Evil Ways

 

 

The recent terrorist [a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians in the pursuit of political aims] attack on our capital on January 6, 2021 got me thinking. I do not remember seeing a Hollywood movie in which Republican leaning insurrectionists attacked the Congress in an attempt to overthrow a presidential election. A foreign or alien group as in Star Trek attacking, okay. But, civilians doing what?  Are they out of their minds? Well, can you imagine that the president directly influenced and paid for this white mob?  This disquisition has to do with applying BF Skinner’s theory of learning to the capital attack on January 6.

It seems clear and simple to me that this was simply a terrorist attack. However, our government has definitions and criminal penalties per the US 18 code for international terrorism but no such code for national terrorism. Yes, per the US Department of Justice, terrorism prevention is number one mission yet it does not treat all terrorism with the same urgency. We know there are hate crimes in which the FBI pursues and forwards completed investigations to local US attorney offices. From 2015 through 2020 or so, the Trump administration’s policies clearly discriminated against black skinned individuals. Why do white US terrorists have a different set of standards than all others and expect to get away with insurrection?

A few statistics: 1. in 2015, the FBI reported that there were 5, 493 known offenders of hate crimes with a 5850 bias of motivated incidents 2. In 2018, the FBI reported there were 6, 266 known offenders of hate crimes with a 7, 120 bias of motivated incidents 3. Blacks account for less than 13% of the US population but are killed by police  more than twice the rate of white Americans from 2015 through 2020 4. In 2018, black males accounted for 34% of the total male prison population while white males accounted for 29% 5. Gen. Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense stated that the Pentagon does not know how many racists currently serve in the US military. Yet, 20% of those arrested in the insurrection had military backgrounds. 6. In 2018, the US set a new record with 1,020 hate groups. 7. Social media like Facebook, YouTube and so forth have banned the explosion of hate speech 8. The annual median income of African-American households in 2012 was $ 33,321 compared with the national median income at $ 51,017. These are a few statistics that demonstrate discrimination between black and white folks.

BF Skinner’s, operant conditioning model is a theory of learning. Briefly, an attitude, verbal or physical behavioral response can be strengthened with a tendency by a reinforcing stimulus. Simply, any stimulus whose presentation or removal increases the probability of a response is a reinforcer. More specifically, a positive reinforcer is any stimulus that strengthens the behavior upon which it is made; a negative reinforcer is any stimulus when withdrawn strengthens that behavior. When the tendency for a response is increased it is called a reinforcer. In a significant relationship, three little words like “I love you,” is powerful positive reinforcer.

One could argue that our culture has reinforced the attitude and behavior of white supremacy individuals by providing positive reinforcements for them in the areas of work, criminal justice, police, military, social media etc. Moreover, individuals that have identified, admired, submitted have been influenced with positive reinforcements coming from Trump. For example,  Trump  exhibited racist attitudes, speech and behavior  that influenced white supremacy with his “Make America Great,” building a wall along the border, restricting travel on Muslim countries, separating children from their parents at the border, lack of diversity in his cabinet and administration, employment of federal law enforcement during peaceful “Black Lives Matter” protests,  purposely lying and not having policy to treat and deal with Covid-19 and attempting to change the 2020  election results .

BF Skinner, the legendary American psychologist and his followers postulated a number of hypothesis in his theory. This essay will not address a number of these factors related to Skinner’s model: 1. A detailed array of positive and negative primary reinforcers 2. Schedules of reinforcement 3. Secondary reinforcers 4. Drive 5. Emotions 6. Shaping 7. Discrimination of a stimulus. 8. Differentiation of a response.

Skinner found {Skinner, B.F.; Verbal Behavior, Appleton -Century-Crofts.} that written and verbal expression is a powerful tool for reinforcement. Skinner and his associates also studied how to extinguish a behavior. 1. Punishment consists of the presentation of a negative stimulus or a removal of a positive one with the idea that it weakens a response 2. Extinction is a process of permitting a behavior to die out by not reinforcing it. Skinner believed that extinction was a more appropriate response for breaking habits. Briefly, other points were made: 1. intermittent punishment is more effective than punishment at every occurrence 2. Punishment may be used to hold a response at low strength. In essence, a positive reward is a powerful reinforcer and found to increase operant strength while punishment reduces the rate of responding.

An individual who has identified, submitted, followed with affinity with Trump, can be influenced and motivated behaviorally to follow his directions and/or wishes by what he may say. Trump’s words become a positive primary reinforcer. With that being said, these white insurrectionist terrorist know the history in this country for white skinned individuals. Every major institution is dominated by white power. The cultural positive reinforcement of over 400 years cannot be minimized for whites. This is coupled with the expectancy that punishment is not likely to follow especially when the president directed the assault on the capital. These white rioters realize that they have sympathetic individuals for their crazy irrational beliefs in the congress, military, National Guard, police etc.

May be to their surprise, a small percentage of the white riot insurrectionists have been arrested? In fact one rioter said something to the effect that he was duped into believing Trump. One could take away that he was influenced by his leader. Appropriate negative reinforcement, punishment or expulsion at the criminal justice level, social media platform and all cooperating sycophants is necessary. Just think of our nation’s defense {punishment} against all others. We have the largest defense budget in the galaxy. Our 2020 defense budget of 732 billion exceeds the next 10 countries combined with their 726 billion figure. In essence, we do and have the capacity to intimidate and over kill when it comes to other nations. However, when it comes to white domestic terror, we allow racism to rule without appropriate consequences. Attitude and behavioral changes are necessary for this country to unite. Punishment and /or negative reinforcement is necessary to diminish the attitude and behavior of white racist behavior. Banning Trump and others from social media platforms was a positive step in the right direction.

When Trump told the crowd, on the 6th before, they attacked, “We are going to walk down to the capital,” he delivered a positive reinforcement stimulus, of directing and increasing the behavioral tendency of the mob to follow his directions or command by going to the capital. Second, our nation requires a consistent and clear message when it comes to terrorism. Third, terrorism does not depend on color of skin, religious ideology or where the act took place. It’s not in any way national or international. Terror is clearly terror in both respects. Fourth, a hate crime is a clear act of terror and terrorism. International terrorism is associated with hate as well. Fifth, either merge international terrorism and hate crimes under one umbrella with one federal US code and/or provide the same punishment for all occurrences. Seven, our government needs to take away the positive reinforcers for aberrant behavior and provide severe consequence for all skin colors.