“After the bomb went off ... I asked my daughter whether she was scared. She replied by quoting something I had once said to her: 'Yes, but if you’re not scared, you can’t be brave.'"
—Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo, New York Times editorial, "The Past is a Foreign Country," July 26, 2011
Until it happens, it is unimaginable. Children, gathered together because they and their parents believe in building a society where everyone is accepted and respected, are followed to a summer camp and systematically gunned down by a killer who has targeted them because they accept “multiculturalism.”
While horrific events like the July 22 Norway killings spark global trauma, the reflection and action required is close to home. As Americans, we recognize the pain and trauma that emerges from hate and terror. The Sept. 11 attacks, one of the most stunning acts of hate in our country’s history, brought people together and forged a national resolve to resist terrorism. Tragically, it also spawned a xenophobic backlash against Muslims—and those who are perceived to be Muslim—that continues to have deadly consequences both here and around the world.
hate violence
Why do you care about standing up to hate and intolerance? This is the question Not In Our Town is posing with a new video campaign, and we want YOU to be a part of it! We're asking you to make a video response to tell your story of why you're ready to stand up to hate.
Make your video:
Make a video telling us in 1-2 sentences why YOU personally feel inspired to take a stand against hate and intolerance. You can do this any way you like: use your flip cam, cell phone camera, laptop, or even make a text video. Then upload your video response to our YouTube video campaign page. Finally, share the video with at least 3 friends- you can use the "send to a friend" button below or, Facebook is also an easy way to do this! We are exciting to see your video!
Want to participate, but feeling stumped? Here are some writing prompts to get your ideas, feelings, and thoughts flowing. Write whatever comes to mind and let it flow. After this brainstorm, you will come up with your 1-2 sentence answer, but for this part, just write what comes to mind.