awareness of the LGBTQ community, what you may also see a rise in is the hate crimes against the LGBTQ community.

I recently spoke with a professional friend who has gay men in his family. What I found is that there is still a tense road ahead before society removes the stigma and replaces it with equality. I maintain that it is a privilege to be a citizen of the United States, and to be clear, I am aware that the statistics on hate crimes against the LGBTQ in the US are not as high as other nations. However, since I am an American, it is in the best interest of my local readers to unlock some answers on how you can shift the trend of hate crimes in general.

When did humanity become so combative?

From the Roman persecution of Christians to the Nazi slaughter of the Jews, hate crimes were committed by individuals as well as governments long before the term was commonly used. As Europeans began to colonize the world from the 16th century onwards, indigenous peoples in the colonized areas, such as Native Americans, increasingly became the targets of bias-motivated intimidation and violence. During the past two centuries, typical examples of hate crimes in the U.S. include lynching of African Americans, Mexicans and Chinese; assaults on the LGBTQ communities; the painting of swastikas on Jewish synagogues; and xenophobic reactions to a variety of ethnic minorities.

As you come to the Q4 of 2022, it is hard to believe that the liberal movements are still not enough to ward off the combative actions of hate crimes. If this is true, how do you shift the trend in hate crimes and what needs to change in order for this to happen? When you look at the recent attacks on the LBGTQ communities, you can sense the trail of fear left in the air. On the other hand, there are those who adopt a rebel mentality and stand tall in their quest to come out of the closet prepared to fight. With this in mind, no human should feel the need to “come out” swinging. Balanced against the human need for peace, this contradicts the innate desire to be who you are without strife, and quite frankly, to feel loved.

I imagine that being who you are without hurdling over combative conflict is all humans want. If this is true, then how do you begin to connect the social dots of justice and equality? In the bigger picture you see a lingering trend in social discord, mental illness, mass shootings, and hate crimes. For this reason, it is imperative to future-pace for community peace.

4 Key Areas of Focus for Peace

1. Sustainable success- As a society, and as a parent, we must shift the focus on our younger generation to guide and educate and speak to sustainable success. Why? Because short-term success is not success. In fact, short-term success creates disappointment, disillusionment, fuels depression, suicide, and mental illness that leads to violence and self-destruction.
2. Sustainable Stability- All structures are impermanent, which is why the focus needs to shift to sustainable stability. With that, when you can maintain a stable lifestyle, you feel peace. When you don’t, it can breathe violence. The reason why sustainable stability is key is because when structures in life situations break down, and they do, you will have the ability to cope and rebuild without falling apart.
3. Sustainable mental health- More focus on our youth’s mental health is critical for the eradication of violence and hate crimes. Our younger generation is on brain overload from constant sharing of idea, social media, and being funneled day-in and day-out to content that validates their own opinions. But is this a positive or negative thing? I would argue that it creates massive profusion, and as a result, can lead to mental health issues that put themselves and society at risk.
4. Education- Parents need to invest the OT it requires to combat the persuasion from social media, mass media, and internet on their youth. In particular, education on how to cope with daily societal issues with healthy boundaries and respect is key. These issues include coping skills for social and economic shifts, equality, inclusion, diversity, relationship health, and violence. How someone views the world is one thing, yet, how someone reacts to their view is quite another.

All of this said, if you do not take the initiative to become better, no one can save you from a combative self. In other words, it is up to each individual to step up and improve our ways, or self-destruct. As an agent for change, I believe that we all have the ability to improve and expand as humans. However, without sustainable success, stability, mental health, and education the quest to end hate crimes and restore peace may be grim.

To learn more about how to eradicate the violence and restore community peace visit EVAN.