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Talking Back to Hate Speech, Explained. [BillMoyers.com]

 

From a reader, Sara Gunther:“I am extremely concerned about all the hate crimes I am reading about. What can I do if I witness a bias attack?”

 


 

Short answer: We reached out to experts to devise a strategy. Here’s what they recommend: 1) Be a good witness, record and identify the incident. 2) Be prepared to speak out, but don’t escalate the conflict. 3) Be an ally. 4) Find a safe space. 5) Learn more.

 
1. Be a good witness

Report it. “First of all,” said J. Thomas Manger, police chief of Montgomery County, Maryland, “be a good witness. Call 911 so the police can respond.” In his county, hate crimes increased by 17 percent this year. When people are assaulted by hate, he said, “These are crimes against all of us.”

Call the police even if it is not a physical attack. “What is the worst that can happen? The victim leaves? The perpetrator gets away?” Manger said. “What if we talk to the victim and the witness who calls it in, and they say it was a white pickup truck, with three teenagers and they yelled out racist slurs at a black guy standing at the bus stop. The next day, there may be racial slurs spray painted on the side of a nearby business. I have news for you: My detectives have a lead on where to start.”



[For more of this story, written by Gail Ablow, go to http://billmoyers.com/story/ta...te-speech-explained/]

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