The Cost of Exclusion: What Happens When Communities Are Pushed Too Far (Repeated Story With Today’s Lense – After D.C. Shooting!)

This Story Originally Appeared On November 1st, 2025. On November 26th a shooting resulted in Washington D.C. It looks as if it resulted from pressure placed on an individual. A person identified from a sect or community. You can read the story connected to that event here. then consider the contents of this story and decide for yourself. It is not difficult to have predicted. More will come.

10–16 minutes

In every generation, the United States stands at a crossroads of its own making. From the outside, our country can look unstoppable. From the inside, we often feel the push and pull of competing values. These include hopes and fears. Beneath the headlines and politics are real people—neighbors, families, workers—trying to live meaningful lives. When pressure builds in a society, it rarely announces itself with fanfare. Instead, it creeps in quietly, showing up as worry, disconnection, or a sense that something familiar is shifting. This story isn’t about sensational headlines but about those quiet pressures—economic, social, and cultural—that can change a nation’s future.

Deportation, Prejudice, and the Risk of History Repeating

When governments treat specific communities as disposable, they create wounds. These often fester into something more dangerous. Today in the United States, many Hispanic families live under the shadow of deportation. They are sometimes sent to countries that are not their place of origin. Worse still, many are denied fair hearings or meaningful access to justice before being removed.

This pattern, though uniquely American in its details, has historical echoes elsewhere.

Lessons from Israel and Its Neighbors

Globally, people are voicing similar worries. Inflation, poverty, unemployment, and corruption rank highest worldwide. Local details differ, yet the underlying pressures on ordinary families are strikingly alike from one country to another.

In the Middle East, decades of restrictive policies have shaped the relationship between Israel and its neighbors. Palestinians have endured travel restrictions, settlement expansion, home demolitions, and barriers to full participation in civic life. While not every individual responds with violence, these systemic grievances have fueled a climate where radical groups gain traction. Street shootings, bombings, and attacks on innocent civilians are, in part, the tragic outcome of exclusion and marginalization.

  • When justice is denied, resentment grows. History shows us what happens when exclusion takes root. Will the U.S. repeat Israel’s mistakes?

The lesson is not that oppression always leads to terrorism. Yet, when large communities feel silenced, denied justice, or stripped of dignity, it becomes easier for extremism to take root.

The American Parallel

For many Hispanic communities in the U.S., there is growing concern that the same cycle begins here. Families who have lived in this country for years are uprooted without warning. Children who know no other homeland are deported to countries where they have no ties. Legal safeguards that should guarantee fairness are often bypassed through expedited removal or administrative shortcuts.

  • Deportation without dignity doesn’t just break families—it risks breaking society. Lessons from abroad show what happens when whole communities are silenced.

The danger is not only humanitarian—it is practical. Alienation breeds resentment. Resentment, left unchecked, can lead to anger that is so strong it erupts in harmful ways. If citizens and residents consistently feel betrayed by the very government meant to protect them, feelings of betrayal grow. Over time, these feelings lead to instability akin to that seen in other parts of the world.

A Cautionary Reflection

The United States faces a choice. It can double down on policies that treat Hispanic people as outsiders. Alternatively, it can recognize that fairness, dignity, and due process are not luxuries—they are stabilizers. By ensuring justice and compassion, the U.S. can protect both its people and its principles.

History reminds us that exclusion never produces lasting peace. Inclusion does. If America forgets this, it risks repeating a painful lesson already written across borders far from its own.

  • Exclusion never creates peace. Inclusion does. The United States must choose which future it wants.

As this report was being prepared on September 10, 2025. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was addressing an audience as part of his “American Comeback Tour.” When a gunman, described as wearing tactical gear, opened fire from a nearby building. The event was not just violent in its outcome. It’s now being discussed widely as an example of how political tensions, rising polarization. Public rhetoric can set the stage for tragedy. AP News+3Reuters+3People.com+3

This shooting stands as a stark reminder of what happens when communities feel threatened, unheard, or unfairly treated. When specific policies—like deportations without fair hearings, rhetoric that pits “us vs. them,” or laws that strip rights from people—are merged with public disdain, alienation can grow. As with Kirk’s death, violence doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It is often preceded by months or years of escalating division, distrust, and dehumanizing language toward some group.

