Hate Speech Is Happening in My Liberal Town

I feel sick to my stomach. We received yet another email from our school superintendent indicating that they had found a swastika spray painted in the eighth-grade boys' bathroom. Every month in Arlington, Massachusetts, it feels like we get news about yet another hate speech incident happening in our town.

Hateful graffiti on both public and private residences and theft of lawn signs that promote tolerance are happening so often that the chief of police and school superintendent have put out statements addressing the rise in these hateful acts.

In the press release, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Jill Harvey said, “The people targeted by these hateful acts are those who are typically marginalized—Black Indigenous and People of Color, people who are LGBTQIA+, people who are Jewish, and people who share multiple identities. It is incredibly important that town leadership makes it clear to those who have been targeted that we support them and affirm their belonging and place in Arlington.”

While I appreciate the strong words of support, I am just so disheartened hearing these acts increase in frequency. And if it is happening in our supposedly liberal town, where residents voted 83% for Biden in the last presidential election, I have to imagine that it is even worse elsewhere.

Young boys especially are being radicalized by YouTube and other extremist content online. And, in my opinion, this radicalization leads to rising hate crimes. Hate speech and hate crimes in general are rising. FBI statistics show that hate crimes rose more than 10% in 2021.

I just feel so powerless. But I do have my voice. I can share this story and ask that you remain vigilant in your own communities. Speak out when you see hate crimes occurring. Speak to your children about recognizing these hateful activities. Teach them to be kind and to love each other. And, if you can, donate to organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center, which I have just done. They monitor hate groups across the US, and they are doing what they can to fight hate.