While we’d like to believe that the swastikas and racial epithets being scrawled on overpasses, mailboxes and personal property are the work of simple ignorance, we know that they’re a warning sign that hate is active in our community. The kind of hate born of blind prejudice. The kind of hate the community must unite to eradicate.
No community is immune to the ugliness of random vandalism and targeted hate. Unfortunately, it has become evident that, left unchallenged, hateful behavior will continue. Reasonable people must stand up and challenge the notion that we are powerless to fight back against this faceless, cowardly foe — one that chooses darkness and anonymity to deface property and threaten families.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Web site (www.tolerance.org), there are a number of ways for individuals and communities to fight back. Among them:
Act. Silence and apathy send the wrong message to victims, perpetrators and the public. Hate must be challenged with action.
Unite. When neighbors, church groups and clubs partner with elected officials and law enforcement to model healthy relationships, they shine a spotlight on the crimes often associated with hate.
Support the victims. They often feel isolated and afraid, and need to know they’re not alone. Support can take many forms — something as simple as quickly covering over ugly graffiti or as complicated as organizing a rally can send a strong message to the victims, and the purveyors, of hate. Support is an essential element of healing.
Do your homework. There are more than 750 recognized hate groups in our country, including white supremacists, black separatists, as well as groups targeting Hispanics, homosexuals and others. It’s important to note that the organized groups are rarely the people behind the spray paint nozzle, but they are responsible for much of the rhetoric that perpetuates the culture of hate.
Teach tolerance. By acknowledging differences and celebrating cultural uniqueness, we promote diversity in our communities and gain understanding.
Hate can be an enormously powerful weapon. However, experience has proven that when hateful acts are met with corresponding acts of love and unity, hate will retreat.
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