e-KNOW Editorial

Now that the most powerful and wealthiest nation on Earth has a spoiled rotten eight-year-old demon in the body of a 70-year-old racist, misogynistic narcissist as its incoming president, like-minded haters are rising everywhere.

The huffy-puffy blowhard bully with tiny-man-urethra-narrow personal views, correctly shamed and quieted in the past 30 years, is making a comeback thanks to Donald Trump’s recent success.

There has been a surge in Ku Klux Klan activity in the usual southeast locales of the US. Cowards hiding beneath sheets are feeling somewhat vindicated; relieved for certain. A hate spewing fool is the 45th President of the United States.

If it worked for him… And like that, bullies and blowhards, bigots and hateful balls of rage everywhere have renewed zip in their steps.

It’s so bad that Facebook is being blamed for allowing so much ‘un-news’ to flood over the one billion plus users’ feeds.

The deluge of fake news sites that flowed along with the US Presidential election campaign, along with the antics of the well-purchased ‘mainstream’ media, turned America, and Facebook (the third largest ‘nation’ in the world) into a bickering mess.

A terrifying number of people are now ‘informing’ themselves about world and national affairs through wildly slanted right-wing or left-wing fake (or mostly fake) news sites that operate without shame, morals, ethics or professionalism.

Thanks to complete corporate control (journalists are viewed as unnecessary expenses by most media conglomerate boards of directors), news providers that once presented balanced, professional takes on what was happening in the world, are now consumer-mind-warping, brainwashing fluff dispensers.

In the past, the media stood before bullies on behalf of the little guy and fought for them. But the journalists, who stood up for people, are being systematically cleansed from the ‘system’ so public relations news can completely take over.

And now we slide toward an important time when Donald Trump will take power; when he has the veto; a finger on the button and apparently little self-control; a checks and balances system checked and balanced in his thin-skinned favour.

All that and a nation that is in desperate need for some love; not hate. America’s infrastructure, mostly built the last time it faced economic despair, is falling apart. Its social problems are more diverse and heavily populated than at any other time in its history and getting much, much worse.

The divide in America is vast and because of its enormous sway in world affairs, there is a ripple effect. We are feeling that ripple in Canada, with some people, even a politician, showcasing renewed zip, as per what I said before.

At a time when humankind, closer together than ever before in terms of the speed of the movement of information, needs to find a way to lose its unqualified fears and bigotry, there comes a new push from hatemongers – the vermin our forefathers sacrificed so much to defeat in the Second World War – to try and regain some traction.

The ‘Alt-right’ as it is now being called (because it sounds better to them than “complete racist ass-hat”) has a new Caesar in Donald Trump.

So what can be done when wrongful hate, whether it be bigotry, abuse to women, children, animals or society in general rises around us?

Mike Morris, B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, said in a recent letter to the editor recognizing the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, on the anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre, “We can each challenge those who voice hate.”

He’s absolutely right. The only way our society – worldwide – can halt the progress of hate, which leads to violence when unchecked, is to stand up to it; challenge it; and overcome it with reason through education and perseverance.

Let’s take a lesson from our friends down in nearby Whitefish, Montana – a part-time home to well-known ‘new age’ bigot named Richard B. Spencer. He’s the guy who came up with the term “alt-right.” Smacks of Charles Manson in that he operates in a world where he’s generally much smarter than those who bat their eyelashes at him in adoration of the hateful bile he spits.

Impressively, according to the Flathead Beacon, City of Whitefish council Dec. 5 repudiated Spencer’s racist ideology. You simply don’t see this every day.

“Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld read a proclamation firmly declaring that Spencer’s views and those of the so-called “alt-right” are “a direct affront to our community’s core values and principles,” establishing a symbolic gulf between the inclusive spirit of the tiny resort town and Spencer’s vision of a racially exclusive white ethno-state. The City of Whitefish rejects racism and bigotry in all its forms and expressions,” Muhlfeld said to raucous applause,” The Beacon reported.

“And while Spencer’s white-nationalist think-tank is headquartered in Whitefish, the droves of residents who turned out for Monday’s council meeting made it clear that his extremist views are the exception, not the rule,” it added.

Kudos to you Whitefish for making a stand against hate. It’s nice to see that common sense and right prevailing over wrong is strong within your residents’ hearts.

When we humans act from our hearts to enact fairness and inclusion, we rise above and we prosper as a more positive world unfolds.

And allowing those who spew hate without telling them to shut their pie holes is complicity. Stand up; speak out; back up your neighbour! Don’t let hate take over your world.

Get better soon Mike

In closing I’d like to shout out a “get better soon” to Regional District of East Kootenay Electoral Area A Director Mike Sosnowski.

Mike experienced medical distress a while back and is recovering, which we are happy to hear.

Please join us in wishing Mike a speedy recovery.

– Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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