What Can We Do To Stop Hate Crimes

By Ericka Marsh


Too many news stories exist concerning the latest crimes of hate, and the public outcry rises with each additional story. These crimes of passion, rooted in deep belief systems, present difficult issues to address, let alone remove. What can we do to stop hate crimes may be easier than you think. Here are some ideas to help get started.

The first thing you must do is act. Take action and get ready to step in and step up as one more person who will not tolerate these crimes. Make room on your calendar, have coffee or tea with your friends, talk to local business owners and other people in charge of facilities where people meet or work. Get your family involved, too.

Once you have several enthusiastic people lined up, start doing homework and find out all the details you can about how to address this issue. Start with the public records in your local courthouse for details of people involved. Talk to people who know what happened and explain to the police your plans for the group.

You must present a united front. Set down guidelines that everyone in the group follows and if needed, elect spokespeople. Each neighborhood has different issues so find at least three people who are strong on at least one major point. Keep in mind that there is safety in numbers, and in succeeding with a cause. Delegate when needed and combine everyone when necessary.

Alternative behavior works well in preventing any crimes, but small children are especially interested in something fun to do. They have an adult family member with them which gets that adult involved in your mission. Plan competitive activities for all ages and include crafts, sports, and intellectual activities like Spelling Bees. Keep the long range goals in sight. Good ideas and plans must continue if there is any hope of changing the way haters think and behave. Consider putting up billboards with clever messages that make people think twice about just how important someone else's beliefs are to the greater scheme of things.

Constantly speak up and present a determined movement to end these senseless crimes. Teaching tolerance to children is the best place to start. Young minds thrive on logic and understanding, and even parents can not change their point of view. It is the future that must change, and the children of today are the ones who hold the keys to a better way of living.

No cause continues if the victims go unattended. You must find organizations who help deal with these issues, and make sure medical and legal services are easy to obtain. Lobby your leaders to enact laws and dig deeper into the issues for new revelations concerning where and how hate begins.

Bullies do not always commit hate crimes. Sometimes they start out with a simple difference of opinion and escalate into a full-blown confrontation. The root of the problem lies in belief systems taught at home. Enlightenment is the answer, and that includes presentations designed to get the point across that law abiding citizens will no longer tolerate this type of violence.




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