What a time to write a blog entry. I am still reeling from the events of last week in Washington DC. Then I began wondering what caused some of my fellow citizens to sack the capital building. Sadly I was not surprised, but I was shocked and appalled. And then angry and aggrieved. And those who participated were so sure that they were in the right. But most of us realized that they were acting on lies and infuriated by incendiary language.
What compelled some people to participate? I found help from an article on the roots of terrorism at the American Psychological Association website. Interviewing former terrorists, the authors found individuals who join terrorist organizations and engage in terrorist acts share these tendencies
- Feel angry, alienated or disenfranchised.
- Believe that their current political involvement does not give them the power to effect real change.
- Identify with perceived victims of the social injustice they are fighting.
- Feel the need to take action rather than just talking about the problem.
- Believe that engaging in violence against the state is not immoral.
- Have friends or family sympathetic to the cause.
- Believe that joining a movement offers social and psychological rewards such as adventure, camaraderie and a heightened sense of identity.
Listening to some of the interviews of the those who broke into the capital, I heard many of these sentiments expressed. The article also noted that there are cultural, political and psychological reasons as well.
So, what to do? First, I am certain that there must be consequences for the actions taken. But this is a challenge. My fervent belief is that the punishments need to be carefully crafted to fit the crimes. Punishments that are too stringent and harsh create martyrs and tend to fuel a cycle of action and reaction without resolving underlying issues and causes. I also believe that those who instigated or planned the actions deserve more severe punishments than those who carried out the act of sacking the capitol. The actors of the insurrection should be held accountable based on the actual crimes each committed.
The article I sited above also included information on de-radicalization programs for former terrorists. The programs that seemed to evoke positive results had these components,
- Intellectual; dialogues on violent teachings and language
- Emotional; understanding anger, reasons for it, and how it can be diffused
- Social; assisting people and families with real difficulties, educational, spiritual, housing, jobs, etc.
These are not surprising findings. It is about seeing and listening to another person, while giving them the dignity of telling their story. I believe that our country would benefit from a national conversation based on these components and principles.
Of course, there is then the issue of how social media has contributed with our current crisis, but that’s another story!