Less-stable countries are full of stories of mobs exacting “revenge” on innocent minority communities based on rumors of some outrage that later proves unfounded. And the cycle of retaliation spins up until we end up with *de facto *ethnic cleansing as various minorities flea the areas where they are minorities for the relative safety of areas where they are majorities, or at least larger minorities.
With the utterly predictable result that the two geographically separated groups grow to misunderstand and demonize one another more and more over time.
The lesson from Copts in Egypt, Shias / Sunnis in Iraq, Bosniaks in Bosnia, Moros in the Philippines, and hundreds of other flashpoints around the world is simple: break the cycle early. Or pay the vastly larger price.
This country bifurcating (tri-furcating?) into multi-generational clans of rural residents, distinct from urban/suburban residents is more of the same. The gulf of mutual incomprehension is growing. Add to that increasing economic inequality, educational inequality, etc. and we’re slowly growing a pretty combustible mixture.
One that warrants deliberate management by thoughtful adults. Not demagoguery in pursuit of advertising revenue.
I don’t know who did it, or why, and I don’t care. This was wrong. Period. We cannot let any partisan considerations affect us when it comes to shit like this - the country cannot afford it, and still function.
As Ben Franklin said, “we must all hang together, or we will most assuredly hang separately.”
Agreed. Let’s not worry about whose ox got gored and get the people responsible for it. None of us are safe when any political party’s buildings are attacked.
I grew up in Hillsborough. This GOP office is very much a random, small-town office of no consequence.
If you look at the street view for 347 Ja-Max Dr Hillsborough NC you will get a good idea of what we’re talking about. (BTW, you will see there was almost certainly no CCTV camera to capture the event)
My feeling is that this was perpetrated by a local high school boy, or possibly a local high school boy and his buddy. Very surprising to me this has made the national news.
If I am right about it being a kid, the story will get out eventually. If it was an adult we may never know.
Another addition could be the burning of black churches in recent years. Most haven’t been solved so the motives are unclear. At least one was linked to a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, so at least part of it is conservative.