Wausau Pilot & Review
Editor’s note: Wausau Pilot & Review gladly publishes commentary from readers, residents and candidates for local offices. The views of readers and columnists are independent of this newspaper and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wausau Pilot & Review. To submit, email [email protected] or mail to 500 N. Third St., Suite 208-8, Wausau, Wis. 54403.
Dear editor,
On November 20 just days after a string of killings at three colleges, I awoke to a T.V. report that 5 had been killed and 18 injured at a LGBTQ nightclub.
Later I opened my Sunday newspaper to a report that 17% or 1 in 6 domestic violence killings occurred in the state of Wisconsin.
Another article noted the troubling rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, attempts and deaths among youth. By far the highest rates were among LGBTQ youths, many of whom experience feelings of isolation, fear, bullying, and the lack of a trusted adult to talk with at school.
Who in our country, states and towns have significant impacts on words and actions that either support or condemn hatred and violence? Among those most influential are politicians and other civic leaders; social media platform owners and T.V. and radio hosts; school board members and school staff; and religious leaders.
During this holiday season and beyond, may they and all of us find guidance in three words: Stop the Hate.
Jean Fisher, Wausau.
