Hate isn't quarantined

So how are we all doing with the COVID-19 situation? Are we social distancing? Washing our hands? Doing our part to flatten the curve? Good.

I’ve been doing all of those things, too. But what I haven’t been able to do very well since the virus was declared a global pandemic is concentrate. With each new day, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the situation has the potential to change our lives in ways we don’t even realize right now.

It’s frightening. It’s also easy to get sucked into the coronavirus vortex and lose sight of everything else.

But here’s the thing: Hate hasn’t taken a day off. It isn’t social distancing. It doesn’t have trouble concentrating. It continues to churn and sow division and chaos across the country and around the globe.

Hopefully the coronavirus passes quickly and with minimal impact. But regardless, one thing history tells us is that hate isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything, its purveyors will exploit this situation and stoke our fears for their own ends. Already, we’ve seen coronavirus-related hate crimes, hate leaders spewing conspiracy theories, and figures in the world of hate using fear of the virus to peddle their plans for an all-white ethnostate. Chances are, it will only get worse.

So here’s my promise to you in these trying times: I’m going to do what I can to take care of my family, my friends, and myself. But I’m also going to keep producing journalism about hate and extremism in America. These issues are too important to ignore.

What I hope you’ll do in return is to tell your coworkers, friends, and family about the work being done here at The Informant. The publication recently surpassed 12,000 free subscribers, which is an incredible figure in less than three months. Yet making this publication viable in the long run will require the support of many more people. So please take a few minutes out of your day and convince somebody else to subscribe.

In the meantime, I hope you remain safe and healthy. Thank you for reading.