Many people are terribly tribal and horrible to anyone they consider "other". I'm seeing a lot of this online. Fortunately, even though I know it happens, I don't encounter it much in real life. Yeah, I live in an out-of-the-way place (which many locals and unwilling residents consider the armpit of New Mexico), and I generally avoid neighborhoods known for crime. Other than the occasional (obviously mentally ill) beggar with a chip on his shoulder, I don't see much open hostility.
A tribe can be a good thing. It means someone has your back, even if they don't necessarily know you personally. I've seen it in sportsball fans, people in a particular career, fans of certain entertainment types, and based on other irrelevant things.
I even feel a tribal kinship with people who wear hats (as opposed to caps). We sometimes give each other a knowing look when we pass. I know it's odd. It still feels nice.
And if I see someone displaying something Firefly related, I almost get giddy.
Where tribalism goes wrong is when people from a tribe gang up on someone for no reason other than they perceive them as being from a different tribe. I don't respect that kind of tribalism.
Yesterday I stopped at a fast food place to grab a drink, and there was a young girl of another "race" coloring at a table. She had dropped a crayon on the floor. I picked it up and handed it to her, and she said, "Thank you". I told her she was welcome and turned back to my business, and she excitedly told her mom that she had dropped a crayon, and I gave it to her. It made me happy to know I had made her happy, even in such a small matter.
I didn't think more of it until later, when I got online and saw people of different "races" and tribes hurling hatred at each other. For no reason but that they believed they belonged to different tribes based on skin color. I don't want to live that way!
I know any encounter with another person can go bad. It's my responsibility to not start the trouble- to treat everyone with courtesy until they give me a reason not to. In which case, I'll try to put distance between us. It's also my responsibility to be ready to defend myself and others. From anyone, of any tribe. If I see a guy wearing a hat attacking an innocent person, I instantly switch tribes. I stand with the person who didn't start the trouble. Any other tribe affiliation loses importance at that point.
It's strange to me that this isn't the default.
My most important tribe will always be comprised of those who respect the life, liberty, and property of others. The rest is just costuming.
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