Hate groups are no longer standing back. What will your response be?

Iowa has spoken.

In a state where most communities allow employers to ask applicants about criminal history, more than 900,000 Iowans chose the candidate with 34 felony counts to run the United States. In a state that prides itself on “Iowa Nice,” 55.7% of Iowans chose a reality TV star who rallies his crowds with sexually explicit gestures and comments, mocks differently able people, sows seeds of hate, and tells hate groups to “stand back and stand by.”

And now, across the state of Iowa, we are seeing hate boldly rear its hideous head.

Sonja Bock, an equity specialist from Cedar Falls, described how the signs started before the election. “There was a lot of graffiti with white supremacist rhetoric being painted in the park and by the railroad tracks. In the public library pamphlets were found that said ‘hunting license for illegal aliens.’ Post election it has just ratcheted up. In Waterloo a whole neighborhood woke up with white supremacist recruitment bags dropped in their front yards.” She describes why this behavior is increasing and is seen as supported by the next leader of the United States. “We know Donald Trump’s behavior and stance- they are not afraid and are increasingly putting these things out.”

It is time for Iowa to clean up its bigoted mess. Especially Iowans in the dominant demographic group in Iowa who voted for Trump because of “the economy.”

In my heart, I can’t help but feel that asking people who voted for the person who is fueling this hate might be a waste of my time. People know who they voted for. Trump told us exactly who he was and what he stands for.

But I did talk with one Trump voter who will not tolerate these acts of hate. “We need to stop these things right now. We need to talk to people directly. This is not the country that I want to have, this is not the way,” Pam Mollenhauer, a retired public health professional told me. “The most important thing is to love each other. There is no room for this hate. And we need to call it out when we hear it. And we need to get to the source of who is putting these things out. They have lost the way.”

And I also know that hate and discrimination are not uniquely Trump voter issues. I know at least one Harris voter whose comments about trans-kids, Eric Garner, and Jason Aldean being a ‘great person and not racist at all’ prove otherwise. And there are others out there.

And given the fact a majority Iowans voted for the person whose rhetoric is being carried out by racist groups, we need all willing hands-on deck to stop further terrorism in Iowa towns.

“Nothing about these hate groups is safe for anyone, regardless of your color,” Bock explains. “Hopefully they stand up when something is wrong. It is not Republican versus Democrat. It is humanity.”

When it comes to Democrats, there has been a lot of controversy around the Blue Bracelet movement. Tiara L Mays-Sims, who ran to represent District 43 in the Iowa House, has taken a more balanced stance. “I think anyone who wants to participate in that is fine, as long as it also comes with the work.”

Mays-Sims knows about putting in the work. She worked hard in her race, out-raising and out canvassing her opponent. And she was the victim of a property attack. She is calm and collected about the incident but speaks to the motivation behind it. “Fortunately, it wasn’t a big collective effort. No one else in the neighborhood had the same problem. It is indicative that what Trump’s America looks like. I don’t think anyone is surprised that people are being harassed and assaulted as soon as this man is elected because that is what he promotes.”

I hope this isn’t the Iowa we want. And Iowa has had brighter moments.

Bock met then-Sen. Barack Obama in Fort Dodge and worked on his campaign. “The vibe and feel of white Iowans was very positive,” Bock said of the time before and during Obama taking office. “At the same time Iowa passed same-sex marriage. It was a time of friendliness and community. Now she feels the shift since the election. “I felt a different kind of fear that I had never felt in my life. People have definitely become more brazen.”

To be clear, this is not about white saviorism. It is about cleaning up the mess that we have made, whether it is from direct participation or choosing to turn our heads and ignoring the problem. Or by virtue signaling, clinging to centering talk of “but I am one of the good ones,” instead of putting in the work to have the difficult conversation. Inaction is also a choice. And it has become a very powerful one.

Regardless of people’s response, Bock is hopeful. “The silver lining is that I feel that a lot of marginalized groups need to stop looking to the oppressor to make things better. It is a fine opportunity for grassroots advocacy movement to take hold and that is where the change will come.”

And it is only a matter of time before these acts of hate strike home for all of us. Mollenhauer described her recent experience. “I received a call from a cousin whose family member called the day after the day of the election and was suicidal. She was so upset for her daughter and was scared — what if my daughter gets pregnant and something happens to her? We need services to help people postelection who are scared and suffering, and we need to ramp up help.”

International Human Rights Day is on Dec 10. Look to participate in community events and find other ways to protect human rights. There will be a hate crime forum put on by concerned citizens in Cedar Falls on Feb 28.

So, put your cheap eggs in the fridge. Take a ride in your car now that gas prices will supposedly plummet. And show up. Do something to stop this hate from spreading.

Chris Espersen is a Gazette editorial fellow. chris.espersen@thegazette.com