Friday, 13 March 2015

The Importance Of Anti Hate Groups

By Lena Stephenson


Intolerance and fear often results from not understanding and appreciating different races, genders and religions. Unfortunately, people with the same fears tend to seek one another out and congregate together. Some people feel that the best policy is to simply ignore them. However, what may start with intimidation usually escalates eventually resulting in violent crimes. The desire to stop these kinds of crime has lead to the formation of many anti hate groups.

They all have different purposes. Some are dedicated to supporting specific minorities and putting an end to racism. There are those who monitor the web and confront web based bigotry. Others focus on protecting and promoting human rights for all.

These organizations have realized the importance of standing up against groups such as the neo-Nazis, Klansmen, black separatists and white nationalists. There are those who feel that giving them attention rewards them for their asocial behavior and helps them attract disaffected youth to their ranks. However, experts in the field believe that exposing them instead of ignoring them is the best strategy to follow.

These organizations are often very active and will use every chance to intimidate, spread propaganda, destroy property and worse. An alarming fact is that many perpetrators and victims of hate-related crimes are young people. This is why many people concerned in dealing with hate-related crimes have a focus on educating the youth.

Those who are dedicated to standing up against crimes based on gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or national origin fully realize how important it is to educate the youth. Diversity, racism and prejudice have to be brought out into the open and discussed. This must be done by the parents and by the educators in the schools. In helping the young people to recognize and talk about discrimination, they can hopefully become adults who will help to put an end to it.

Many parents and teachers do not know the best way to address such issues. This is why organizations distribute all sorts of material to help them. Many of them do this freely as they have support in the form of donations. Documentary films, books, videos and even lesson-plans provide ways to help them to make children aware of stereotypes and help them to understand their own prejudices. This can help to create a different climate in a school of acceptance and safety.

As much as prejudice and hatred exist, there are those who are prepared to stand up against it. They do so in many different ways, from educating the youth to taking cases of prison inmate abuse and exploitation of workers to court and winning favorable verdicts. There are even programs for law enforcement officials showing them innovative ways of how to intervene in hate-related crimes.

In a time of economic instability, hatred tends to increase as people are looking for someone to blame for their struggles. This is often encouraged by politicians looking for support and exploited by the media too. Those who stand up for justice, human rights and an end to hatred, racism and religious bigotry deserve all the support they can get.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment