Many of us here in the District are hurting because of events in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. We react not only to the images and events of the current crisis, but also against the weight of a lifetime of personal connections, messages, images, beliefs, love, grief, and anger. This is the sad reality. And my heart goes out to every person who is impacted directly or in any other way.

Too often, these feelings and conflicts manifest as hatred and intolerance, acts of violence and acts of hurtful words. This is not okay.

As a D.C. Councilmember, my job is to represent and fight for the interests and needs of the residents of my ward and the District as a whole. The most important thing I can do to support them is call on – demand, even – that residents of good intentions refrain from instigating or participating in acts of antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, and all forms of hatred. I ask that you report incidents against you or others to the Office of the Attorney General, who has consistently denounced hatred and pursued justice for victims.

The District – and Ward 1, especially – is diverse in backgrounds, religion, beliefs, and more. Most of us, most of the time, embrace and honor that diversity. I hope that we can be vigilant with ourselves and each other to maintain our culture of acceptance and tolerance, even through our pain and discourse.

You can contact the D.C. Office of Attorney General’s Civil Rights Section at OAGCivilRights@dc.gov to report instances of hate crimes or bias-motivated violence. Learn more.