If similar pressures continue—where people feel they are being denied justice. Or they will be forced into exile, or silenced—the risk is not only that isolated individuals will lash out. More of these attacks will spill into public spaces, become more common, and target more people. Charlie Kirk’s shooting is tragic and shocking. Still it also foreshadows a pattern we’ve seen before elsewhere: oppression + exclusion + inflammatory rhetoric = violence.

THE QUESTION NOW FACING THE UNITED STATES

The U.S. be trailing a path? Is government policy and public rhetoric pushing some communities to a breaking point? Exclusion and injustice be more than grievances, becoming catalysts for violence? 

Israel offers a stark example. It shows what can happen when a nation attempts to dominate or control another people or region. Despite decades of military action, surveillance, imprisonment, and harsh policies, the country faces ongoing terrorist attacks. These actions occur within its own borders. History shows that no matter the tactics, attempts to subjugate or marginalize an entire population often breed resentment. Such approaches lead to cycles of violence rather than lasting security.

Recent polling reveals Americans’ top worries focus on daily life basics. These include the economy, healthcare costs, inflation, and Social Security. Economic anxiety has become the leading stress point—and understanding it is key to shaping effective public policy.

In the United States, millions of people belong to the LGBTQI community—transgender, gay, intersex, and beyond. If laws or court rulings increasingly target these groups with discriminatory restrictions or hardships, the effect won’t just be legal. It will erode their existing rights and impact them deeply on a human level. People who feel cornered, threatened, or stripped of dignity often turn to protest, activism, and self-defense. Families, friends, and allies of LGBTQI individuals will stand with them. History shows that when marginalized communities are pushed too far, their collective response grows stronger. They become more determined, whether through the courts, the ballot box, or public action.

  •  There are case studies in why inclusion and fairness matter. Disenfranchisement can occur across many lines. These include ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or economic status. Prevention starts with recognizing early warning signs. It involves pushing for fairness and empathy. Other groups and individuals will be targeted in this sweeping of Americans’ rights.

1. Immigrant and Refugee Communities Beyond Latin America

People from African nations, the Middle East, or Asia sometimes experience parallel challenges. They face deportation, limited due process, and suspicion tied to their nationality or religion. Policies that reduce refugee admissions, delay asylum processing, or tighten visa rules disproportionately affect them.

2. Religious Minorities

Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, and other smaller faith groups have seen spikes in harassment or targeted legislation. Surveillance, mosque or temple zoning battles, and hate crimes all increase when public rhetoric frames these groups as”others.”

3. Indigenous Peoples

Tribal communities continue to face legal battles over land, water, and sovereignty. Changes to federal protections or environmental rules can undermine their rights. This fuels deep distrust and potential standoffs (for example, Standing Rock and other pipeline protests).

4. People With Disabilities

Budget cuts or shifts in healthcare, accessibility regulations, or education funding can affect people with physical or cognitive disabilities. Without legal protections and enforcement, they risk losing access to accommodations and services they depend on.

5. Women and Reproductive Rights

If policies continue restricting reproductive healthcare and bodily autonomy, many women feel increasingly alienated. This is especially true for those in rural and low-income areas. Such feelings lead to organized protest. It also heightens tensions.

6. Workers in Precarious or Gig Jobs

With unions weakened and worker protections often rolled back, low-wage and gig-economy workers are also vulnerable to systemic neglect. Economic insecurity can create fertile ground for unrest, especially if merged with racial or immigration-related grievances.

On a hot summer’s day, if you stir any of these pots, something unhappy will happen. Similarly, if you keep someone locked out on a cold winter’s day, the outcome will be negative. It used to be the explosive reaction we referred to as Cabin-Fever when someone no longer can take the pressure. When so many groups are pushed to the point of not being capable to handle it. What happens? America already has more firearms than any country in the world. It shouldn’t take much research to realize that becoming Palestine-Israel would be easier than ever. It would also be more violent than people thought.

  • Exclusion never creates peace. Inclusion does. America must choose which future it wants.

