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Seal of the United States Department of Homeland Security
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Amusingly, many people highlighted the term used by the right to demonize undocumented immigrants. They cited "green aliens from outer space," Sigourney Weaver, and the movie "ET."
Unfortunately, the context and framing of this initiative deserve more sober consideration, especially as the new initiative brings to mind the Nazi-era policy of providing the German public with lists of crimes committed by Jews.
We live in an era of violence against minorities and women, committed by whites and men (and often white men: yes, one can like them but also understand the demographics.)
Vandals have desecrated a series of Jewish cemeteries, hate groups are flourishing, and white supremacists have committed a shocking spate of racially-based crimes. Yet this violence -- and the epidemic violence against women -- has drawn neither the powerful censure nor the resources of this law-and-order administration.
It's consistent with a policy where most violence isn't condemned. Instead, it is used as a tool to demonize and silence groups. In August 2015 "Donald Trump Just Stopped Being Funny", according to Matt Taibbi, when the Republican candidate described his supporters as "passionate" after they beat up a Hispanic man. Of course, he later described them as criminals. Now violent SWAT raids against undocumented persons are terrorizing numerous communities. The rhetoric -- from the campaign on -- has been to alternately glorify violence against, then blame it on Hispanic people and other minorities.
The Nature of Violent Crime in America
But take a step back. Given the administrations strong touting of law and order, shouldn't they -- and we -- seek to understand the nature of violent crime?
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