A recent blog post by Sheeraz Raza identified how Facebook is taking a more active step in identifying extremism. The social media platform has apparently developed an algorithm to identify people who have viewed “extremist” content. They receive a message, and their friends receive a message:
Twitter and other users are not happy with this, as it insinuates that Facebook is judging what is or isn’t extremist content (and, what is or isn’t “extremist”). Also, the question goes to what the social media platform may be doing with this information–passing it off to law enforcement?
While the July 3rd standoff between Moorish Nationals and Massachusetts law enforcement ended peacefully, the repercussions of the event may not be fully realized. The incident does serve to refocus the spotlight on sovereign activity in the USA.
Initial reports of the incident appeared to make it out that these individuals were blocking the road on purpose. However, further reports described how two vehicles of individuals were pulled over on the road after running out of gas at 2am just outside of Wakefield, MA. The individuals were armed with long guns, and a standoff between them and law enforcement ensued after they refused to comply with law enforcement’s instructions.
11 people were arrested: Jamhal Tavon Sanders Latimer (also known as Jamhal Talib Abdullah Bey), 29, of Providence; Robert Rodriguez, 21, of the Bronx; Wilfredo Hernandez (also known as Will Musa), 23, of the Bronx; Alban El Curraugh, 27, of the Bronx; Aaron Lamont Johnson (also known as Tarrif Sharif Bey), 29, of Detroit; Quinn Cumberlander, 40, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island; Lamar Dow, 34, of the Bronx; Conrad Pierre, 29, of Baldwin, New York; a male teenager, 17; and two men who refused to self-identify.
Moorish Nationals are part of the sovereign citizen movement and were an offshoot that started in the 1990s. Interestingly, the sovereign citizen movement was originally thought of as being a white-only movement until the Moorish National movement began. Now, there seems to be just as many people who are part of the Moors than others sovereign flavors.
So, what are the implications:
Visibility. This incident sheds light into Moorish Nationals (specifically) and sovereign citizens (generally). It also reinforces the us-vs.-them mentality when it comes to sovereigns not recognizing the rules.
Bravado. It is possible that the brashness of such a group may cause other similar groups to be more obstinate to law enforcement or government regulation.
Understanding. This incident may show the marriage between traditional sovereign activity and militia activity. The group was on their way to train, were heavily armed, and appeared to operated like a militia.
Only time will tell what this incident means for the sovereign movmement.
The initial step in the ADDIE process is the analysis. This is the step where instructional designers take time to get to understand the problem. They review with the stakeholders the goals/desired outcomes.
The way that I approach the analysis stage is to conduct a needs assessment. A needs assessment is just that–a baseline understanding or evaluation of the need/s. It involves understanding the desired outcome, evaluative measures, learners, and capabilities of the training systems, if any.
My needs assessment involves understanding how much time the stakeholder is willing to provide to a learner to complete the training. Is this going to be something where we have to train within a few minutes (like a just-in-time learning management course) or within an hour (like a synchronous or asynchronous classroom training structure).
I also want to understand the need in terms of a project. Meaning, I look at it based on the three part of project management: scope, time, and resources/money. I need to know this in order to ensure that I fulfill the stakeholder’s desires, said or unsaid.
I have known several instructional designers (and I have been personally guilty myself) that skill the “A” step or make assumptions about it without really understanding it. This is something you want to avoid–take the extra time to conduct the analysis so that the design process starts out great.
During my initial posting in the Midwest, I became involved in several investigations regarding outlaw motorcycle gangs or OMGs. OMGs are organizations that use their members to conduct criminal activity. The DOJ recently put out a warning saying “There are more than 300 active OMGs within the United States, ranging in size from single chapters with five or six members to hundreds of chapters with thousands of members worldwide. The Hells Angels, Mongols, Bandidos, Outlaws, and Sons of Silence pose a serious national domestic threat and conduct the majority of criminal activity linked to OMGs, especially activity relating to drug-trafficking and, more specifically, to cross-border drug smuggling.”
Interestingly, I saw a recent post on The State via Yahoo News about an Indiana-based club who went out to “punish” an imposter. The imposter had tats and other markings that resembled “The Warlocks” and “The Pagans”. The imposter died.
In November 2008, I made an analytical judgement that a specific OMG would be able to start bringing in narcotics from Canada into the Midwest. These OMGs’ collateral damage was comparable to damage by street gangs like MS-13. OMGs are involved in and bring to communities murders, extortion, prostitution, and racketeering. For example:
In August 2006, two members of an OMG allegedly opened fire on a crowd filled with members of a rival gang in Custer State Park, South Dakota. Five members of the rival gang were shot in what appeared to be a planned attack.
The April 2002 River Run Riot between the Hells Angels and the Mongols motorcycle club resulted in three deaths, 36 indictments, and two convictions.
These examples may be dated, but the analysis was strong. And, the bottom line is to be mindful of where you are and what you are doing.
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