PLease pray for the victims of last night's shooting

[Zerbie]

WHAT is this group you belong to? You have many activities, it seems, so what is this one?

And what was the purpose and content of the intended press release?

before we can speak to whether we agree, or how we like your rebuttal, we need to know what you are opposing. I for one have no idea.

[Joe Brummer]

I belong to a group called coices against hate. We came together to boycott a club that was hosting Buju Banton and Beenie Man Concerts. Since then we decided to become advocates against hate crimes. Our mission is listed here

www.voicesagainsthate.org

[Vanessa White]

I was just reading over the postings from the course of the day and night yesterday. I just have to say how grateful I am to get to know so many other persons who have some of the same beliefs as myself. Zerbie, thanks for your words of encouragement, and it really does help me to face the fear and feel stronger than ever. It is so hard sometimes to let go and let God, but that is all that gets me through sometimes. I also believe fully in the capacity for good in humans, even when something as awful as this happens, or Matthew Shepard, or Shep's recollection of the incident he witnessed/was part of. I wish I had lived close enough to go to the vigil last night. I, as a trainer and full believer in the need to educate people, work hard every day to change minds and change hearts for a peaceful, openly loving good.

I do believe, Joe, that you are right to not want to take part in something that takes advantage of a bad situation, and that right now is the time for comfort and thoughts for those that were wounded, witnessed this incident, and for the perpetrators even. I admire you for standing by those beliefs and having them be heard. Not every situation creates an opportunity for us to say what we have to offer. Sometimes, when it comes to information, timing is everything. Otherwise, no one pays attention.

I sometimes think that our society's attitude is that those that are traumatized should just "get over it" and stop dwelling on it. I have worked with a lot of children and adolescents in foster care, whose whole lives have been one long trauma. I know that it takes a while to heal, and that the process belongs to the person, not others who may try to control it in some way.

Again, I am so grateful to have this resource and to know how many of you are out there- it gives me great hope for the future.....

Have a peaceful, prayerful day all- sending hugs and prayers and love-

[DoofSFNYC]

Thanks for posting the website for Voices Against Hate, Joe. I'm coming at the situation completely from the outside, of course, so my opinion doesn't have to count for anything... but I don't think I would be able to belong to a group called "Voices Against Hate" and NOT speak out against this *specific* incident, in a timely and public manner. Granted, it would be better to offer a positive event or something to go along with such a statement, but that would take alot of time to organize and publicize. I truly believe in the importance of not remaining silent, even when it seems like silence would be more modest or less self-serving. Put another way, is there anyone in your RI area that IS speaking out against this specific incident? If not, who will? And how would they do so without a press-release?

I don't want to belittle your concerns about self-service and taking advantage of a tragedy. In this instance, I think it's an unavoidable consequence of putting out such a release - you can't make a statement and remain respectfully in the background at the same time. And I am not a fan of press-releases in general, if only becuase I don't think they actually DO much. BUT, the one thing they DO do, which is to get a statement out there in some form to SOME media, they do very well. Considering that your voice may be the only non-governmental, grassroots voice out there speaking about it... I think it would be immoral not to make a statement!

[Joe Brummer]

and you are right my friend. Voices Against Hate will be making a statement. We put it together this weekend, and I am just waiting for someone to send me the copy that corrects all my spelling mistakes. It has contibutions from the whole group and I believe it says what is needed to be said without crossing the lines that were my concerns.

I will post a copy of the press release here when I have copy.

[DoofSFNYC]

Great!!! I'm really glad for you that you were able to come together and get everyone's concerns answered... Lord knows that in these little communities we create it can be so hard to do that! and yet it's so important, because these communities are all we have, and each person in them is essential! i look forward to reading it!

[Joe Brummer]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2006

VOICES AGAINST HATE RELEASES STATEMENT ON NEW BEDFORD ATTACK


Voices Against Hate joins the larger community in deploring the recent, unprovoked gun and machete attacks on three men in New Bedford. Our hearts are with the victims and their families in the wake of such a violent tragedy. We also acknowledge that, as an alleged hate crime, this attack reverberates with every Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender individual and the parents, families and friends who love them. News accounts of the assault consistently report that police believe this to be a crime borne out of hatred for gays. While we are grateful that this level of violence is not common in our area, we must be careful not to see this as an isolated incident of anti-LGBT violence. Hate crimes are a regular occurrence in RI and MA, as in other areas of the country.

Between 2000 and 2004, the RI State Police collected reports of 78 anti-LGBT hate crimes in RI. These statistics become even more meaningful when one considers that many, if not most, incidents of anti-LGBT hate violence are either not reported to the police or fail to be labeled as such. Boston’s Fenway Community Health Center Violence Recovery Program documented 105 incidents of anti-LGBT hate violence in Massachusetts for 2004 alone. The same year nationally, there were 2131 victims of anti-LGBT hate violence documented by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. Twenty of those victims were murdered. In a report released by the Southern Poverty Law Center in December of 2005, it is estimated that GLBT persons are victimized at 6 times the overall rate. Some estimates also conclude that the numbers may be as much as 15 times higher than are reported to the FBI. These statistics emphasize the need for a Federal Hate Crime Law that protects GLBT population. Thus, while it might be tempting to see the New Bedford incident as an isolated one, the statistics prevent us from doing so.

Denying full equality and civil rights to GLBT people, or any group, fosters intolerance, even as gains are being made. Whenever there is progress there is a backlash. With the runaway success of the love story “Brokeback Mountain,” we must be mindful that anti-LGBT violence is not limited to 1960s Montana or even 1990s Wyoming where Matthew Shephard was murdered; hate based violence is a problem now in our own community. Whenever elements of our society are allowed to dehumanize others, we contribute to the culture of violence against all of us—when we fail to unite against all bigotry, we brew a climate in which the disturbed among us nurture their hate and become emboldened to act as judge, jury, and executioner for their own prejudices. Maybe next time, it isn’t gay men who are targets, but Jewish women or Muslims or Italian/Catholics. Maybe next time, the victim is someone you know and love. We need to address the lack of services now. We need to insist upon full education and training of our police forces and direct services for victims of hate crimes here in RI like those provided by our neighboring state.

[Vanessa White]

Joe: It seems that the group was able to bring together support for the victims, the severity of the problem, and what needs to happen to keep it from happening again. Good job!!