Peace Statement in the Wake of Local Acts of Hate

In the wake of recent occurrences of antisemitism and Islamophobia locally and nationally, I made the following statement at the City Council meeting on December 5. Since then, I have been asked to share the statement more widely. Thank you to David Wick and Irene Kai of the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission and Emily Simon, Co-Chair of the City of Ashland’s Social Equity and Racial Justice Advisory Committee, for their assistance with this statement.

Recent local and national acts of antisemitism and Islamophobia inflamed by the situation in Israel and Gaza call us to decide how we will meet this moment as a City of Peace.

We know where hate leads. History has shown us time and again what happens when we let ourselves give in to the whispers of those who would turn us against one another. I say “we” because being swept into the river of hatred is something we are all at risk of, simply because we are human. It is not the domain of a particular person or group. It is something we all must consciously guard against because it can be infectious.  

Sorrow and despair are palpable in our world today. And appropriately so given what is happening internationally. We must acknowledge this reality and hold space for these feelings because it is during times of intense emotion that hate too often gains a foothold. 

While antisemitism is rearing its ugly head in the U.S. so too is Islamophobia. We have two groups of people who are increasingly fearful for their safety in their own communities. This is wrong and we must do what is necessary to ensure that all people feel safe here in Ashland and across southern Oregon.

Public statements like this are important because they allow us to speak as a community and denounce that which is immoral. But alone they are insufficient. It is not enough to speak with one collective voice. We must each take action in the situations we can touch in our daily lives.

Many of us are already engaged in discussions as our community, our nation, and the world navigate the situation in Israel and Gaza. In these difficult discussions, we must do three things:

First, we must check ourselves and the language we use. The words we choose matter. We are not born hateful. It is a process of becoming, and we can disrupt it. While it all too often culminates as a shout or an act of violence, hate begins as a whisper. It is a whisper that encourages us to abandon our better angels for simple answers to complex problems.

Atrocities become possible only when we dehumanize one another and that starts with creating the “other.” Turning another group of people into “other” is what first opens the door that leads to violence and terror. That process starts with one simple word “they.” So, as we are talking with friends and family about the international situation, let’s pay attention to how we use the word “they.” What is the context? What are we saying about “those people?” Do our words lead to understanding or do they take that first step toward dehumanizing our neighbors?

Next, we need to look after our friends and family members who are also engaged in these conversations. If we begin to hear the language of “they” in a negative way, we must come alongside our friend or family member with love and gently remind them that the individuals that make up “they” are people just like us. They are mothers and fathers. They are someone’s child. They are grandparents, sisters, brothers, and cousins. And they want for their families what we want for ours – safety, prosperity, and peace.

Finally, if we know someone who has lost their way to the point where we believe they are in danger of becoming violent or acting in a way that instills fear, we must ask for help on their behalf. The Ashland Police Department works with agencies across the valley to address violence before it happens. You can reach out anonymously to let Chief O’Meara and his team know that your friend or loved one needs help before they do something they will regret.

If you experience a hate-driven incident, please report it to Ashland Police Department. It is the only way law enforcement can understand the full breadth of what is happening and take appropriate action.

Please also report messages of hate and any efforts to you see to recruit people to these organizations. The Oregon Bias Hotline is available at 844.924.2427 or online at StandAgainstHate.oregon.gov. This hotline is a particularly good way to report incidents that do not rise to the level of a crime, and it allows people to file reports anonymously.

In 2017, Ashland declared itself a City of Peace. It is in moments like this that we bring that declaration to life by making peace tangible for our neighbors, friends, and family members.

While hatred may feel powerful, in reality, it is cowardly. It is weak. And, like so many other things that are cowardly and weak, it is also easy. It is, in fact, the easiest path. The moral path is what takes courage - that path we navigate together by staying in these uncomfortable feelings of sorrow and despair, but remaining present and listening with an open heart to others who may have a different lived experience or perspective.

We do not need to agree on the best way to bring this international conflict to an end, but we must protect one another in the discussion. Together, we must hold the space for these critically important conversations while holding the line against hatred in all its forms.

I have faith that we can and will do this in our community because the people of Ashland – shoulder to shoulder with our neighbors across the Rogue Valley – are not afraid of that which requires courage when we know it is in service of that which we know to be honorable and right.