There are Americans who are also to be considered part of the LGBTQI community. If laws or Supreme Court rulings turn against the transgender, Gay members, or Intersex community, these laws can cause hardships. Further restrictions can come into their lives. At some point, they and their families, friends, and supporters are going to find ways to defend themselves. 

Yes — beyond the Hispanic and LGBTQI communities already discussed, there are several other groups. Experts and advocates often recognize these groups as vulnerable. These groups are often affected by shifts in policy, public sentiment, or legal rulings. Here’s a quick overview:

How Many Transgender People Have Been Mass Shooters?

This chart shows just how rare transgender or nonbinary mass shooters are in the U.S.—less than 1% of cases compared to an overwhelming majority by cisgender men. It’s a clear reminder that public narratives blaming LGBTQ+ people for mass violence are unsupported by facts.

How many trans shooters are there in real life?

Officially, the short answer: very, very few. Credible databases don’t systematically record gender identity. Still, the best available analyses show well under 1% of U.S. mass shooters have identified as transgender or nonbinary—i.e., only a handful of cases across many decadesSocial Sciences and Humanities College+1

A few notes for context:

  • The Violence Project’s long-running database (public mass shootings, 4+ killed) shows hundreds of incidents since 1966. Researchers and fact-checks confirm that transgender perpetrators account for less than 1% of cases. This is in the low single digits in total. The Violence Project+1
  • News reporting that tries to tally specific incidents similarly finds just a few cases. It also cautions that many official datasets code by sex, not gender identity, which limits precision. Newsweek
  • Independent fact-checks conclude that claims of a “rise” in transgender mass shooters are unsupported. The vast majority of mass shooters are cisgender men. Reuters

Bottom line: Exact counts are hard to pin down because of data limitations. The evidence consistently shows that transgender people make up a vanishingly small share of U.S. mass shooters.

“Fewer than ten transgender athletes out of 510,000 NCAA players.

Yet, they’re at the center of a multi-million-dollar political storm.”

This makes sense—transgender people represent a very small part of the population, and their visibility often makes them targets. Out of more than 510,000 NCAA college athletes nationwide, it’s estimated that fewer than ten are openly transgender. Historically, families—including our grandparents and their grandparents—have coexisted with transgender individuals without controversy. Only in recent years have political attacks escalated, turning a once-private aspect of life into a public battleground. These attacks have generated hundreds of millions of dollars. Groups and politicians use transgender people as a wedge issue. They target individuals who are simply trying to live their lives.

What We Know (or Think We Know)

  • According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, about 300,000 youth aged 13–17 recognize as transgender in the U.S. Williams Institute
  • Of those, some studies suggest ~40.7% of transgender high school students play on at least one sports team. Applying that to the population estimate gives around 120,000+ transgender high school student-athletes Williams Institute
  • Nonetheless, when it comes to more specific breakdowns (e.g. how many play in women’s teams, or how many are in college/pro sports), the numbers are much smaller. For example, GLAAD reports that among ~510,000 NCAA college athletes, there are fewer than 10 known transgender athletes GLAAD

Key Takeaways & Limitations

  • Small in relative terms: Tens of thousands of transgender youth join in high school sports. Still, they are still a very tiny fraction of all athletes.
  • Very few at higher levels: At the college or professional levels, the known, openly transgender athletes are very rare (under 10 in the NCAA among all those athletes, per recent reports) GLAAD+1
  • Data gaps: Many sports associations don’t track gender identity carefully. Privacy concerns, inconsistent reporting, and changing eligibility rules make precise numbers hard to nail down.

Exclusion never creates peace. Inclusion does. The United States must choose which future it wants.

Yet even in times of strain, The United States of America greatest strength has always been its capacity to self-correct. Communities do not simply absorb pressure—they also adapt, innovate, and rise to meet challenges. We have the chance now to choose empathy over division, solutions over rhetoric, and inclusion over exclusion. If we remember that the country’s heart beats strongest when its people are treated with fairness and dignity. Then the same forces that threaten to divide us can also become the sparks that unite us. This is not just a warning—it’s an invitation to hope.

This content was originally intended to be posted on September 11, 2025. Due to unfolding events at that time, its publication was postponed until November 1, 2025. The research began weeks before events on September 10, 2025 in Utah. If extra events have occurred since then, this report reflects the level of concern. It highlights the growing sense of unease emerging across the United States.


