Individuals Must Take a Stand to Help City Stop Hate Crimes

When crimes involving bigotry, discrimination and intolerance are committed against one member of the community, the crime is committed against an entire community.

Hate crimes are violent and vicious, and they are committed because of a person’s race, religion, color, sexual orientation or physical disability. Ninety-nine percent of the residents of Huntington Beach abhor this kind of behavior and want it stopped forever whether it is in our community or anywhere in the world. On May 6, the City Council passed a policy affirming our support of human dignity and our strong opposition to hate crimes.

In the “Policy on Human Dignity,” we declared, as leaders of this city, our support of all people regardless of color, religion, race, sexual orientation, or physical disabilities. This policy spells out our belief in the equality of all people and details what the consequences will be to anyone in this community who discriminates, intimidates, or commits a hate crime against another individual because of that person’s race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities.

Hate crimes have been a part of history, the darker side of civilization. A great war was fought in which millions of innocent people lost their lives as a result of one of the greatest hate crimes in history. The martyrdom of those people should encourage all of us in the fight against hate. Why did Huntington Beach take this stand? After several hate crimes were committed in our city, our City Council said, “Enough is enough.” If only one crime were committed, it was our duty as leaders to speak out and let our citizens stand with us.

Huntington Beach is like many small cities throughout the United States. Our population is made of many different races, religions and ethnic backgrounds working together for the betterment of the community. Not many of us ever have had to experience a hate crime or discrimination. We can’t even imagine how devastating such an act is for the victim. We read in the paper about such crimes, shake our heads in bewilderment, and hope they will never happen again. But they do.

We read in the paper that a black couple decides not to buy a house in Huntington Beach because of racial slurs being shouted at them, that an elderly couple is blocked from entering a restaurant because of the way they look, that a young couple coming out of a movie is threatened because of a peace insignia on a jacket. The ultimate hate crime was committed with the death of a black man outside of McDonald’s, and a young Native American was stabbed at the beach.

We know that words are not enough and action is required. Many of these crimes were committed by skinheads. These individuals and their philosophy of hate will not be tolerated in Huntington Beach. It is not enough that our police react swiftly and professionally, and have brought to justice the criminals, but the entire city must express outrage.

How can such crimes be stopped forever? What we do know is that it is up to every individual to make a decision to speak out against hate and discrimination. We are taking the first steps.

Community leaders can sign documents and say all of the right words, but it will take individuals to do the right thing and make the difference. Every individual will look at this policy and with their hearts and minds do what they think is right. It is up to the teachers of the community to make their students appreciate diversity and to have a respect for those who are different.

Parents have the ultimate responsibility in teaching their children to love others and to know that hatred based on a person’s color, religion or ethnic background is wrong. Ministers, priests, and rabbis must let their congregations know and understand that all religions teach love, tolerance and respect. Without those things a person’s religion is hollow.

When the policy was signed, the City Council chamber was filled to overflowing with our citizens joining us in our fight against bigotry. During the summer, a campaign will send this message to every city in the county, to every school, church and synagogue, civic organization, and businesses to join with us in this fight of investigation, apprehension, prosecution, conviction and incarceration of all those who participate in hate crimes. To the victims of discrimination, intimidation, and hate crimes, we say: Report these crimes. You are not alone.

Children must have the courage to know what is right and then to act accordingly, even in their response to such crimes. The businessmen and women of our communities must, in their daily lives, treat all with respect and equality. It is the individual who will make the difference. When everyone accepts their fellow human being with love and respect, we will really know that the evils of yesterday will not be repeated today. It is then that we will take another step toward being a great civilization, and not just a chapter in history. When we interact with a person and are not conscious of their color, their faith, their lifestyle, or where they were born, then we as a society have truly accomplished change.