Marchers Call for an End to Hate

More than 500 people marched through the San Fernando Valley community of West Hills on Sunday afternoon in what organizers billed as a unity march against hate.

The event comes nearly two weeks after white supremacist Buford O. Furrow Jr. was arrested on suspicion of shooting up the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills.

Furrow has allegedly admitted to killing Filipino American postal worker Joseph Ileto after shooting three children, a 16-year-old counselor and the 68-year-old receptionist at the community center.

Ten members of the slain postman’s family attended the march.

Many in the crowd, including Granada Hills resident Monica Svars, 45, said the haunting images of young children being led out of the center by police moved them to speak out against bigotry and prejudice.

“I saw on the news what that guy did to those kids,” said Svars, who said she was the victim of anti-Semitism as a child growing up in Argentina. “I thought maybe this would happen to my own grandchild. I said, ‘I won’t let this nonsense happen again.’ ”

A week before Sunday’s march, U.S. Atty. Gen. Janet Reno, Gov. Gray Davis and Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan spoke at a rally before 1,000 people at Cal State Northridge that focused on ridding society of assault weapons.

During Sunday’s anti-hate march and rally, participants braved temperatures hovering around the 100-degree mark as they made their way for about a mile down Fallbrook Avenue, then turned east onto Vanowen Street, where they ended with a rally at Shadow Ranch Park.

The event was organized by the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, the Valley Interfaith Council and Em Habanim, a West Valley Jewish learning center.

Most of those who spoke were clergy, youth and civil rights leaders, who urged participants to get more involved in their communities and join in the fight with all groups targeted for hate crimes.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) told the crowd he would push congressional legislation to broaden the definition of a hate crime.

But he said there was only so much government could do, even when it succeeds in passing legislation to combat hate.

“Changing the culture is more important than changing the law,” Sherman said. “Community involvement may be more important than what we can do in Sacramento or Washington.”

Faith Kelman, a 61-year-old health care worker, agreed. The Pasadena resident, who said a colleague’s child attended the North Valley Jewish Community Center, said society is “in a sad state” when it allows young innocents to be shot.

Marcus Fitzhugh of Santa Clarita said making a difference, or not, is as simple as breaking the normal routine.

“A year from now when you look back on your August Sunday, are you really going to remember that rerun movie you saw on television or that you actually got out and participated in something that is positive for the community?”