About the Author:

Benjamin Groff is a former police officer and radio news anchor. He has hosted programs for CNN and ABC News affiliates in Colorado and Wyoming. His career in law enforcement began in 1980 and lasted more than two decades. This gave him firsthand insight into the criminal mind and public safety. Moreover, it provided him with an understanding of the human stories that often go untold. His writing draws on these experiences, blending street-level truth with a journalist’s eye for the bigger picture.

By Benjamin GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | ©2025 

The Day He Lost The Ability To Speak English

By Benjamin GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | ©2025 

3–4 minutes

Arthur P. Calloway had built a reputation for saying exactly what he thought — and what he thought was rarely kind. He had campaigned against “outsiders.” He railed at city council meetings. He spoke with a confidence born not of wisdom, but volume. English, he often boasted, was the only language this country should ever need.

Arthur opened his mouth one Tuesday morning. He heard flawless Portuguese spill into the quiet of his kitchen. He thought it must be a joke. He assumed it was a trick of the television. It was a dream he had not yet shaken. He tried again. Perfect Mandarin. Then French. Then something that sounded like Arabic, rolling and melodic and utterly foreign to his ears.

“Stop this nonsense,” he commanded himself — only it came out in rapid German, sharp and precise. His heartbeat climbed into his throat.

“Hört auf mit diesem Unsinn!”

Arthur spent the day marching through town in bewilderment, attempting to explain his crisis to clerks, police officers, and neighbors. Every word that escaped him was eloquent and unfamiliar. Some laughed. Some filmed him. A few shook their heads and muttered that he was finally “losing it.”

By afternoon, humiliated and exhausted, he wandered into the small international grocery store he had once tried to shut down. A young woman stood behind the counter. He recognized her instantly. It was Marisol Reyes. She was one of the very people he had publicly accused of “changing the town.” She watched him carefully as he stammered in perfect Spanish.

Her eyes widened. “You never spoke to us before,” she said quietly. “Now you talk like you were born somewhere else.”

“Nunca antes nos habías hablado, ahora hablas como si hubieras nacido en otro lugar.”

Arthur understood.

Arthur’s face burned, but for the first time in years, something softer stirred beneath his anger. Through a strange miracle or curse, he explained everything. He shared his confusion and his fear. He talked about his inability to produce even a single English syllable.

Marisol listened. Not because she owed him kindness, but because she chose it.

Word spread quickly. People from other communities began visiting Arthur, testing his strange gift. He spoke Tagalog with nurses, Swahili with truck drivers, Italian with the old baker whose accent now made perfect sense. Each conversation chipped quietly at the fortress he had built around himself.

Weeks later, as suddenly as it had come, the spell broke. Arthur awoke to find English restored, sitting comfortably on his tongue like an old coat.

But something within him no longer fit.

He returned to Marisol’s store, this time with a hesitant smile and a humility unfamiliar even to himself.

I don’t deserve it,” he said, at last understanding the weight and privilege of those simple words. “But I want to learn. Not just the words. The people.”

Marisol nodded once. Then she gestured to a small bulletin board near the door. It displayed community language classes, cultural nights, and shared meals.

Arthur signed up for every one of them.

The town never quite knew what had caused his transformation. Some called it divine intervention. Others laughed it off as a nervous breakdown. Arthur never explained. He listened more. He spoke less. He walked daily past a world he once hated. Now he heard it. He truly heard it. He listened in every language he had once refused to respect.

And for the first time in his life, he found peace not in being understood… but in understanding.


By Benjamin GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | ©2025 

Marketing to Change Minds

1–2 minutes

By Benjamin GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | ©2025 


Marketing to change people’s views isn’t a new concept—it’s one of the oldest tools of persuasion known to humankind. It begins quietly, almost imperceptibly, with the notion that a particular group or sect isn’t “right” for the community. That whisper grows into a chorus, spreading suspicion from one group to the next. Before long, it becomes an orchestrated campaign designed to win favor with the majority.

Sometimes the purpose is simple—boosting sales or swaying public opinion. Other times it’s darker. It aims to destroy a movement or to silence dissent. It can also trample a people beneath the weight of manipulated perception.

