The Express cover photo (Volume 95, Issue 13) Photo by Evan E. Duran. Cover Design by Pa Vang.

Although the four-letter word “hate” doesn’t get censored, the actions that are fueled by it do.

According to psychology Professor, Dr. Gayle Pitman, hate stems from individual psychological issues—fearing or hating what people are, or psychological issues projected outward caused by social, institutional and religious teachings.

“In some ways, religion is a good thing, but it can also be used as a powerful and dangerous tool,” said Pitman, who has taught psychology of sexual orientation and psychology of women for 11 years at Sacramento City College.

In 2009 and 2010, two hate crimes were reported in the Los Rios District—both occurred at City College, according to Los Rios District Police Sgt. Mike Olson. One act of intimidation based on race was reported in 2009 and in 2010 there was an assault based on sexual orientation.

Although only two crimes were reported, Olson said many hate crimes involving intimidation go unreported.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines hate crimes as bias against victims based on race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity or national origin, and physical or mental disability.

In 2009 and 2010, the number of hate crimes has held constant with more than 6,600 hate crimes per year nationwide, according to the FBI. Nearly half of the hate crimes were based on race, while religion and sexual orientation each accounted for 20 percent of the hate crimes committed.

Olson said finding the motive for hate crimes may not be clear unless suspects give clues as to how their anger was directed.

“Generally there is a greater punishment for hate crimes,” said Olson.

According to Pitman, people often feel the “bystander effect” when they witness a hate crime and don’t report it. By not reporting a crime or standing up to it, people maintain their neutral status and they are not seen as deviant from the closed-minded group.

An FBI report states that 60 percent of the crimes committed were by white offenders. Pitman refers to this white and heterosexual majority as a privileged group.

Photo Illustration by Jeff Rawlinson | jsrawlin@gmail.com

“If you claim to be an ally of a marginalized group, you may lose your privilege,” said Pitman.

As a straight man, Queer Straight Alliance faculty adviser Derrick Wydick has sensed the discomfort from other faculty members when they discover his role in the club.

“I have had some weird situations due to my involvement with QSA,” said Wydick, a Workability Counselor for students with disabilities. “There seems to be more respect for other cultures, such as blacks or Asians on campus than there is for the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] community.”

Wydick said some people are also uncomfortable with people with disabilities—especially when it comes to mental disabilities, such as Asperger’s syndrome.

“As a society, we are still wondering how we should interact,” Wydick said.

Although white offenders commit the majority of hate crimes statistically, City College student Jeff Cole, a 34-year-old white man, has experienced several situations where he was targeted based on his race and outspokenness.

“I’ve always been the kind of guy that speaks up,” said Cole, a construction management major.

In 1995 when Cole was in high school, he and some friends went to Land Park and were approached by a car with several black men in it. Cole and his friends were harassed and fled as five rounds were fired at them. No one was injured, and the incident was reported to police.

Cole said that he dated women of different races growing up, which occasionally created conflict with other men of his girlfriends’ races.

As a member of a predominantly black high school basketball team, Cole said he felt anger from peers who grew up more disadvantaged than he did, and four of his teammates beat him up out of resentment.

According to Cole, life experiences have taught him that hate has more to do with other things than just race—sometimes it’s because of economic status or the way one behaves.

“It’s good to be open-minded and not make final judgments based on color,” said Cole, who believes racism is learned. “Society needs a lot more positive role models that are sending out the right messages to the people who are not getting it.”

According to communication Professor Kimberly Church, who teaches conflict management, learning how to acknowledge, manage and talk about anger appropriately is the first step to conquering hate and build role models for healthy expression of anger.

“As a society, we ignore our anger and fear,” said Church. “Most of us are not ready to acknowledge our prejudices.”

Church said hate stems from “othering”—emphasizing differences that create delusion, irrational explanations, fear and anger.

“What we have in common often outweighs our differences,” said Church.

According to Pitman, the rise of anti-LGBT groups that focus on individuals’ differences are a pushback to the way things used to be—reversing progressive social change.

City College’s Cultural Awareness Center, which is one of its kind in the Los Rios district, by its design pushes social issues into the public campus sphere.

