It’s been awfully gloomy since the election. And it’s going to be a long four years. But at least we have Stephen Colbert to help us get through it.
Sign of White Supremacy
You’ve probably heard about the uptick in hate-based harassment, verbal and otherwise, that began November 9th. Here’s one of the latest. Colbert saw a sign painted on a building. Actually, someone vandalized a church by painting “Heil Trump” on the wall. Said Colbert:
“I can’t believe this. I mean, it’s 2016. Could we please wait a little longer before putting up the 2020 campaign signs?”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wm7T6sP4kT0%3Fautoplay%3D1%26start%3D204%26end%3D305%26controls%3D1%26version%3D3
The Story Behind The Sign
As the Washington Post reported recently, someone spray-painted the sign on the walls of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Bean Blossom, Indiana. An anti-gay slur also was painted there, as well as a swastika.
The minister thinks that someone targeted her church because it strives to be welcoming and inclusive. The church community has decided to keep the vandalism to send a message that people who are targeted are welcome there.
Post-Election Rise In Vandalism, Harassment
The vandalism at St. David’s church is part of a larger pattern of growing harassment, hate speech, and vandalism all over the country. There has been a definite spike in this activity since the November 8 election. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which tracks the incidence of harassment based on hate, reported a definite uptick immediately after the election. Individuals notified the SPLC of 437 incidences of harassment and vandalism based on race, ethnicity, religion between November 9 and November 14, 2016. Here’s one example, from another story in the Washington Post.
Disturbing stunts in Wellsville, at Canisius College follow Election Day: https://t.co/1vXmLwfsYH pic.twitter.com/Txj7k4Asmk
— The Buffalo News (@TheBuffaloNews) November 9, 2016
We’re going to need more than Colbert joking about the campaign to get through this. There is little doubt that hate and hostility to Black people, Muslims, Jews, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community has become normalized, at least among certain vocal groups. And we’re going to need Colbert, John Oliver, and others to keep us laughing. Because responding with anger and hate won’t stop it.
Featured Image via screenshot from YouTube video
