In the first few weeks of December, 900 reports of hatred, harassment and attacks across the country are more than alarming.
There have been 867 hate incidents submitted to the Report Hate page on the Southern Poverty Law Center website and media accounts. Incidents did not include instances of online harassment which increase these numbers. Hate incidents have been reported from almost every state.
The most common places for these hate incidents are the K-12 settings and colleges, which has exacerbated bullying – an already prevalent behavior in our nation’s schools.
Students from all walks of life have absorbed the hatred and discrimination that has been spread and being used to taunt and harass their classmates and communities. LGBTQ+ students have been harassed more than ever, as have Black, Hispanic and Muslim students and others who are not Caucasian.
Prejudice is contagious. When people are afraid, they respond with hatred and retaliate. Hatred and hurting each other only escalates the hatred and violence and nothing ever changes. It just makes things worse.
There is nothing to fear from someone being different. We live in a world of differences - different races, religions, cultures, sexual orientations and genders, beliefs and abilities. At the end of the day, we are ALL the same, because we are ALL people and we must honor our differences and respect and celebrate our similarities ... NO MATTER™!
NO MATTER who you are, what you look like, your race, your sexual orientation or gender, your beliefs ... NO ONE deserves to be bullied, harassed or hated ... NO MATTER!
We must come together in the wake of the hatred and violence taking place in our nation’s schools.
Violence, intimidation, and bias don’t belong in our schools or communities. Our youth deserve a safe, hatred-free, bias-free and violence-free place to learn and live. And it’s up to parents and schools to put their personal choices and opinions aside and do the right thing by teaching our children to embrace everyone with civility and kindness – NO MATTER. It’s up to our youth to form their own opinions, accept and respect others and live in a judgment free world, paving the way for harmony and non-violence, today and in the future.
Ross Ellis
Founder and CEO
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