Southern Poverty Law Center – …And the Truth Shall Set You Free.

White Power: Hate Sign Symbol

September 29, 2019 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

A HATE sign symbol is now added to the list of symbols for haters. White supremacy does not belong in America.

Isn’t Hate Crime Invisible in Deaf Community?

September 13, 2018 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

170426104211-what-do-the-haters-really-want-illustration-large-169.jpg

After I posted a video sharing my experience last night about hate crime where three people dressed up as fake police and attacked me at my own house on August 21, 2018 around 8:30 in the morning. They took advantage of me as the state of being Deaf by screaming, cussing, threatening, menacing and all.

It was a morning that I will never forget. Distressing, life-threatening, and psychological trauma has set me in. Since I was ten years old, where I experienced sexual abuse, it was enough traumas, and most of my life, I had been targeted, attacked, ridiculed, twist lies, you name it all. Five heart attacks including death where I was asked to shut up about truth. Depression is incredibly powerful. Enough!

Less than two weeks ago before what happened to me, I attended a town hall discussing about how to combat hate called Teach-in on Effective Community Responses to Hate and White Supremacy and I stood before panelists and congresswoman and congressman, asking a question, why did Deaf community suffer invisible hate crime? One of the panelists, an expert from Southern Poverty Law Center said that I was absolutely right and it is a huge problem in this society.

It was the answer we all needed to know. It’s so important that it is a sociological problem. Deaf people are always under-reported because of “auditory evidence”. It was pretty insulting—shaking my head. Auditory is privileged. Eyes are more powerful than auditory. I just cannot believe this. This is a good example of hearing privilege.

Even in 2018, Deaf people always been invisible, and it is OK for hearing people to attack Deaf people because they cannot hear and took it as a privileged opportunity. While this is an alarming spike of invisible hate crime targeting Deaf people around the world, it follows a pattern:

Deaf people are very easy to target. Many Deaf people do not report to law enforcement because they do not feel trusted, they do not feel strong community protection from them, they do not feel safe from the society including law enforcement and that is the major problem.

Ironically, part of the reason for hate crime against Deaf people, the society still do not accept attitude towards Deaf people—and the majority of society becomes more judgmental of Deaf people. What is it called? Surdophobia. What does it mean? Fear of Deaf people.

Hate crime is absolutely complex problem—Deaf people are under-reported at an even higher rate, more imaginable than we really understand.

“Hate in the culture and personality provides the basis for doing harm by justifying an attack”—Jack Levin and Jim Nolan.

Audism is a threat. Audism is a hate crime. The term coined in late 1970s, to suggest that it is better to hear and speak than not. The bias makes such language bigotry is an important for the poor state of critical learning and thinking. Audism and hate crime targeting Deaf people spread fear and intimidation beyond the immediate victims to those who cannot hear—is the greatest threat. Is the problem of hate crime actually becoming worse, or is it only iceberg of the problem?

So, “auditory evidence” wins. Even though in the first place, hate crime with motivation committed are most likely to get away that involves emotional, mentally and physical assaults than do other crimes generally do. That’s why Deaf people are invisible. Forever.

-JT

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

My Visit to Oklahoma City Bombing Site

April 19, 2018 The Last Hiccup1 Comment

14 years ago today—April 19th and it was one of the worst terrorist attacks in American history. It has happened in Oklahoma City. I got to visit the memorial on April 19, 2004. It was one of the most profound experiences I ever dealt with.

I was a Washington state high school senior that time when it happened in Oklahoma City. I was not feeling good that morning and had to skip classes and then turned television on and the news that was showing the images of Oklahoma City. I was shocked. I was torn. I was numb. Anyone ever know that Timothy McVeigh was a white supremacist terrorist?

Yeah, there are a lot of white supremacist terrorists out there today—worse than anybody. Really, it’s true. Did you know that white nationalists dropped fliers on college campuses almost once a day in 2017? After visiting the memorial was even more powerful than the images I’ve seen that time. In the words and pictures has left painful memories. The power of healing by taking the critical steps to stop hate. White supremacy has set a dangerous precedent.

See the numbers below that are on the rise, in my view, is an examination of the physical, social, mental, and psychological warfare that targets people of color, Muslims, Deaf people, people with disabilities, LGBTQ, and marginalized groups that paralyzed their communities. Many people will forever haunt OKC opens with a description of a white supremacist terrorist killing 168 people.

The killing of the baby is violent, a permanent presence of an unspeakable act of murderer Timothy McVeigh committed to save white supremacy even more sinister future in tiding rise of hate crimes.

By the numbers issued by Southern Poverty Law Center:

Number of hate crimes reported in 2016: 6,121

Number of hate crimes reported in 2015: 5,818

Anti-Muslim crimes: In 2015: 301—in 2016, 381. That’s more than 25 percent increase.

Anti-Jewish crimes: In 2015: 695.—in 2016, 834. That’s more than 20 percent.

-JT

This text may be freely copied in its entirely only, including this copyright message.

Hate Groups: A Social Problem

December 31, 2017December 31, 2017 The Last HiccupLeave a comment

Can We Stop Hate in Progress?

November 14, 2017 The Last Hiccup1 Comment

Charlottesville, Virginia. The site of Heather Heyer. October 2017.

There has been a recent funded-study by federal guidelines, 450 human bodies that has been killed by the far right since 1990—the same year where Hate Crime Statistics Act has signed by President George H.W. Bush. That we must never forget.

Last October 2017, I visited Charlottesville, Virginia where ALT-Right movements killed Heather Heyer last August; the white supremacy must be brought up to have it rejected for the sake of humanity. I am all support to stop hate. We do not need white supremacy running our streets anymore. Not in my space. Do we have time to hate? Just yesterday, 13th of November, it was World Kindness Day. That we must never forget.

I remember in 1988 as a 14 years old kid, there was huge news about the murder of Mulugeta Seraw in Portland in the hands of skinheads, with hate ties to bad-ass white supremacy group. I was visiting my mother in Northeast Portland that time. I remember that day very well. I’ve really wished to keep that newspaper. In fact, it had happened on November 13th as well. It has hit Portland very hard.

Portland was put on an international spotlight on a map all because of this. Portland Trail Blazers might had won NBA championship in 1977. But, this one is 849,325 times bigger news than NBA championship. After Seraw’s death, Portland is not the same. Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) became the face of kindness. Morris Dees, the lead counsel for SPLC won the case in Portland. Talk about World Kindness Day! It will be always in my memory. It is a powerful trait. That we never forget.

When my hate crime professor talked about Mulugeta Seraw in a classroom in 2007, memories brought up. It was painful but at the same time, we need to remind that we must tolerate against any form of hate. It has opened my eyes to the endless of ideas and responsibilities to talk and write more about hate crime. It is part of my civic duty. We also need to bring up and discuss about hate groups and of course, far right and alt-right.

I am in solidarity with people of color, Muslims, Native Americans, and Deaf people where Trump’s support of white supremacy and its hate groups have in the tide wave of hate crimes. Recently with couple of hours ago, FBI announced that its hate crime report for 2016 has brought up with bad news that for second straight year of increasing—the first time it has actually happened in a decade. We were getting better until Trump showed up in the name of hate. Do we even realize that a decade is long time to heal from pain? We were just getting better. That we never forget.

The total of hate crimes for 2016:

6,121 incidents. Ouch.

Stop FAR RIGHT and ALT-RIGHT. We do not need another Charlottesville. Anywhere. That is why we need to remind how to teach love, not hate. That we never forget. Let’s embrace social justice! Be sure to read the references below.