“Hate and prejudice are rooted in American history, and we are all victims,” said Victoria Henderson, Cultural Awareness Center coordinator.

Founded in 1996, the CAC provides guest lectures, discussions and programs from a diversity of opinions and cultural backgrounds representing local and global affairs, and aims to dispel myths, stereotypes and break down barriers.

“We know that children don’t come into this world racist or full of hate,” said Henderson. “However, along their path, messages are passed on to them and are reinforced by people and systems that they are told to trust [i.e., family, education, church and police].”

According to Henderson, changing racism and hate is an individual responsibility beginning with people asking themselves what they can do about stemming hateful speech and actions.

“One [solution] is to broaden the diversity of people within one’s friendship groups,” Henderson said. “Too often we fear what we don’t know. It’s about changing your mind and your heart.”

Assessment Center Supervisor Sherri Goldberg created and hosted the first LGBT conference on campus in March to promote a friendlier LGBT climate on campus.

“We don’t even have a web page,” Goldberg said. “I wrote a mini grant through the SCC Foundation to get some money for LGBT workshops and a conference started because I didn’t see anything going on in terms of campus-wide [LGBT] education.”

Pitman and Goldberg developed City College’s first campus climate survey in fall 2011 to gauge how students and faculty felt about the social climate on campus and find areas of improvement. The survey was submitted to Associate Vice President, instruction Julia Jolly, but no determination was made to implement the survey, according to Goldberg.

“There might be concerns about what the survey will find,” Goldberg said.

Published:

The Express 18 April 2012: (Volume 95, Issue 13) 4. Available at: http://saccityexpress.com/diminishing-the-power-of-hate/.

Sacramento Press 27 April 2012. Available at: http://sacramentopress.com/headline/67070/Diminishing_the_power_of_hate

This month marks a dark anniversary in state history.   Fifteen years ago, the Hartford Whalers announced they were leaving Connecticut, a blow to the city and the state, from which it still has not recovered.   In this Sunday’s Face the State flashback, we take you back to March of 1997.    In the beginning of the month, the effort to save the team was in full gear, but on March 26th, team owner Peter Karmanos announced the team was out of here.

In our flashback, you’ll see a report I filed on March 12th, as talks were going on between state officials and Karmanos, and as a study was released showing the huge impact the Whalers had on the economy.

   You’ll hear from John Carbone, who told me that night if the Whalers were to leave, his Gaetano’s restaurant would have a dim future.   He was right. Gaetano’s closed less than two years later, as the Hartford Civic Center  mall was slated for demolition.   In fact, along with Gaetano’s not a single restaurant or store that was in the mall when Whalers played their final game is open today.   Not one chose to set up shop again in the renovated Hartford 21 or in downtown.  

We also will show you a report from Jeff Cole filed on the day that broke the hearts of fans, merchants, city and state leaders.   You’ll hear from Karmanos as he explains why he was yanking the Whale out of the Constitution State. 

Here are those reports: 

http://www.wfsb.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6806229

If you last week’s chat with ESPN’s John Buccigross about a Whalers return, you can watch it right here:

http://dennishouse.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/espns-buccigross-on-nhl-return-to-hartford/

Bruce emailed us the “Class” pilot today and it looks great!  Check out the episode featuring actress, Eva La Rue; A Market’s Shelly Register; and director, McG at this link:

http://bit.ly/CLASSpilot

John Rowland was a fixture on Channel 3 Sunday morning political shows for more than a decade.  He came on Face the State many times, dating back to the 1980s and in the 90s when the program was renamed annually (CT-94, CT-95, etc.)  He came on as a congressman, gubernatorial candidate, and ultimately, governor.  

I remember seeing the black Lincoln parked outside Broadcast House in downtown Hartford on occasional Friday mornings, meaning the then governor was in for a taping with Duby McDowell, Jeff Cole and later Al Terzi.    He always took time to meet with staffers and be interviewed on his way out.

