Kamala's #KHive and the Dangers of Blind Loyalty
Loyalty is often touted as an ethical superior attribute one must possess. In some cases it is. A journalist should always be loyal to the truth. Biased journalism gives the elites more power and is a disservice to the people. A wife should always be loyal to her husband and vice versa. However, when that loyalty becomes blind, unchecked and allowed to roam without any principles or moral boundaries, its constituents usually travel down a dark road of anger and contempt.
Sports is a breeding ground for blind loyalty. Fans will spew vitriolic hate towards one another concerning teams, players, coaches, referee calls, bad playcalling, dropped passes, missed shots or whatever else might happen. The results are routinely counterproductive: New York Jets fans organize a protest to fire their head coach, an Alabama Crimson Tide fan murdered an LSU Tigers fan last year, and a physical brawl in an NFL stadium is almost guaranteed. All because their support for their teams has zero boundaries.
Politics is another arena saturated with relentless followers. Loyal liberals decry the law system when officers involved in the Breonna Taylor shooting face no criminal charges, despite the evidence proving the shooting was justified. Blindly loyal conservatives refuse to take any precautions when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. This is where we find vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris blind support group, the KHive.
What started as a grassroots movement in support of Harris that is “independent of any campaign efforts”, the KHive has evolved into a radical petri dish of Twitter attack dogs who try to tear down anyone in opposition to her. Alanna Vaglanos of The Huffington Post details the harassment some KHive supporters levy on others:
“Multiple people said their personal information was published online, forcing some to move their families to a different location temporarily for fear they were in physical danger. Two women said KHive members made veiled threats toward their children. One of the women said she received a call from child protective services about her 17-month-old child after an incident with the KHive.”
Behavioral science studies have concluded that when an organization’s mission statement is not clear and pronounced, more cheating and immoral behavior will ensue. A Cornell Law School study explored how people rationalize corrupt behavior:
How many loyal followers of Kamala Harris (or any politician) ignore the person’s weaknesses, character blind spots or, even worse, morally bankrupt behavior? These blind followers often live vicariously through their favorite political figures. Some of their emotions are in direct correlation to the successes and failures of their psychologically-anointed leader. An attack on their favorite athlete, sports team, singer, politician, etc. can be perceived as a personal attack on said individual. Thus, we get the name-calling and death threats from the KHive when a person not in support of Kamala Harris criticizes her policies and failed political ideologies.
No one should become a blind follower of anything or anyone. Criticism of people or organizations, even those you support, is healthy. As a fan of LeBron James (the basketball player, not the political activist), I cannot ignore the Miami Heat’s NBA Finals meltdown against Dallas in 2011. As a Chicago Bears fan, I will not gloss over the fact that they have been a subpar organization for the last 30 years.
Loyalty is okay. Blind loyalty leads to destruction.
