Opinion: We should only tolerate tolerance

By Jeff Toback

Issue of Oct. 3, 2008 / 2 Cheshvan 5769

With the dark, heavy clouds of the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht

floating slowly in our direction, an incident that occurred barely 25 miles

to our east has brought a shiver to my spine. Newsday reported that on

Tuesday, Oct. 21, hundreds of fliers inscribed with the image of a

white-hooded horseman holding a blazing cross were placed on cars parked at

the Deer Park LIRR station. The fliers implored the reader to "Join the Klan

and save our land." The United Northern & Southern Knights of the Ku Klux

Klan have proudly taken responsibility for the leaflets.

Headquartered in Michigan and Florida, the United Northern and Southern

Knights of the Ku Klux Klan have established a chapter in southern New Jersey. The KKK has historically targeted Jews, Catholics and blacks with

equal fervor. According to its web site, the goal of the United Northern and

Southern Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is to unite White Christians through

the bond of brotherhood and make them aware of the problems facing our

country. Can you hear the glass breaking and smell the books burning?

Some in Suffolk County feel that the latest KKK "outreach project" was

carried out to intimidate those who might be voting for Senator Barack Obama

in next Tuesday¹s election. While this despicable and cowardly act took

place across the county line, hate has no borders.

The Nassau County Police Department spends a great deal of its time and

resources investigating hate crimes and bringing to justice the members of

our society who attempt to intimidate our citizens. For the first eight

months of 2008, there were 74 hate crimes reported to the NCPD, exactly the

same number as reported for that period in 2007. From Jan. 1, 2008 through

Sept. 9, 2008, 42 bias crimes were perpetrated against Jews, down from 47

during the same period in 2007. Several of these incidents have taken place

in the Five Towns and surrounding areas. The fact that the vast majority of

hate crimes in Nassau County are directed at Jews remains troubling.

Hate crimes, threat and intimidation know no bounds. Earlier this year,

legislation authored by our own Senator Dean Skelos created a new section in

the state¹s penal law that made it a crime to display a noose in public. In

support of the legislation, Senator Skelos aptly stated that, "we cannot

stand by while our fellow New Yorkers are subjected to threats and

intimidation through the display of historic symbols of hatred. This

legislation sends a message that we will not tolerate the display of a

noose, any more than we would that of a swastika or a burning cross, to

intimidate others."

The bill passed both houses of the state legislature overwhelmingly, was

signed into law by Governor David Paterson, and is scheduled to take effect

on Nov. 1, 2008. Through this law, the display of nooses is treated

identically to the display of swastikas and burning crosses, as a class E

felony: clear evidence that our society does not tolerate such hateful

actions.

Hatemongering never has a place in a civilized society. The tremendous

civil rights advances that our country has made in the past 50 years still

anger a vocal and motivated minority. It is to our society's credit that we

do not, and will not tolerate their behavior.

Jeff Toback is serving his fifth term on the Nassau County legislature. He

is a member of the legislature¹s public safety committee.