Washington, DC — The reports of threats of violence and harassment after bigoted conspiracies spread online about the Haitian community in Ohio, are tragically predictable. When political leaders spread dehumanizing conspiracy theories about a group, they create the climate for political violence against that community.
Public officials and leaders have an important role to play in publicly and forcefully denouncing the dehumanizing rhetoric that has violent downstream consequences.
Below, experts and advocates who track xenophobia, hate and violence weigh in on the events in Ohio, highlighting the linkage between rhetoric and violence in a larger historical context.
According to Wendy Via, Co-Founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism: “There is no question but that our political leaders have a profound responsibility to not share dangerous disinformation and to call out their colleagues when they see it happening, particularly when it targets specific communities. This false story about Haitians is racist and cruel and we’re already seeing hate incidents as a result, and it could get worse. Just recently, we’ve seen violent riots and attacks in the UK, Portugal and elsewhere, sparked by lies and rumors about so-called “migrant crime.”
According to Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs: “Over and over again, we see how bigoted, dehumanizing rhetoric and disinformation lead directly to violence. These false and racist conspiracies about the Haitian community are, sadly, only the latest example — made all the more dangerous as they’re embraced and normalized by political leaders. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to reject this dangerous extremism, stand with the Haitian community, and recognize that our communities and our democracy are only safe when all of us are safe.”
According to Naomi Steinberg, Vice President, U.S. Policy & Advocacy for HIAS: “We are a month away from the grim anniversary of the murder of 11 Jewish people in Pittsburgh in 2018, which was connected to the right-wing conspiracy theories about immigrants and the border. We do not need additional proof to demonstrate that hateful rhetoric that is rooted in antisemitic, white nationalist ideas results in real life tragedies. We now call on political candidates and elected officials across the United States to immediately stop trading in dangerously falsehoods about Haitian immigrants. Scapegoating immigrants for political gain is shameful and should have no place in American electoral discourse.”
According to Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice: “Words have consequences and when political leaders dehumanize a group as an ‘Other’ spreading hateful rhetoric and bigoted conspiracies, there will be vigilante political violence directed at that group. It’s not a mystery. We know this disturbing pattern. The racist lies about immigrants in Ohio and elsewhere threaten public safety and require all political leaders to urgently and forcefully condemn hate and bigotry.”
Additional Resources:
- Check out the latest analysis from Global Project Against Hate and Extremism “Neo-Nazis Behind False, Racist Conspiracies that Haitian Migrants Are Eating Pets”
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