Bystander Intervention Strategies | American Friends Service Committee

Bill Talsma

If you witness public instances of racist, anti-black, anti-Muslim, anti-trans, or any other form of oppressive interpersonal violence and harassment, use these tips on how to intervene while considering the safety of everyone involved.

Do make your presence as a witness known.

• If possible, make eye contact with the person being harassed and ask them if they want support. Move yourself near the person being harassed.
• If possible and you feel you can risk doing so, create distance or a barrier between the person being harassed and the attacker.
• If it’s safe to do so, and the person being harassed consents—film or record the incident.

Do take cues from the individual being harassed.

• Is the person engaging with the harasser or not? You can make suggestions, “Would you like to walk with me over here? Move to another train car? For him to leave you alone?,” and then follow their lead.
• Notice if the person being harassed is resisting in their own way, and honor that. (Especially white folks, don’t police the tone of the person being harassed).
• Follow up with the individual being harassed after the incident is over, see if they need anything else.

Do keep both of you safe.

• Assess your surroundings—are there others nearby you can pull in to support? Working in a team is a good idea, if it is possible.
• Can you and the person being harassed move to a safer space/place?

Don’t call the police.

• For many communities experiencing harassment right now (including arab and Muslim communities, black people, queer and trans folks, and immigrants) the police can cause a greater danger for the person being harassed.

Don’t escalate the situation.

• The goal is to get the person being harassed to safety, not to incite further violence from the attacker.

Don’t do nothing.

• Silence is dangerous—it communicates approval and leaves the victim high and dry. If you find yourself too nervous or afraid to speak out, move closer to the person being harassed to communicate your support with your body.

Source

Amy Dickinson Nails It

Ask Amy column

Baltimore Sun | 28 Nov 16

And, similarly:

Attributed to actress Deborah Messing on Twitter | Via FB

Safety-Pin Movement

Randall Aubrey in The Daily Kos:

In the wake of "Brexit," the UK's referendum to leave the European Union, hundreds of thousands of British citizens took to wearing a safety pin on their lapel, a quiet and dignified gesture intended to signal to their immigrant brothers and sisters that they stood in solidarity with them against the tide of fear and hate that drove the Brexit decision.

Simply put, I say that, in the wake of Trump's election, we repeat the practice here in the states. Too many reports have already flooded the airwaves indicating a sharp increase in racially-motivated violence and intimidation across the country, and while this simple act may not change that, it will demonstrate to those who are the targets of such aggression in your community that they have allies on the streets, and not just the Internet.

Via The Middle Eastern Feminist and One Million Vaginas

FB

15 March 2014 | The White Man March

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The White Man March is scheduled for March 15th, 2014, and will involve coordinated pro-white activity around the world. The purpose is to spread information through activism, but also to make a statement that White people are united in their love for their race and in their opposition to its destruction.

Can't find anything newsy online indicating that this actually happened today.


UPDATE: White Man March Happens, Nobody Cares | Gawker

Tom Hanks, Madonna, And Gandhi Are Going To Hell

YouTube

Russell Brand interviews members of the Westboro Baptist Church.

'50s PSA Equates Homosexuality WIth Pedophilia

YouTube | Buzzfeed

It's good to be reminded that "the good old days" weren't always as good as we remember them.

SPLC | Hate Map

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The Southern Poverty Law Center counted 1,002 active hate groups in the United States in 2010. Only organizations and their chapters known to be active during 2010 are included.

All hate groups have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.

This list was compiled using hate group publications and websites, citizen and law enforcement reports, field sources and news reports.

Hate group activities can include criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing. Websites appearing to be merely the work of a single individual, rather than the publication of a group, are not included in this list. Listing here does not imply a group advocates or engages in violence or other criminal activity.

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Dangerous Minds

The Daily Beast | The 20 Most Tolerant States

In the four-plus decades since Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, America has surely moved closer to a country where people are judged more by content of their character than the color of their skin—or their gender, religion or sexual orientation. In honor of today’s national holiday, and mindful of the debate fostered by the massacre in Tucson nine days ago, The Daily Beast sought to examine which states are the most tolerant, devising a thorough point system that measures each state’s residents based on their actions and opinions, as well the scope of state laws guaranteeing equal rights and protections, which reflects the broader political will ...

1. Wisconsin
Tolerance score: 77 out of 100
Hate crime score: 27 out of 40
Discrimination score: 39 out of 40
Gay rights score: 3 out of 10
Religious Tolerance Score: 8 out of 10
Hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 1.0 (10 out of 50 states)
Discrimination cases filed per 100,000 residents: 9.2 (5 out of 50 states)
Population in support of same-sex marriage: 44%
Population that believes many religions lead to eternal life: 79%

2. Maryland
Tolerance score: 75 out of 100
Hate crime score: 25 out of 40
Discrimination score: 37 out of 40
Gay rights score: 5 out of 10
Religious Tolerance Score: 8 out of 10
Hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 1.8 (19 out of 50 states)
Discrimination cases filed per 100,000 residents: 7.8 (1 out of 50 states)
Population in support of same-sex marriage: 51%
Population that believes many religions lead to eternal life: 72%

3. Illinois
Tolerance score: 74 out of 100
Hate crime score: 30 out of 40
Discrimination score: 31 out of 40
Gay rights score: 5 out of 10
Religious Tolerance Score: 8 out of 10
Hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 1.5 (16 out of 50 states)
Discrimination cases filed per 100,000 residents: 14.5 (24 out of 50 states)
Population in support of same-sex marriage: 48%
Population that believes many religions lead to eternal life: 74%

4. Pennsylvania
Tolerance score: 72 out of 100
Hate crime score: 29 out of 40
Discrimination score: 31 out of 40
Gay rights score: 4 out of 10
Religious Tolerance Score: 8 out of 10
Hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 0.4 (5 out of 50 states)
Discrimination cases filed per 100,000 residents: 11.8 (13 out of 50 states)
Population in support of same-sex marriage: 51%
Population that believes many religions lead to eternal life: 75%

5. Hawaii
Tolerance score: 71 out of 100
Hate crime score: 34 out of 40
Discrimination score: 27 out of 40
Gay rights score: 4 out of 10
Religious Tolerance Score: 6 out of 10
Hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 0.1 (1 out of 50 states)
Discrimination cases filed per 100,000 residents: 20.3 (35 out of 50 states)
Population in support of same-sex marriage: 54%
Population that believes many religions lead to eternal life: 66%

Click here for information about methodology, etc., and to see the entire list.

Congresswoman Giffords' March 2010 Interview On MSNBC

YouTube

On 25 March 2010, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was interviewed on MSNBC about the increasingly violent tone of political rhetoric, especially regarding President Obama's health care bill. Beginning at 2:07, she comments on her district's inclusion on Sarah Palin's "Hit List."

Huffington Post | Click image to enlarge

Palin's Facebook page ... carries a map featuring 20 gun sights, one for each of the Democrats targeted this year by her political action committee SarahPAC. Three of the gun sights, those where incumbent Democrats have already announced their retirement, are colored red.