An FBI report released on Monday, November 19th presents some disturbing data from police departments across America that show some 7,722 reported criminal incidents of behavior based on racial bias.
The figure represents a sharp 7.8% increase from the 7,163 incidents reported in 2005.
With the slew of black Americans who've been recipients of copycat 'noose displays' in the wake of the Jena 6 incident, various degrees of hysteria surrounding anti-immigrant backlash across the nation and growing signs of rising cultural intolerance in communities across America there are some serious wrinkles in the fabric of our Culturegeist.
Are racial relations in the US taking a turn for the worse?
The data comes from 12,000 of the 17,000 communities and break down to 5,449 against individuals, and 3,593 against property or "society at large" which might include churches, synagogues, cemeteries, and schools.
58.6% of the 7,330 offenders were identified as white, 20.6% as black and 12.9% of other backrounds/nationalities etc.
These stats seem to point to noticeable rise in the level of fear and insecurity of many people in communities of various socioeconomic, and racial makeups. Is it a result of an overall rise in tensions that relate to 911 and terrorism and the subsequent invasion and occupation of Iraq?
How is it that in 2007 Americans seem to be reverting back to manifestations of prejudice, fear and intolerance that seem more at home with the 1950's and 1960's?
Kudos to the FBI and Justice Department for releasing the stats but our government needs to be assuming a larger and more active role in examining the root of these trends.
Is mainstream media doing enough to report this turn in the state of race relations?
The Culturegeist is shifting and people of all ethnicities and racial backgrounds should be aware of it.
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