Join Web Site's Stand Against Prejudice
from KTVU:
SAN FRANCISCO -- Mayor Gavin Newsom declared April 6th "Not In Our Town" Day, a day dedicated to standing up against hate violence, prejudice and bias.
The proclamation comes on the heels of a new Web site being launched to spread the message of tolerance beyond San Francisco.
The new Not In Our Town site was created by an Oakland nonprofit. The site shows a video recounting the homicide of a young Ecuadorian immigrant in New York who was killed by a group of teenage boys looking for Latinos to assault.
"It was the worst thing in the world. I can't believe something like that would happen," 15-year-old Albie Brown of Mill Valley said about the story of the Ecuadorian immigrant.
Patrice O'Neill, the project's executive producer, said the site provides a new way for the concerned youth to connect online.
"We try to bring out positive stories of people taking action to prevent hate," explained O'Neill.
The Web site also provides tools to deal with school bullies.
"If you're being bullied we have a lot of stories about bullying and how its an epidemic," said Not In Our Town worker Michelle Sit. "It's just for people to know they are not alone."
San Francisco Hate Crime Prosecutor Victor Hwang said there has been a 400% jump in hate crimes in the past six months. He called the Web site a great tool to fight back.
"I think in San Francisco we tend to be complacent -- thinking we are in paradise. But I do think we need to be involved and stand up for each other," Hwang said.
Check out the video HERE
Showing posts with label Not In Our Town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Not In Our Town. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Not In Our Town!
Over a decade ago, one town took a stand against hate and intolerance. Their story helped launch a national movement: Not In Our Town.
You can join them! Learn more at Not In Our Time!
You can join them! Learn more at Not In Our Time!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Not In Our Town: The Legacy of Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder
Editor’s Note: Ten years ago, on July 1, 1999, Gary Matson and Winfield Mowder, a gay couple from Redding, California, were murdered by
white supremacists. Benjamin Matthew Williams and James Tyler Williams confessed to killing the couple because they were gay. The two brothers were also responsible for the 1999 Sacramento synagogue arson attacks. The Working Group documented the tragic loss and the remarkable response by the greater community to condemn hate violence and support the Matson and Mowder families. We asked Clea Matson, Gary’s daughter, to reflect on the couple’s legacy.
By Clea Matson for Not In Our Town:
It has been 10 years since my dad and his partner were murdered. It is so surreal to write those words, simply because I cannot believe that it has already been 10 years since my life changed so drastically, so suddenly, and in such an unexpected way. Even after such a significant amount of time, I still find myself, at times, feeling angry at the fact that my parents were robbed of such a large part of their lives, and that my family and I were robbed of them. But the person that I have become over the last 10 years has been so affected by this experience with loss, violence and hate, and there are things about the person that I’ve become – things that I have learned – that I am proud of.
Through my experience growing up in a place that I perceived to be not accepting of my family, and living through the events of the past 10 years, something that I have come to know is that an ability to feel empathy, or to pay enough attention to feel true empathy, is an essential ingredient to being truly tolerant (or “accepting,” as my mom would have said).
I have learned, and am learning, to be this observant. I realize now that people are hardly ever who they appear to be at first glance. I realize that there is so much behind the actions and statements of each and every person. At the time of my parents’ murders, I could not believe that anyone could see them only as symbols of something wrong with the world. To me, they were, and will always be, symbols of what can be right with the world. This is partly because of their determination to live their lives as they wanted and with whom they wanted, but mostly because of other things: because of how important their community was to them, and what great parents they were.
Soon after my parents’ death a friend gave me a small piece of paper with a famous quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., the one that ends with:
“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that.”
Since then I have taken this on as a sort of motto to live by – a truth to make sure that I constantly remind myself of.