The pattern always begins the same way. A subtle warning disguised as concern. A headline. A slogan. A talking point. Then, as the message gains traction, it becomes sharper, more divisive. The targets shift—left or right, religious or secular, it makes no difference. The goal is control.

In the coming months and years, we will see more of this calculated persuasion. This is marketing that doesn’t sell products but ideas. It spreads fear and hate. It will portray immigrants as criminals, minorities as threats, and neighbors as enemies. The tactic is old, but the technology behind it is new—and more potent than ever.

This isn’t confined to one nation. It crosses oceans and borders, infecting democracies and dictatorships alike. It’s a sickness of the mind and spirit, a global contagion that thrives on division.

To resist it, those who are often isolated in their struggles must unite. Civil rights advocates, faith groups, workers, and artists need to see they are part of the same story. Each citizen must realize their cause is connected. Survival now depends on solidarity. Only by coming together can we create a message stronger than the one designed to tear us apart.


By Benjamin GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | ©2025 

No More Tomorrow’s Forever

GROFF MEDIA 2024© TRUTH ENDURES IMDBPRO

Presented by benandsteve.com By: Benjamin Groff II©

2–4 minutes

Javier stood at the edge of the city park. Staring out at the bustling streets of his new home in America. The golden autumn leaves danced in the wind, starkly contrasting the memories of his war-torn homeland. Javier had come to the United States to find refuge and hope. Yet, the events unfolding around him now gave him an unsettling sense of déjà vu.

Back in his home country—a place he no longer dared to name aloud—Javier had watched the slow unraveling of society. It had once been a proud nation. Families like his owned small businesses. Children played freely in the streets. Communities were bound together by tradition and trust. Corruption spread throughout the country. Drug lords rose to power. Oligarchs infiltrated and bought influence with cold, hard cash. They sowed fear and discord, and before long, even the police and the government served their interests alone. The people were left with nothing but fear and silence.

He had fled that darkness, believing that America would offer something different. And for a time, it did. He found work, made friends, and even started to dream again. 

But the cracks were showing. The unchecked greed was too familiar. The political maneuvering was too familiar. The way drugs crept into the neighborhoods under the guise of prosperity was too familiar. He watched politicians make promises while corporations tightened their grip on the economy. He saw his neighbors losing faith, their voices drowned out by the same wealth-driven forces he had left behind.

“No more tomorrows forever,” 

Javier muttered under his breath, a phrase his grandfather used to say when hope felt like an illusion. He feared that history was repeating itself, that this land of opportunity was sliding down the same treacherous path.

One evening, Javier visited a local diner. He often met with his friend Michael there. Michael was an old war veteran who deeply loved the country he had served. Javier shared his concerns over cups of bitter coffee, finding solace in Michael’s understanding and wisdom.

“I’ve seen this before, amigo. Back home. The greed, the power, the division. It starts small, but it grows until there’s nothing left.”

Michael nodded, his tired eyes scanning the newspaper headlines. 

“You ain’t wrong, son. This country’s got its problems. But we fight. We speak up. That’s the difference.”

Javier wasn’t so sure. He thought of his own country. There, people had fought and lost. Bullets and bribes had silenced voices for freedom. Yet, deep down, Javier wanted to believe Michael. He tried to think that this place still had a chance, that people could push back against the tide.

Javier left the diner. He looked around at the city skyline. The shining towers and the streets were filled with life. The battle wasn’t over yet, and maybe—just maybe—he could do something to help stop history from repeating itself.

The next day, he enrolled in a local community initiative to support struggling neighborhoods. Passionate individuals like himself led this initiative. They aimed to give resources and support to those most affected by the societal issues he had observed. He would share his story. He shared a warning and his hope. He believed past mistakes didn’t have to define the future. America still had tomorrow’s worth fighting for.

But deep inside, a lingering voice whispered, 

No more tomorrow’s forever!”

After Spewing Hate In A Rant – A White Supremist On A Shooting Spree Killed Her Dad. Now The GOP Is Using The Same Hate Speech

www.huffpost.com/entry/el-paso-shooting-anti-immigrant-rhetoric_n_65bbe7a2e4b0102bd2d84f24