In this week’s “Face the State” flashback we take you back to May of 2004, when then Governor Rowland made his final appearance on the program, moderated  by Al.     Rowland was in the throes of an investigation, and fending off calls for impeachment.   To his credit, he came into our studios when it would have been much easier to avoid the cameras   In the clip you’ll see Sunday,  Al asks Rowland about the media, and the answer was lengthy, and focused on the state’s largest newspaper.  The governor announced his resignation 6 weeks later.

Ironically, Rowland was a key figure in the survival of Face the State.   In the late 1990s, our general manager (who is no longer with the company)  told Duby he  wanted to cancel the program, presumably to replace it with a lucrative infomercial.  

Politicians got wind of the ill-conceived plan, and fought to save the show from the trash bin.  Democratic activist Jonathan Pelto and GOP chairman Dick Foley organized a campaign, and then Rowland stepped in.    According to Duby, it all came to a head when the assistant to our general manager interrupted him in the middle of a meeting to tell him “the governor” was on the phone.  Legend has it Rowland implored that the GM not cancel the broadcast, citing its importance to the state.  Our thanks to Rowland for that.

The rest is history.    Just last week, more people in Connecticut watched Face the State than Meet the Press, and we thank our viewers for that. 

Rowland has been invited to come on Face the State since his last appearance in 2004, but he has declined our past invitations. 

Tune in this Sunday at 11AM only on Channel 3.

The accident happened around 2:30 a.m. on Blackfield Road in Black Township.

According to state police, Kenneth Mishler, of Rockwood, was arrested following the incident on suspicion on driving under the influence.

Investigators say Mishler was headed north in his pickup truck, going at a high-rate of speed, when he lost control while trying to make a right turn and went off the road.

The vehicle traveled about 280 feet through the yard of Jeff Cole, and then hit into his Hyundai Santa Fe that was parked in the driveway, officials said.

The truck then struck the victim’s attached garage, traveled though the door and into the garage where it hit a Ford Focus inside.

There is no word on the cost of the damage, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Mishler was not hurt in the crash.

Jeff attributed “fear” and “lack of perceived need” as the two barriers to traditional media today, which cause it to seem like everything is falling apart. While navigating traditional media used to be easy, the increased pace of things have shifted media into an utterly instantaneous experience where the information we not only receive, but have come to expect, is only 30-60 seconds old, and is more often than not, still unfolding as we hear about it. All types of schedules are virtually disappearing- from the published TV guide schedule to the agreed upon music release schedule.

These shifts cause chaos because we are given too many choices. No longer can we skate by with the notion that “ignorance is bliss.” With so many media channels available to us, we do not seek the news, the news seeks us. The ignorant, then, are not blissful. They are just uninformed, confused, and falling even more and more behind the curve with every literal second that passes by.

My question is whether or not this a truly enjoyable way to live. Why is there a need for this constant, torrential downpour of information? Simply keeping up with the times is not enough in an age where being the first to know something often distinguishes the difference between success and mere survival. But we must sift through so much to get to what is actually important to us individually. The change of pace has sparked a neverending race, and technological advances will continue to be the driving force.

Jim is truly a shining star in our network and to his great credit he structured a finance program for an Earth Ship in Taos, New Mexico. This is a major accomplishment that he says he never could have done if it weren’t for myEnergyLoan and his status as a myEnergyLoan provider. We are very, very proud to be associated with this transaction, which will earn a full 100 basis points as credit to the borrower. Also, this is most expensive Earth Ship sold to date at over $400,000. The sellers and the buyers are simply delighted with the program, which truly could not have gotten financed without the sheer tenacity and creative thinking of Jim Tulin. The green builder community of Taos is literally on fire from the news that an Earth Ship has been financed by Nova Home Loans, with many EcoBrokers and green builders already responding with referrals on news that was just released today!

Based on Jim’s success with myEnergyLoan, the corporate executives of Nova Home Loans have given Jim the authority to create a new division call Nova Green, which is based exclusively on the relationship Jim has formed with myEnergyLoan. This is great big news about which you are surely going to hear more in the coming weeks and months. Please take a moment to congratulate Jim on this accomplishment, which ranks up there with some of the most important to date. We know myEnergyLoan enabled this accomplishment, but it was truly Jim Tulin who made it happen!

