For a very long time, we have known from studies that human nature would almost require us to do anything that we think might protect us from real, imagined or clearly perceived dangers. The other side of that is that, out of a desire for the preservation of organized society, we are under the requirement of law that precludes us from responding to fear in any extreme way unless our lives are inarguably threatened. Since authority determines the rules of society, authority also decides who is eligible to respond to fear, even in an extreme way, and who isn’t.
Authority sets up structures to determine what response is appropriate and what response is not. Therefore, a member of a dominant group may not be subjected to the same expectations and/or consequences as a member of a marginalized group even if both individuals respond to fear in the same way. To this end, the stories of the trials of George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander in her trial for firing a warning shot in the direction of her abusive husband – under the same “Stand Your Ground” law in the same state of Florida and the same prosecutorial district – is very instructive. While Zimmerman who killed Trayvon Martin walked out of court a free man, Alexander who caused no injury to her abusive spouse received a 20-year jail term. The only distinguishing factor in both cases was that both Mr. Trayvon Martin and Ms. Alexander were members of a group that is deemed appropriate to be described as “other” in the eyes of our law.
In contemporary society, authority figures are increasingly making an art of defining the objects that people should fear. Despite the fear that we may feel, we must submit to the powers that sanction our ability to respond to fear, and determine how we respond. Having submitted, authority also expects us to accept their choice of language that they will use to initiate, maintain and increase our fear even as they tell us that they exist to protect us from the objects of our fear. As if that is not enough, they define the objects of our fear. For the current government in the United States, the language and objects of fear that they have chosen for us include such terms as “law and order”, “bad dudes”, “refugees”, “extreme vetting”, “terrorists”, “Islamic extremists”, “Jihadists”, “Muslims”, “criminals” and “illegals”. Around the world, immigrants, political opponents and members of minority groups have been the chosen objects of fear.
In South Africa, the objects of fear that must not only be illegally arrested or harassed but also killed are black immigrants from other African countries. While people who follow developments in South Africa may perceive of this as somewhat of a deviation from the argument thus far in the sense that the South African government did not choose the objects of fear now being killed on South African streets, it is by no means a deviation. The reality is that by condoning the actions of the killers and publicly making statements that range from denial to implicit support for the killers to toothless bravado, that government by its complicity has chosen the current victim groups as the objects that the people should fear. But the case of South Africa is by no means unique in this regard, even if the difference may be of kind rather than degree – depending on whose perceptions are being expressed. Certainly, the current South African situation exposes the emptiness and extreme weakness of the judicial, social and political institutions of a corrupt nation on the one hand and, on the other hand, the penchant of frustrated and downtrodden thugs for jungle justice.
Around the world, immigrants and members of minority racial and ethnic groups are marginalized and, yet, are the objects that society is encouraged to fear. To call this thinking illogical is to understate the degree of senselessness inherent both in the conception and practice of otherism.
Thank you for identifying with the victims of fear. I like how you have written about the “other” group and how they are referred to in various societies .
Thank you. It is important that we pay attention to otherism because of the dangers and unfairness that it represents.
The object of fear in South Africa is considered to be foreign-born black African. The government- sponsored or enabled thugs in South Africa have failed to identify the real objects of fear: those who control the politics and the economy and who ensure the thugs stay where they are economically. Those with economic powers who hold over 85% of the businesses and land and repatriate their monies abroad as if they’re prepping for the ultimate melt down of the country they currently call their own. To be fair, the ruling black leaders need to create an all-inclusive govenment apparatus, provide enabling environment for those who have to invest and engage the thugs and make them prosperous and lawful citizens. South Africa “xenophobists”, your object of fear is not your poor struggling foreign born African brother.
Fear is neither logical or rational at times. In the case of South Africa and in many African Countries the targeting of immigrants through angry outburst is not surprising. The victims are themselves in similar situation as the perpetrators and are themselves fleeing from home for fear—only to be faced with what seems like a more lethal atmosphere than they faced in their Homelands. It is a shame to see this play out at a time when there should be a united front to challenge leadership to do better. The leaders that give tacit approval to these attack are simply diverting attention from the obvious—which is that, they wear targets on their backs for the next phase of the explosion. “Black on black” crime as someone called it appears to be—Cathartic for those who perpetrate it. They forget that the real enemy are their leaders who keep them impoverished and egg them on as a diversionary tactic.
Indeed! We are at a critical state in world history as we watch a proliferation of cruelty around our globe. We know that leadership that approves such cruelty should have no place in civil society; yet we frequently watch in silent frustration as the world spirals.