Stereotypes and Prejudice

Mainly all big historical calamities have been taking place on religious basis. Christ founded one church. Therefore each one should have the right to select his or her own way, but necessarily to respect the choice of the other one. And our dream is to achieve true religious tolerance in our country, not indifference, but precisely tolerance.

We had success and failures, advantages and disappointments on the way of development of democratic principles and human rights as in the US legislation, so as in the society’s consciousness. But these difficulties are not related to the proclamation of Independence. They are result of painful transformation processes in social, political and economic fields, in course of which we did not avoid making some mistakes.

Fundamental changes that have taken place here, in our country, had coincided with significant transformation that happened in the civilized world itself. The strengthening of the integration processes in Europe, could not but affected the political and social stereotypes in America. The American people were inspired among other things by the desire to live in the better world sharing common European values.

The subject of racism and anti-Semitism in the USA is at present rather controversial. From one side it’s settled and flat as for the racial attitude, from the other it touches hostility toward or against Nazi and other religious, ethnic groups, which can range from individual hatred to institutionalized, violent persecution. The challenge to law enforcement is to understand these extremist theories and, if any incidents do occur, be prepared to respond to the unique crises they will represent as well as to be particularly aware that the new millennium may increase the odds that extremists may engage in their proactive violence.