I am always on high alert this time of year for the appearance of anger and bigotry. All the days around April 19th make me a bit nervous. Maybe this is because I’ve lived a life which has seen the David Koresh debacle, the tragic Oklahoma City bombing, and the horrific scenes of Columbine. I have coincidentally had two partners in my life with birthdays on April 19th (and a close friend whose birthday is on September 11th). So these dates stand out to me and many others. Every year I feel as if I am holding my breath this week, worrying that fear and hatred will explode in the ugliest of ways. This year, as April 19th was winding down, I started to breathe a sense of relief, only to find out that the African- American student body president of the local college was stabbed in what appears to be a hate crime. He is now recovering in the hospital days after helping to lead a diversity summit on campus that discussed hate crimes. Apparently, he was accosted by young men who called him racial slurs and would not let him walk by, even when he attempted to walk away. What is it about this time of year that brings out the craziness in people? Why not make April 19th Non-Violence Day or a Day of Compassion instead?
