City should stand together against hate

One of the highlights of the New Light Congregation’s “Trip of Healing” to Charleston, S.C. on Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend last month was learning about the city of Charleston’s efforts to fight hate intimidation.

On Nov. 27, the Charleston City Council ratified a new ordinance making it a crime “to intimidate another person or persons in whole or in part because of the actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender. sexual orientation. gender identity, physical or mental disability, or national origin.” They hailed it as the first legislative response to the hate-filled killings at Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27. New Light Congregation lost three members in the tragedy.

We can only be stronger than hate when we take responsibility before the law for the words we say and write. We must stand together against the hate speech that triggered the mass shooting.

We support Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.’s call for Pittsburgh City Council and all the municipalities in Allegheny County to consider, and then enact legislation making hate intimidation a crime (Feb. 1, “City Council Could Pass its Own Hate Crime Laws, DA Says”). STEPHEN COHEN Squirrel Hill The writer is the co-president of the New Light Congregation.