Combating hate

The past week has been a tough one in America. There was the series of 14 pipe bombs sent out to prominent figures, including former president Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Cory Booker. Then, there was the mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, which took 11 lives. How have we come to a place where such violence is literally an everyday occurrence? Today, I took several actions:

• I signed a petition from Bend the Arc’s Pittsburgh chapter, which calls on the President to denounce white nationalism and cease hostile rhetoric targeting immigrants.
• I made a donation to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks and calls out acts of extremism and hate.
• I made a second donation to HIAS, whose mission reads: “HIAS stands for a world in which refugees find welcome, safety, and freedom.” This is an organization that was specifically targeted by the shooter in Pittsburgh.

This has to stop.