Dear Friends,
We don’t yet have all the details of yesterday’s vandalism at Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) in Chico. In short, someone drew swastikas on a sign and burned it in front of the synagogue. Police are investigating the incident. CBI leadership has communicated a plan to move forward with members. They deserve our support.
It’s important that individuals in the community express their solidarity with Congregation Beth Israel and renounce this violent act. When violence is not addressed, it is normalized; when it is normalized, it grows worse.
Let’s remember that the First Amendment to our Constitution embraces our differences of faith, opinion, and even our differences with the “powers that be” in Government as both inevitable and part of our “secret sauce” – ingredients that make us better, not worse. If you really believe that, as I do, speak up and speak out against such violence whenever it occurs.
But don’t stop there. See the bigger picture. Connect the dots. This vandalism comes at a moment when hate speech is elevated by marketers of grievance politics. They inspire this nonsense. Let’s hold them accountable, too – and let’s do it with our words and our votes.
Be the community you want to live in.
In solidarity with Congregation Beth Israel –
David Leon Zink
Candidate for State Assembly, District 3
