Protecting rights

There is never an excuse for antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other kind of bigotry. How do we fight this? First, by calling it out whenever we see it. But that’s not enough. We need to make sure that we teach the historical truth behind episodes like the Holocaust and the civil rights era and that our schools help children understand why hate speech and acts of bigotry can rapidly expand into violence and dehumanization.

Washington has a strong hate crimes law and we need to make sure it is vigorously enforced whenever a crime is motivated by bias. Crimes like spray-painting a swastika on a synagogue or putting a noose on someone’s lawn are far more than vandalism and we need to make it clear that those kind of actions are simply not tolerated here.

Finally, the freedom of religion doesn’t mean much if religious gatherings are targeted by violence or unlawful disruption. We need strong laws protecting freedom to worship in peace.