Unite to fight hate in wake of shootings at synagogue

San Diego Union-Tribune: Saturday’s horrific shooting at the Chabad of Poway on the last day of the sacred Jewish holiday of Passover – for which a 19-year-old college student from Rancho Pe ±asquitos is expected to be charged – left Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, dead and Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, 57, Almog Peretz, 34, and Noya Dahan, 8, with injuries they will survive but never forget.

There could have been more victims had the gunman’s assault-style rifle not apparently jammed. It was a gut-wrenching reminder to San Diegans that our community is afflicted by the same roiling hatred seen across the nation and the world, especially since the act of terror was foreshadowed by another, a failed attempt to burn down the Islamic Center of Escondido on March 24, reportedly by the synagogue gunman himself.

The heroism of Gilbert-Kaye, who took bullets seemingly intended for Goldstein, and of Goldstein, who delivered a sermon after the gunman fled despite his wounds, should be lasting memories from Saturday’s tragedy. So should the immediate response of law enforcement. So should the rapid outpouring of sympathy and grief from so many of our region’s churches and civic groups, and the condolences they offered to Gilbert-Kaye’s family and friends.

INTROSPECTION NEEDED

But what happened in Poway – and the killings in churches and elsewhere in Sri Lanka on Easter, at Islamic centers in New Zealand last month and at a synagogue in Pittsburgh six months ago, which reportedly inspired the gunman – demand introspection.

The easy dissemination of hate through technology seems to have made irrational “fear of the other” – the belief that those who look differently or who have different views and priorities are malign threats – more common than ever. This is reflected in government statistics showing a surge in hate crimes, most of which are anti-Jewish, against religious and racial minorities.

Yet the gunman reportedly had no previous criminal history, and one family friend expressed shock at news of his involvement and his anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim views.

This is alarming evidence that online, the most disturbed among the populace have found secret echo chambers that embolden them.

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus offered a powerful and appropriate sentiment on Saturday: “This is not Poway,” he declared. “We always walk with our arms around each other, and we will walk through this tragedy with our arms around each other.”

But as Rabbi Goldstein said Sunday: “Everyone needs to step up and do something in the face of terror.” A good start is to be more determined than ever. To limit troubled individuals’ access to guns. To try to understand those with different views. To appreciate how much we have in common. To show solidarity with and empathy for our neighbors. To recognize the importance of fellowship, social exchange and understanding.

The tragedy in Poway and the near-tragedy in Escondido should unite San Diegans. So far, that’s just what seems to have happened.

May this resolve and unity endure – and may it help us overcome the hatred that fouls social media and the sunless corners of our communities.