Propublica, an independent, non-profit organization of investigative journalists, wrote a well-researched article on hate crimes.  Hate crimes is nothing new.  The willingness and enthusiasm with which people engage in acts of bigotry and hate on the basis of religion, race, and sexual orientation in America is well documented.  So what was so special about this report?

Propublica added details and statistics to my growing library of anecdotal stories reported here and there in the media.  Their interviews with the victims of harassment, intimidation and violence humanized the victims experiences in a way that other stories did not.  Perhaps this is because of the number of interviews they conducted.  Other stories focused on a single incident, Propublica’s article covered many,

Propublica emphasized an aspect of hate crimes rarely covered.  Other stories focused on random acts of hate and bigotry.  Propublica focused on instances in which the perpetrator was a neighbor.  Someone seen every day and someone who the victim may have lived beside for years. 

Justice was rarely served in the 693 cases Propublica pulled from.  Less than % of the cases were investigated, few resulted in criminal charges and even fewer resulted in jail time.  Victims lived in fear for years and some ultimately moved to escape danger. 

The picture of authorities (law enforcement, Housing and Urban Development, etc.) in the main is of unsympathetic or powerless bystanders.  Most of the victims of hate crimes are black (no surprise). 

The thing I found most disturbing was the clear evidence Propublica presented of a dramatic increase in hate crimes since Trump’s election. 

Herein is the insidious danger of having a President who rode a platform of divisiveness and bigotry into the White House and whose core supporters are disgruntled white nationalists.  Add to that his and his supporters’ disdain for social norms and race relations in the United States is set back 15-20 years ago. 

There is no scenario in which bigotry and hatred is good for the country.