Clea Matson is pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Amsterdam
Watch video of Clea and her family featured in “Not In Our Town Northern California: When Hate Happens Here”:
white supremacists. Benjamin Matthew Williams and James Tyler Williams confessed to killing the couple because they were gay. The two brothers were also responsible for the 1999 Sacramento synagogue arson attacks. The Working Group documented the tragic loss and the remarkable response by the greater community to condemn hate violence and support the Matson and Mowder families. We asked Clea Matson, Gary’s daughter, to reflect on the couple’s legacy. By Clea Matson for Not In Our Town:
It has been 10 years since my dad and his partner were murdered. It is so surreal to write those words, simply because I cannot believe that it has already been 10 years since my life changed so drastically, so suddenly, and in such an unexpected way. Even after such a significant amount of time, I still find myself, at times, feeling angry at the fact that my parents were robbed of such a large part of their lives, and that my family and I were robbed of them. But the person that I have become over the last 10 years has been so affected by this experience with loss, violence and hate, and there are things about the person that I’ve become – things that I have learned – that I am proud of.
Through my experience growing up in a place that I perceived to be not accepting of my family, and living through the events of the past 10 years, something that I have come to know is that an ability to feel empathy, or to pay enough attention to feel true empathy, is an essential ingredient to being truly tolerant (or “accepting,” as my mom would have said).
I have learned, and am learning, to be this observant. I realize now that people are hardly ever who they appear to be at first glance. I realize that there is so much behind the actions and statements of each and every person. At the time of my parents’ murders, I could not believe that anyone could see them only as symbols of something wrong with the world. To me, they were, and will always be, symbols of what can be right with the world. This is partly because of their determination to live their lives as they wanted and with whom they wanted, but mostly because of other things: because of how important their community was to them, and what great parents they were.
Soon after my parents’ death a friend gave me a small piece of paper with a famous quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., the one that ends with:
“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that.”
Since then I have taken this on as a sort of motto to live by – a truth to make sure that I constantly remind myself of.
Clea Matson is pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Amsterdam
Watch video of Clea and her family featured in “Not In Our Town Northern California: When Hate Happens Here”:
Friday, July 3, 2009
At What Point Do We Speak Up?
by Jim Ru of Oil City:
Just this week we have had a extremely bigoted comment posted in the local Oil City paper, and a sign placed on a local street that is a slur on transgendered people.
Once again, the community is being asked to accept fear and hatred as a political standard, or as a joke.
You may ask why this is important? Why bring this up again?
Why not just ignore these people? Why make a fuss over it? Let's just think positive and ignore them. They don't mean it. It's just a joke. It's just a small group of stupid people.
There is a group that has formed around the United States called Not in Our Town, which started after an incident in Billings Montana.
Here is a video about that incident, and I do hope you watch it. I hope you pass it around to people you know in Oil City and the region.
The national movement web site is HERE.
There are excellent community information links on that site and I think it's important that Oil City pass this information around, especially in the government, the police department, and the schools. I think a community effort is in order here to promote this idea.
At what point do we speak up? Is it really funny to make fun of transgendered people? Does a letter promoting hatred against numerous groups qualify for us to speak up. Or is it just funny to read such things. It's politically incorrect so that makes it amusing.
And when someone gets hurt around here, will it be funny then?
Our silence gives people with hate in their hearts permission to take that next step.
We may not agree on these issues. But if we don't agree that politics is not solved by scapegoating people and making them targets of fear and violence, then our community will suffer because of it, as it already has in my opinion. People do live in fear here in Oil City. Just ask around to any minority. They live in fear because they know people think it's funny and amusing to make them live in fear.
You may say, well this guy is a community leader and has been here a long time. We don't want to upset him. Or that guy is just an uneducated redneck. Just ignore him. You may say these things until someone you know - a black friend, a gay associate, a liberal son, an educated woman - gets hurt.
We can wait until someone gets hurt and then ask, "How could that happen here in our town?" Or we can speak up now.
Boycott businesses that use bigotry and fear as a marketing tool and a political joke. Tell your neighbors how you feel about hate-filled letters in the paper. Then talk to your family and neighbors about what you did and why.
The thing that astonishes me about Oil City is that so many people claim to be Christians here. But how many speak up and follow the words of their teacher? Love conquers hate. Love one another. This is the commandment of the Christian faith. If this is the standard of our community, then your faith demands that you talk to your neighbors who spread hatred and fear.
