Voice 1
Thank you for joining us for today's Spotlight program. I'm Ryan Geertsma.
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
On August 15, 1997 Liza Costa and her three children moved into a new home in Rushville, Missouri in the United States. One week later they experienced a hate crime. Liza and her children had dark skin. During the night, a small group of light skinned men burned a cross on the grass in front of her house. They drove a vehicle around her house. They shot guns into the air. Liza was afraid for her children. She knew the men were sending her and her family a message. They wanted Liza to go away. In the days after the incident Liza's children were afraid to go to sleep. Liza worried that she would have to leave her new home. She felt alone and frightened.
Voice 1
Christine Iverson lived in the area. She read about the incident in the local newspaper. She decided to act. Christine called a friend. Christine's friend was involved in an anti-racism group at her church. Then Christine called Liza. She offered Liza her support. Christine also called a local group of churches. She asked to talk to them about the incident. Christine decided to help organize and lead projects in her community against racism and hate crimes like this. People of the community gathered to pray, to give out information, and to march against racism. People ask Christine why she got involved in this situation. She says:
Voice 3
"The answer is simple. I was so angry and sad after reading Liza's story that I had to do something. So I got up and made a telephone call. Everything else came from that first quick decision."
Voice 2
Today's Spotlight program is the first in a series of ten programs. In this series of programs we will look at ten ways to fight hate.
Voice 1
Hate is a very damaging feeling. It damages the person hating. And it damages the person who is being hated. Hate can lead people to do horrible things, like hate crimes. A person commits a hate crime simply because he hates that the other person is different. Hate crimes can take many different forms. Hate crimes may be violent. Or, they may be non-violent. But, they are very damaging to people and communities.
Voice 2
Tolerance.org has made this list of ten ways to fight hate in your community. On today's Spotlight program we will look at the first way to fight hate in your community: Act.
Voice 1
Hate crime happens in many places around the world. You may have seen or experienced hate crime for yourself. People who observe or experience hate crimes often feel helpless or alone. But it is important to remember that you are not alone. You do have the power to stop hate. And many people in your community also want to stop hate.
Voice 2
Imagine if you read about Liza Costa and her children. What would you have done? Tolerance.org says that when you observe a hate crime you can react in two different ways. First, you can do nothing. You can continue living your life as you are. Or, you can react in a completely different way. You can do something. Tolerance.org says you can "rise up, speak up and stand up against hate." People must act out against hate crimes. Hate will continue if people do not act.
Voice 1
Tolerance.org believes that people who do crimes because of hate are not only attacking one person or group. The hate crime against Liza Costa's family influenced the whole community. Hate tears communities apart. When communities are in conflict all members of the community suffer. Experts say that hate crimes incite community conflict and riots more than any other crimes.
Voice 2
So, Tolerance.org suggests that people should react to hate crimes by doing good things. In one city, vandals wrote words of hate on the outside wall of a building. A teacher at a school near the building discussed this act of vandalism with his students. The children wanted to fight this form of hate crime. They decided to paint over the hateful words. The vandals sent a message of hate. But the students sent another message. They sent a message saying that they did not want hate in their community.
Voice 1
People who do hate crimes can see if people observing do not react. The students reacted. The criminals could see that the community did not agree with the words of hate.
Voice 2
What can you do to fight hate in your community? Well, there are many things that you can do! You can lead a prayer, paint over vandalism, or speak in your place of worship or school. You can lead a meeting in your community and think of ideas to stop hate crimes. You can organize a rally. Gather many people together to protest hate. If you are an artist, offer to make materials to inform other people about the anti-hate rallies. If you play an instrument, offer to perform at a concert to raise money to fight hate.
Voice 1
Christine Iverson wanted to stop hate in her community. So she did not just sit. She knew that she could make a difference. She says:
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"There is still a lot of work for us to do. But we are beginning to do the work together."
Voice 2
Hate separates a community - but you can help bring it back together. As Tolerance.org says: "In the face of hate, silence is deadly." We cannot stay still and silent when hate is around us. We must act.
Voice 1
This is the first program in a series of ten programs on ten ways to fight hate. This list is from Tolerance.org. Tolerance.org is a website based in the United States. This group works to spread information about stopping hate and hate crimes. Here are Tolerance.org's ten ways to fight hate.
Act, Unite, Support the Victims, Do Your Homework, Create an Alternative, Speak Up, Lobby Leaders, Look Long Range, Teach Tolerance, and Dig Deeper.
Voice 2
Keep listening to Spotlight to hear the complete series. And make sure to visit Tolerance.org on the internet.
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