In Our View: It’s Right to Decry Wrong

It is never the wrong time to do the right thing.

Therefore, a statement issued Wednesday by Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins and Prosecuting Attorney Tony Golik was perfectly timed. The elected officials reiterated the values of their departments and the values of Clark County, demonstrating the role that strong leaders can play in defining their community.

“We reject hate, bigotry, harassment, violence or the inciting of violence, and all actions intended to harm or intimidate others based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, or any other attribute which serves to marginalize people or groups of people,” the statement read, in part.

What precipitated such a declaration? Nothing in particular. This was not a response to an egregious crime that had just come to light; it was not a reaction to a media inquiry or a sign-carrying street protest. It was simply a statement about the core duties of the sheriff’s office and the prosecutor’s office.

“The sheriff and I feel it’s important to put out a statement like this based on things that have happened nationally, in other communities and in our community,” Golik told The Columbian. “I think there’s been an uptick in polarization, hate speech, which certainly can lead to hate crimes.”

Locally, two incidents in recent months have reflected that national polarization. In May, there was an altercation outside Vancouver Mall between a member of the far-right fraternal group Proud Boys and an African-American teenager; and last month, the sheriff’s office fired a deputy who was photographed wearing Proud Boys apparel and apparently marketed the group’s merchandise.

While followers of the Proud Boys were involved in both incidents, speaking out against hate and bigotry is not a partisan position. Atkins is a Republican and Golik is a Democrat, and neither drew a challenger for this year’s election. Several violent clashes in Portland between far-right groups and far-left groups have taken place over the past year with neither side absolved of blame, reflecting the discord that is undermining the nation.

According to the FBI, hate crimes — defined as criminal acts motivated by bias against a race, religion, etc. — have been increasing since 2014. National statistics are not available for 2017, but the Study of Hate and Extremism, at Cal State San Bernardino, reports that hate crimes increased in the nation’s 10 largest cities for the fourth straight year. Atkins told The Columbian, “I just felt in light of everything we’re seeing on the news … the citizens of Clark County needed to know where we stood and what to expect from us.”

What people should expect from their leaders is a firm, proactive stance against the hate speech and violence that is infesting this country. Those who attempt to intimidate or act violently towards others out of a false sense of superiority must be strongly denounced; people who believe in the strength of the United States must stand up for what truly makes this country great — respect for others.

Clark County is not immune from the disease that is attempting to undermine that greatness or the bigotry that empowers such actions. All of which makes the statement from Atkins and Golik particularly timely.

Because, while it is common for public officials and community leaders to speak out following a violent incident, history is clear about one thing: By then it is too late.