Hate comes out in the open

You've probably seen this ... If, somehow, you've avoided it, you owe it to whatever hopes and dreams you have for this country to look at this. Now.



A Muslim charity in Southern California held a fundraiser for a women's shelter; their "neighbors" responded with a picket line and denunciations of their religion. Fear has clearly overwhelmed whatever good sense or common decency these Yorba Linda white people may possess. Local elected officials including two members of Congress pandered to these pathetic hates.

CAIR-LA, the civil rights organization that assembled the video, has received a lot of messages of support. Here are some:

"I just wanted to communicate my utter disgust. As a Japanese American, I believe my community has much in common with the Muslim community especially in our post 9/11 society. There are a great many of us, from all backgrounds, who are completely disgusted with the protestors and what they did and support the ICNA, CAIR, and the Muslim community." -Daren M.

"With tears streaming down my cheeks after watching the hateful treatment of your fundraising event, I would like to express my sincere outrage that Americans think and behave in these despicable ways. If I could travel to LA from Georgia today, I would want to personally hug each and every person who had to witness this crowd - who have been convinced by the systematic pounding of media disinformation to fear and hate." - Darlene

"As a citizen of the United States I respect the right of others to protest, however I strongly condemn their hateful words, intolerance and ignorance. It is truly an insult to the flag of the United States and all it stands for to be flown behind the hatred of these protestors...As a Catholic Christian and a proud citizen of the United States, I respect and support your right to practice your religion, honor the Prophet, and encourage your members to invest in charitable works in their community." - Anonymous

"It upset me to see how horrible those protesters were. I am from North Dakota and would just like to extend my friendship and support. Have a great day!" - Dustin

"I'm from Yorba Linda, I've lived there all my life, and I've never seen anything like this before. I'm away at school right now, and I'm not sure I want to go home for spring break now that I've seen what happened. I recently returned to the US from a study abroad program in Cairo, Egypt, where I spent five months living safely and happily surrounded by people who I realize now would be scorned and hated were they to move to my home community." - Anonymous

I feel incredibly grateful not to live in the cramped and fearful world of the Yorba Linda protesters. Most of us don't. And we are fortunate. This sort of thing can overwhelm a people. But succumbing to our worst fears remains a choice. We don't have to make it.