Rally to "turn the hatred into love"

by Rachel Sawyer

Concord residents gathered at the State House on Wednesday September 28th at noon for the Love Your Neighbors rally. A group of around 250 people united in response to recent hate crimes against refugees living in Concord. The graffiti scrawled on African refugees' homes classified these people as "subhuman," "mud people," and ventured to say that refugees are "destroying our towns."

These hateful words incited protest from many Concord residents. Lyn Betz, who helped organize the event, was pleased by the vast diversity of people who attended. "I was also moved by how it brought people together who would normally be arguing about the finer points of what it means to love your neighbor," Betz said. Indeed, the rally brought together people from many different countries and religions. Suraj Budathoki, a refugee from Bhutan, said he looks forward "to living in a society where love and compassion and equality shall be the guiding forces." Betz believes that the presence of many high schoolers and young adults indicates that this "vision of a country where racism and xenophobia become rare aberrations" may soon be achievable.

The rally's purpose was to draw attention to hate crimes and show support for Concord's refugees. "We are not here to hate the hatred," Budathoki said, "but to turn the hatred into love and understanding." The speakers focused on helping our neighbors rather than fighting the hatred. Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson spoke, "Tolerance is good, but we are setting our sights too low. Tolerance beats intolerance by a mile, but it's just not enough. We should give our new neighbors a joyful welcome. They deserve it, and we will all be better for it." Many groups, such as Lutheran Social Services, Second Start, Concord Multicultural Coalition, the Sycamore Garden Project, Concord High's Be The Change, and New American Africans, have acknowledged the needs of refugees in Concord and have eased their transitions into a comfortable life here.

The Love Your Neighbor rallies were a positive experience for Concord residents, and many look forward to the next steps in welcoming and understanding our neighbors. "I am not sure I've lived a better moment than standing hand in hand with one of the victims, singing 'We Shall Overcome,'" says Betz.