Earlier in March, the Herald in Everett published a letter by John Brandt, the NSM unit leader for Snohomish County. Later another letter was published in response to Brandt. I think this is helpful to read, we can learn what other communities are doing and discussing. 

Published: Saturday, March 11, 2006

Don't give publicity to race-based hatred

The below signed representatives of their respective organizations and congregations, and elected officials, write in response to The Herald's publication on Tuesday of John Brandt's letter, "People who protest us are the problem."

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First, we find ourselves in the precarious position of needing to respond to such ignorance; however, we realize that extended public discourse regarding the comments of this individual is exactly the response that Brandt desires. Thus, we ask the readers of The Herald to contain the outrage and shock we all share, and to allow this letter to be the last public acknowledgement of Mr. Brandt's race-based hatred and uneducated intolerance that unfortunately still exists in our community.

It is a sad irony that Mr. Brandt writes of his purported outrage caused by the alleged public response to a small group of hate-mongers that he organized to parade in the streets of Everett in Nazi military costumes reflective of one of the most horrible consequences of hate in the history of humanity. Perhaps Mr. Brandt's sensitivity should be focused upon his own rhetoric. The language employed on a Web site with which Mr. Brandt affiliates includes the use of animalistic monikers for people of color and celebrates Adolf Hitler, pales in comparison to anything those of us unfortunate enough to encounter Mr. Brandt could muster.

It is unfortunately a fact of life - not a newsworthy event - that our society contains trace groups of partisans so ill informed as to celebrate hate. We ask The Herald to avoid the mistake of allowing a misguided individual like Mr. Brandt the forum to legitimize his individual hatred of minorities with either publication or fictional claims of organizational affiliation. The most effective response to Mr. Brandt and his hatred is derision and continued marginalization of the noxious animosity he represents. Together, the undersigned are committed to building a more unified Snohomish County that is welcoming of all people, regardless of race.

Janet Pope, Rev. Deborah L. Adams, Jerry Beavers, Sen. Jean Berkey, Rev. Ed Brock, Rev. Michelle Carmody, Barron Cato, Karen Chachkes, Winnie Corral, Communities of Color Coalition, Bob Cross, Wink Cushman, Rev. Bruce Davis, Democracy for Snohomish County, Barbara Erlendson, Norm Erlendson, Virginia Fiess, J.J. Frank, Scott Freshman, Laura Herman, Mark Hintz (chair, Snohomish County Democrats), Corrine B. Holden, Joe Kacker, Rev. Marion E. Lane, Sandy Larsten, Debora Lilly, Ted Lombard, Joel Magalnick, Rep. John McCoy, Melissa Morley, Kimberley Morgan, Kelly Morrill, Rev. Kathy Morse, Steve Neighbors (chairman, Snohomish County Republican Party), Therese Quinn, Progressive Caucus of Snohomish County Democrats, Michele Rastovich, David Spring, Rep. Mike Sells, Barbara Simonds, Sarah Smith, Snohomish County Black Heritage Committee, Snohomish County Labor Council, Charlie Stewart, Rabbi Harley Karz-Wagman, Rev. Edith B. Weller, Jim Wilde, Theresa Wilson, Shirley L. Woolf, Cindy Worthen, Jeff Yuhasz.