The Amsterdam News recently reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released a comprehensive report on hate crime statistics for 2022. The data contained in the report is the result of compiling submissions from 13,293 law enforcement agencies, covering over 256 million U.S. inhabitants, 93.5% of the total population.
The findings are troubling.
They reveal a surge in hate-fueled incidents across the United States. In 2022, law enforcement agencies reported 11,634 criminal incidents involving 13,337 offenses, motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.
This should come as no surprise to most Americans, especially many New Yorkers. It’s hard to ignore the headlines.
With African Americans and Muslims continuing to be overrepresented among the victims, there was a 25% increase in antisemitic incidents, and anti-LGBTQ crimes on the rise by 16%; and now, with the current chaos in the Middle East, the FBI’s next hate crime report is likely to contain statistics that pale by comparison.
Not long ago, I was awarded the World Peace Prize and named: “Roving Ambassador for Peace”. This prestigious award was bestowed upon me by an organization dedicated to social and labor justice, founded by Father Sean McManus. At the awards ceremony, their two main objectives were described: “To assert the basic principle that peace is the fruit of justice and that working for peace means, in fact, working for social justice”. The American Labor Movement was cited as the body that has ceaselessly worked on behalf of these principles since the late 1800s. Fr. McManus talked about great labor leaders such as Richard Trumka, the deceased President of the AFL-CIO, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who both believed that labor justice and social justice are forever intertwined. You can’t have one without the other. Dr. King words were cited as summing up the sentiment best: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” And, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Sage advice.
But now that I was entrusted with a mighty title and lofty assignment, the questions remain: How does one “rove for peace”? Is it something you actively look for like a missing puzzle piece? Is it even a job that one person alone can accomplish? And, perhaps the biggest question– especially in light of the times: Will peace eliminate hate OR is it the other way around? Work on getting rid of hate and peace will follow.
For our own country, I may not be 100% sure of the correct answer, but think a good place to start—is voting. We need to elect leaders focused on one thing, and one thing only: Us, the American people. No distractions. No eye toward personal gains—you won the prize, now prove your worth! We need laws and policies that make our citizens feel protected; make them feel they matter; make them feel “at home” in their own nation. We need a show of strength from our leaders that is both reassuring to us and fear-provoking to others. The net result will be a sense of fairness; a unity based on common interests; peace of mind and a feeling of hope that leaves hate with no room to infiltrate. Voting is the best tool for any and all “Roving Ambassadors For Peace”. Peace and hate are inextricably bound. Voting and voting wisely is the best way to pull them apart: leaving the latter in tatters and the former the foundation for the future, a legacy for our children.