It astonishes me that so many people sport American flags here and tell each other that they support our troops and our freedom. But if that means that you must behave exactly as they do, or else you face hatred and violence, what freedom is there in that? What exactly did those troops die for?
If you laugh at or ignore political hatred and fear, then not only are you mocking your faith, but you're destroying your freedom as citizens of the United States of America. In both cases, it will eventually catch up with you.
Thanks for listening to my concerns. I know that creating positive, constructive outlets for local people can educate them to find new, diverse environments to explore, and people learn through interaction. My efforts and support go into those ideas. I think the city is doing a good job promoting those outlets.
I know this community is better than that sign and that letter. I have met many many people here who may not agree with me, but respect my right to exist and to express my opinions. I know people here want a peaceful and prosperous community without hatred and fear, especially for their kids and those they love.
Not In Our Town seeks to gather those people together and I hope it finds a place here in Oil City.
Just this week we have had a extremely bigoted comment posted in the local Oil City paper, and a sign placed on a local street that is a slur on transgendered people.
Once again, the community is being asked to accept fear and hatred as a political standard, or as a joke.
You may ask why this is important? Why bring this up again?
Why not just ignore these people? Why make a fuss over it? Let's just think positive and ignore them. They don't mean it. It's just a joke. It's just a small group of stupid people.
There is a group that has formed around the United States called Not in Our Town, which started after an incident in Billings Montana.
Here is a video about that incident, and I do hope you watch it. I hope you pass it around to people you know in Oil City and the region.
The national movement web site is HERE.
There are excellent community information links on that site and I think it's important that Oil City pass this information around, especially in the government, the police department, and the schools. I think a community effort is in order here to promote this idea.
At what point do we speak up? Is it really funny to make fun of transgendered people? Does a letter promoting hatred against numerous groups qualify for us to speak up. Or is it just funny to read such things. It's politically incorrect so that makes it amusing.
And when someone gets hurt around here, will it be funny then?
Our silence gives people with hate in their hearts permission to take that next step.
We may not agree on these issues. But if we don't agree that politics is not solved by scapegoating people and making them targets of fear and violence, then our community will suffer because of it, as it already has in my opinion. People do live in fear here in Oil City. Just ask around to any minority. They live in fear because they know people think it's funny and amusing to make them live in fear.
You may say, well this guy is a community leader and has been here a long time. We don't want to upset him. Or that guy is just an uneducated redneck. Just ignore him. You may say these things until someone you know - a black friend, a gay associate, a liberal son, an educated woman - gets hurt.
We can wait until someone gets hurt and then ask, "How could that happen here in our town?" Or we can speak up now.
Boycott businesses that use bigotry and fear as a marketing tool and a political joke. Tell your neighbors how you feel about hate-filled letters in the paper. Then talk to your family and neighbors about what you did and why.
The thing that astonishes me about Oil City is that so many people claim to be Christians here. But how many speak up and follow the words of their teacher? Love conquers hate. Love one another. This is the commandment of the Christian faith. If this is the standard of our community, then your faith demands that you talk to your neighbors who spread hatred and fear.
It astonishes me that so many people sport American flags here and tell each other that they support our troops and our freedom. But if that means that you must behave exactly as they do, or else you face hatred and violence, what freedom is there in that? What exactly did those troops die for?
If you laugh at or ignore political hatred and fear, then not only are you mocking your faith, but you're destroying your freedom as citizens of the United States of America. In both cases, it will eventually catch up with you.
Thanks for listening to my concerns. I know that creating positive, constructive outlets for local people can educate them to find new, diverse environments to explore, and people learn through interaction. My efforts and support go into those ideas. I think the city is doing a good job promoting those outlets.
I know this community is better than that sign and that letter. I have met many many people here who may not agree with me, but respect my right to exist and to express my opinions. I know people here want a peaceful and prosperous community without hatred and fear, especially for their kids and those they love.
Not In Our Town seeks to gather those people together and I hope it finds a place here in Oil City.
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