Purple Ribbon Campaign Against Bigotry

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THE PURPLE RIBBON CAMPAIGN

"I have been asking myself, is there a hell, or are we in hell"--Son
of Balbir Singh Sodhi, murdered September 15 in a retaliatatory
attack in Mesa, Arizona

In the aftermath of the September 11 atrocities, the world has seen
Americans at their best. In New York and Washington, rescue workers
toil tirelessly to help the victims and comfort the bereaved. From
far and wide, donations roll in to help the relief effort. Around the
country, Americans from all walks of life stand united in our
determination to do our part in the fight against terrorism that lies
ahead.

Yet, at the same time, our nation's response has been tainted with
the stain of bigotry. Some Americans, adding prejudice and ignorance
to the anger we all feel, are lashing out at those they feel have
something in common with the perpetrators of the attack. Recent days
have brought reports of harassment, vandalism, and even violence
against Arab and Muslim individuals and places of worship.

The vast majority of Americans understand that these acts are
abhorrent. We understand that one cannot equate a band of
bloodthirsty fanatics with an ethnic group that comprises ten percent
of the world's population, or with one of the world's great
religions, or with a culture that has contributed much of the basis
of Western civilization. We understand that to do so would be to
persecute the innocent, and to violate the principles of freedom
which we hold so dear. It would, in fact, lower ourselves toward the
level of the brutes who committed the September 11 attacks.

We must do more than just understand this, however. We must
affirm--visibly, unequivocally, and repeatedly--that such bigotry is
unacceptable, and Un-American. For this reason, I and other concerned
citizens have begun the PURPLE RIBBON CAMPAIGN. We are encouraging
all Americans to wear purple ribbons as a sign of opposition to
bigotry and intolerance against those who happen to share ethnicity
or religious affiliation with those who have attacked our nation.

All Americans will in one way or another be called upon to do their
duty in the days and months ahead. Our resolve must be unbending, and
our self-sacrifice unstinting. At the same time, we must not tolerate
acts of hate at home. On this relies not only the safety of our
neighbors and the quietude of our consciences, but the very soul of
our great nation.

Eric Rose
Seattle, Washington
September 15, 2001

For more information: info@purpleribboncampaign.org

http://purpleribboncampaign.org/index2.htm

 
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