Speak Your Piece: It’s about the mob
And now we’re eyewitnesses to civil unrest, chaos, violence and destruction in our country and in Los Angeles and other major cities. It’s like watching a movie.
Oh, but it is real. And be aware: It could come to your town. I can think of at least one small local march organized in a few days that drew out nearly 1,000 people. Imagine what would happen if that group was not law-abiding! It’s clear that it’s not difficult to raise a crowd!
And in LA, many of the early protesters, the joiners, were unaware of what was to come later that day.
The group that targeted the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency under the guise of protecting Hispanics from arrest and deportation were wrong. ICE was assigned to find and arrest illegal migrants with criminal records. And they had signed warrants.
But that’s how the LA riot began — at the warehouse where a very large crowd attempted to enter the federal building in defense of the criminal immigrants working there. The lawful action by ICE was met by politicians and unknown agitators, as reported.
It was an attempt to interfere with ICE operations, and possibly stop them. The crowd of demonstrators attempted to get inside and did not, but that attracted many more to the street and led off five or six nights of violence and lawlessness. More than a few of those arrested or injured were part of something they didn’t buy into, I’ll bet.
Worth repeating is information that the so-called protests are being underwritten by unknown far-left groups and are the backbone of the recent uprisings and attacks on ICE agents. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has launched an investigation.
Part of the reason for this cautionary tale is to point out that anyone can fall victim to a mob mentality — and organizations with hidden agendas. Groupthink is a powerful psychological force that can override judgment and moral reasoning.
Anonymity in a large group can make one feel less accountable. And once involved, one may have a reduced sense of responsibility, leading them to adopt behaviors or beliefs they might not normally engage in alone.
And it does happen in emotionally charged situations where people easily are influenced by the opinions or actions of the group and can lead to minor and extreme behaviors, as we have seen.
Case in point: The so-called “insurrection” on January 6, 2021 involved a portion of a very large crowd that entered the Capitol building, many mindlessly following the leader or leaders. Not everyone who walked into the Capitol building was planning on overthrowing the government. Some were taking selfies.
Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece, from which this commentary is adapted, weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.
