SUNDAYFORUM

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Inoculating our~~lvesc"~'agai11St hate;//-- ,\and violenceBy Lydia A. Hollie

A community's response to violence must be, consistent and comprehensive: Whether it is a

hate crime or other violent acts, each must betreated with, the same vigor to mitigate the negativeimpact, eradicate the harm, and restore the communityto wholeness. In a community as diverse as LongBeach, there can be only one message - human life issacred. When one of us is wounded all of us arewounded regardless of .who the victim and assailant are, '.the nature of the crime, or where it occurred ...

When tragedy strikes, the character of a city isrevealed in the moral and ethical fiber of its citizens. In1998, Long Beach experienced 66 hate crimes dnvenby racism, homophobia or anti-Semitism. In Texas," "James Byrd .was killed in a brutal lynching, onlybecause he was black, and in Wyoming Matthew ' .>

Shepherd was beaten to death simply because ofhis\, sexual orientation., .• ' : "".J

These. indidents were the backdrop motivating the'Long Beach City Council to adopt an ordinance ' t ".,

declaring'human dignity as a policy. This was the firstmajor step toward ino'culating the city against hate.

In 2006, the human dignity policy was violated 23times. Of these, only one captUred the community'sinterest and, demonstrated the vulnerability of a city that

, views,diversity as its strength. What was intended to bean'evening of Halloween fun resulted in a tragedy forthe entire city and left shattered lives.

On Jan. 26, Judge Gibson Lee rendered guiltyverdicts for nine' of the 10 youths ranging in ages from12 to 17 for conimitting a crime of hate against three'

, human beings ostensibly because of their race. Thecommunity must now live in the aftermath of theassault, the trial and the convictions. The intricate and,fragile tapestry of our diversity has been damaged,although it can be restored with the help of everycitizen.

Since this case was not the only ijate crime laj)t year,some have questioned whether it had special meaningbecause it involved black-on-white crime. Somequestioned whether the incident will be a polarizationalong racial and socio-economic lines. Some areconcerned that the criminality was filtered through thelens of black misconduct, making draconian measures>,.','more acceptable. Then there are others who havy ",,{ .~~~.concluded pessimistically that the incident is a ~ .• "permanent setback for diversity, but the commuhity'sresiliency is the foundation of its renewal. I am 'confiden't that we wiIl heal imd emerge' with a greaterappreciation for and commitment to our· community.: ,;:'

Unfortunately, hate-based aggression was not the onlyviolence during the three months of the HaIloween hatecrime. trial. There were several killings, including young ."victims and the parents of young children. The ",community must be no less determined to seek justice 'and bring closure to these cases. Clearly, inoculatingf'~he community from. violence in all its ,forms is a workIn nfOQTess. -.:....1".4..••••.•. ,.,;6; .••-,... ••--:0 •• :....;. ••••• ~_~..;:. ,~:..-- •• .,lo;-t..t •

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When violence occurs, the challenge we face istransforming the horror into positive and meaningfuloutcomes. What'lessons are there? Parents are the

primary 'caretakers of the future - the children. Parentsm'ust educate themselves, then teach their childrenabout conflict resolution and mediation. Parents mustset boundaries, establish consequences, and follow -,'C' v'through appropriately. Every moment parents have:with)t.,their children is a precious, teachable moment more .~tRpowerful than any classroom instruction or peer~grouppressure. Parents are the family physicians' who must be'the first to inoculate their children against hatred andJ,T,.~':violence ..

Young people who have been inoculated against hate· "and violence know what uncondi,tional love is. Theyhonor and respect their parents without reservation. Asfamily ambassadors, these youth are mindful that everydecision they make affects their families, and there isno substitute for wise decisions and responsiblebehavior. They. must recognize that their character is .derived from lessons learned in formative years and inmaturity as well. .

Children and youth are the community's nucleus, and '.weare better served when we regard them as important'"stakeholders in the community's future. Fir~t, t~e 'community must overcome its tendency toward denial "by acknowledging deeply rooted social problems. It

'must overcome ignorance and prescribe effectiveremedies. Then, the community inust overcome itspropensity to be arrogant about its problems. These

,maladies are not inherent to "those people over there.':We must take ownership as a community. Developingthe right vaccine takes faith, patience, time, and asufficient financial investment in the process.

The Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Task Force, is focused on early I:hildhood education, youth

engagement and violence prevention, workforce.development, and communicating positive value-basedmessages through media which emphasize'integrity,respect, personal responsibility, and personalaccountability. Our actions today will determine ourfuture.

Lastly, the role of adults in the lives of our youth IS

indispensable to the inoculation process. Unconditionallove, creating a safe and proteCtive environment, beinga good listener, instilling hope and offering " 'encouragement, providing an opportunity to work and • ':'_learn strong work ethics, providing guidance and wisecounsel; and building good character traits for livingwith integrity, are some of the ways adults can make, adifference in the lives of our youth with profound

~~ , n, The city began this process several years ago withthe adoption and implementation of the Human DignitY ~:.Policy. Since th'!t time v;irious programs have been ".," .making strides to immtlI1ize our youth as well. The role/of adults is critical in this process. Youth need caringadults who are willing to love them and help themnavigate through life in a protective environment. OurcoIlective will is the sole determinant concerning .whether we are successful in this inoculation process.Inoculating ourselves from hate and violence in all theirforms is a continuous process.

Long Beach can expect to achieve extraordinaryresults only with an extraordinary commitment.

.............................................................Lydia A. Hollii"ts chair-of the Long Be~ch Youth dridGang Via/end/Prevention Task Force.' . ).~'

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