Watson Wire: Combatting All Hate

The Hate Crimes Review Committee at the Austin Police Department has now determined that the stabbing of a young Palestinian-American man following a rally on Sunday constitutes a hate crime under the law. The case has been referred to the Travis County District Attorney, who will decide whether to prosecute it as a hate crime.

This incident adds to the horrible rise in hate-motivated incidents everywhere – including in Austin. We cannot — we will not — tolerate hate, and I’m thankful APD has worked quickly to reach this determination both for the benefit of the victim and Austin as a whole.

Austin is a city of acceptance and openness. We must come together as a community with that acceptance and openness. We’re a diverse community with diverse opinions about global events. There is positive power that rises out of that diversity, and that power is well served by making change that combats hate of any kind right here. Locally. In Austin. That’s where we have our greatest power.

As our community grapples with this hate crime and our reaction to it, we should recognize that, while the anger is real and justified and the pain is fresh and frightening, we need to condemn the act of hate while taking care not to grow hate. We are all one. We should all feel anger and pain, and we should all be addressing our anger and pain by coming together and fighting division. Again, that is our power. As Austinites.

We all saw the Oct. 7 terror attacks and the suffering caused by them, suffering that continues. We see the ongoing suffering of civilians in Gaza — and do not ignore it.

There have been demands by some that the Austin City Council pass a resolution calling for a cease-fire in the war. The resolution is similar to what has come up in other cities, such as Chicago and Oakland, where the public debate devolved into division, shouting and recriminations. The international efforts and the negotiations of the parties in the conflict continue without success. The proposed resolution of the Austin City Council will not realistically end the violence on the other side of the globe. Nor will it stop federal taxes from being used to implement U.S. foreign policy. That is not in our power.

The resolution, however has the power to divide Austin — and will.

We all plead and pray for an end to the suffering. We all plead and pray for an end to the hatred. I will continue to do all in my power to end hatred and replace it with the openness, acceptance, diversity and love that is Austin.