Note that this property was featured in the Wall Street Journal in June of last year – just before myEnergyLoan was featured in the Wall Street Journal in August of last year. You can read both articles by clicking on the links below:

http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/06/18/you-can-live-here-just-dont-call-it-a-house/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204271104574290672502554440.html

As a future digital manager and entrepreneur, I am fascinated and excited by these possibilities. The world is moving online, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. Though I have to admit, on a personal level, there is something so satisfying about curling up and reading the paper version of the New York Times or LA Weekly…though this may be a long shot, I hope that we can sustain some personal connection to media and information WITHOUT the omnipresent broadband facilitator. Stay tuned, world.

Okay, kids….we’re starting a new feature here on The Laurel. We’re calling it “Where Are They Now?” and it’s the fine suggestion of QU’s John Morgan (thank you, John).

Send us your suggestions of former Connecticut media types you’d like us to update. We’re starting with Jeff Cole, formerly of WFSB, simply because he’s a really, really good friend of ours. Future submissions will probably be judged using the same criteria.

Click here for Jeff’s official station bio.  Since leaving WFSB in 2000, he’s been the investigative reporter for FOX 29 in Philadelphia’s award-winning investigative unit, “FOX Undercover.” He’s doing the same great reporting he did here in Connecticut; check out this Philly Magazine profile of him called “Attack Dog”.

To recap Jeff’s WFSB career, he started in 1984, first as a morning news anchor and then an investigative reporter. He won a ridiculous number of awards and never compromised in his work. Well before Governor Rowland’s serious troubles emerged,  Jeff questioned the terms of the initial purchase of the Bantam Lake cottage and shot video of it from a boat with his photog. As a result he was disinvited from the annual press Christmas party at the Governor’s Residence.

After nine years, he and wife Lori and their two boys are now Philadelphians despite their New York/New England roots. He’s even rooting for the Phillies (though points out that Red Sox fans never lose their love for their team).

Observationen att sajter som Lunarstorm och Playahead idag tappar användare är korrekt men får absolut inte blandas samman med det generella användandet av sociala media/sajter. Så vitt jag känner till så finns det ingen rapport eller studie som ens antyder att unga skulle ha drabbats av trötthet och ledsnat på att umgås och nätverka på nätet. Tvärt om, tyder allt jag kan se på att deras användande av nätet fortsätter att öka snabbt – till stor del på bekostnad av användningen av andra mediaformer.

Det som i själva verket händer är att ungdomar (som alltid) är en flyktig publik som snabbare plockar upp trender och fenomen än vi lite äldre. Detta är giltigt i så väl media som för vilken konsumentprodukt som helst. Ingen skulle dock sätta rubriken “Unga slutar bry sig om kläder” eller “Kidsen vill inte längre gå på krogen” bara för att man iakttagit att ett par klädvarumärken börjar sälja mindre eller att en nyss populär nattklubb plötsligt ser sviktande publiktal. Det som händer är ju att nya varumärken dyker upp och nya nattklubbar dit de allra coolaste personerna sökt sig öppnat. Så fort något blir för mainstream börjar ungdomarna droppa av. Greg Andersen på AdAge har skrivit en intressant artikel runt just detta som jag rekommenderar.

Det är dock skrämmande naivt att de stora mediaföretagen inte inser att den unga publikens flyktighet. Med tanke på hur många nya tjänster och sajter som startas varje dag och de låga produktions- och distributionskostnader som nätet medför är det svårt att tro att sociala nätverkssajter för unga skulle vara ett långsiktigt lönsamt medieprojekt.

Paradoxalt nog verkar det som om vi äldre användare just uppvisar den lojalitet som är förutsättningen för långsiktig lönsamhet… Här borde man alltså snarare ha satsat på att leta upp och förvärva/skapa sociala nätverk för vuxna. Ytterligare argument som talar för detta är ju att det här kan finnas synergier med de etablerade mediaplattformar man redan sitter på (och som de unga övergav för länge sedan…) En som pratar just om lojalitetsskillnaden mellan unga och vuxna är internetforskaren Jeff Cole . Här finns en intressant upptagning från hans framträdande på årets Stockholm Media Week där han bland annat berör detta.

- Fredrik

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