Decent People Can Act Out Also
A cross burned on the lawn of Zion Temple Church in the middle of a dark night last weekend.
Confronted by that hateful image, the Rev. Luis Solomon Jr. and his congregation carried on with grace. “We are worshipping a great big God,” Solomon said. “We’re not going to let that stop us.”
This week, those in Solomon’s congregation discovered they do not stand alone. They felt heartened when people called and wrote to express their sorrow that such an act could occur. They felt encouraged when people asked to worship at the church next Sunday as a gesture of support.
It will be individual acts such as these that will one day mitigate hatred, racism and terrorism in this region.
It’s easy for the average resident to take only a passing notice of hate crimes. The news flickers past, with a gay-bashing letter at Gonzaga University, a cross-burning in the East Central neighborhood, an anthrax threat at Planned Parenthood. When you’re not personally touched by these acts of hatred and terrorism, you can quickly turn the page. But when we add these incidents together, as Spokane’s Human Rights Commission has done, you find an undercurrent of hate and violence simmering not far below the surface.
During the first five months of 1998, the commission counted only 1.4 incidents per month. Apparently sparked by the Ayran Nations parade, the incidents jumped to 3.9 per month for the remaining seven months of the year. Early into 1999, reports of these incidents remain elevated. It’s difficult to know whether these figures reflect more crimes or simply our greater willingness to report crimes. This much is clear, however. By ignoring these hateful acts, we send a message to racists and terrorists that we not only tolerate their message, we support it.
Many institutions in our community took strong steps recently to confront racism. Businesses provided diversity training for their employees. Human rights groups mounted successful campaigns, such as last summer’s Lemons to Lemonade effort, and religious groups gathered as Churches Against Racism to work together.
Individual acts also have power. When people pick up the telephone to express their concern, speak out at a party against a racist joke or show up in the neighborhood to erase graffiti, they transform our daily life.
Do you want to be part of the solution? Write a letter of concern, regardless of your politics, to Planned Parenthood this week. Attend church at Zion Temple, 2430 E. Pacific, at 11:15 a.m. this Sunday. The community will be stronger for your action.