"They are Eating Dogs!" Resisting America's Hate Problem

“They’re eating dogs… eating cats… the people that came in are eating pets!” The bizarre declaration by Vance and Trump about legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio went viral from the presidential debate last year. Local officials denied the stories, immigrants shared their life stories of overcoming hardship, and no animal bodies were found—yet the rumors about what “they” were doing persisted across the airwaves to influence voters.

“They” are always a threat. The hate multiplies faster than the truth could ever move.

The strategy of finding scapegoats who are different and threatening has worked for millennia. Ancient tribes on every continent fought incessant wars. Mayan versus Aztec, Persians versus Egyptians, American settlers versus Native tribes, Jews versus Arabs, Nazis versus Jews—the list covers all of humanity. Leaders denounce the others as the source of all the problems and a threat to livelihood.

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Nationalist leaders in America have followed this same pattern of hate and fear. The Native Indian tribes were driven out in the 17th century. Irish were denounced in the 18th century and Chinese in the 19th. The mid-twentieth century heard claims Communists were infiltrating society to overthrow the government. Ten years ago candidate Trump highlighted Mexican immigrants as criminals, drug lords, and murderous gangs that were flooding our cities. The past four years the target has included transgender predators who are taking over kids sports and destroying families.

The claims are outrageous, unscientific, and destructive. But they grab headlines and mislead voters by the millions. The promise is that a strong-arm leader will save us from what “they” are doing.

Let’s be honest. The accusations against the others aren’t true. The only truth is that the leaders who fan the hate gain support from the fearful and misinformed.

Psychologists tell us that our minds are wired for survival and safety. Recognizing a threatening situation could make the difference of life or death. Other people are different and that raises the possibility of danger. They don’t talk English so who knows what they are saying, or our daughters will be assaulted by men with a different skin color. In addition, there may also be the battle for scarce resources. The common refrain is that they are taking our jobs at home and abroad. That opposing group could be larger than we are, so we are in danger of being overrun by people flooding across the borders or having a great army that can defeat us.

Today we must resist the flood of misinformation promoted by those seeking power. Press conferences, influencer interviews, and social media posts seek to create fear and distrust. The voices shout about the danger some group poses. “They are eating dogs! Follow me and I will save us!”

We must name the anti-immigrant fears that have led to deportations as hateful bigotry.

We must name the anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim speeches as destructive of our shared society.

We must name the racial and ethnic stereotypes as poison that will infect our children.

We must name the attacks on the LGBTIA community as crimes against those who are loved by God just as much as white, straight people.

If the powerful win in driving one group out of society, soon another group will be the target. Attacks will increase on liberal judges, investigative reporters, scientists who present facts leaders don’t like, librarians who defend the wrong books, professors who give voice to minorities—wait, that’s happening right now, isn’t it? I’m describing exactly what the nationalist politicians, right wing influencers, and oligarchs are doing in our nation today.

Viet Nguyen writes in TIME magazine, “What might destroy our society is not immigrants… or trans people… or others. What might destroy us is our fear, not just of the other who isa neighbor and a stranger, but also of ourselves, of that black hole of abiding mysteries within us.. what might help us overcome that fear and terror is not to banish others but to keep company with them, to speak with them, to meet them face to face.”[1]

The Christian worldview finds love as the center of faith and society. God loves all the whites, blacks, trans, Muslims, Asian, gays, and browns exactly the same. To do anything less is to renounce the God who works for justice, equality, and opportunity for all to thrive.

  It’s time to say that any leader of any party, sectarian group, or nation who teaches these lies must be rejected and banished from public life. The American ideal must ring out as the practical method of modern life. All are created equal… all must have support to seek life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The true threat to our society is not from the people who are different but from the powers who demonize them to gain power to control us.

Here is a step each of us can take: connect with someone different than you are. Intentionally talk with a person of a different faith, skin color, sexual orientation, ethnic group, or nationality. Seek the common ground of a shared humanity, mutual values, or even a hobby. In building this connection you will build a nation we can be proud of for generations to come.

The diversity of our society is a strength. No group is superior to the others. Threats to our society come from many directions. No group can be scapegoated as the source of problems. Listening to understand the people around us will unlock new depths of truth for us. God leads us to include everyone, to not exclude the stranger. In the end, it’s possible to discover that “they” is a word that really means “we.” We can live together for a better world.

[1] Viet Thanh Nguyen, “Fear of the ‘other’ in a nation of immigrants.” TIME, May 12, 2025