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Unity Month Celebrates Diversity
Posted 11-19-1998
You may have read recently that the county commissioners proclaimed that November 1998 is
"Unity Month" in Westmoreland County. You may wonder what is the significance of
that proclamation and I would like to share with you my feelings on this issue. In the
past two years, our county has been the scene of a surprising number of activities by hate
groups, particularly the Klu Klux Klan. Just about two years ago they attempted to have a
cross displayed on Courthouse Square at Christmas time. While we denied that request
because it didn't come in a timely manner, they vowed to come back and they did.
The Klan held a rally in Greensburg during
August 1997 that nearly turned into a violent riot. They established a presence in Yukon,
renting property there, and have distributed literature in at least five or six different
communities. Their activities ranged from West Newton and South Huntingdon Township, to
Greensburg, and in the Alle-Kiski Valley. Fortunately people have responded. Four Unity
Coalitions have sprung up in response, lead by religious leaders, the NAACP, the YWCA, and
elected officials.
The formation of these groups was a
response to the Klan's arrival here, and we have worked to keep the groups active with the
recognition that we must be proactive in fighting hate and challenging intolerance. I
believe the response of people in our county has helped discourage the Klan from
establishing a more permanent, visible presence here.
We had the honor this month to be visited
by two religious leaders whose messages were very meaningful during Unity Month. Through
the efforts of Seton Hill College, His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama
visited Greensburg. His message of peace and compassion was one that could be appreciated
by people of any faith. Also, his message was that to feel affection for others really is
what allows us to feel more self-fulfillment.
The other religious leader that visited
Westmoreland County was the Reverend E. Keith Torney, a Methodist minister from Billings,
Montana. The Rev. Torney is respected both nationally and internationally for his efforts
to teach tolerance. He is also renown for organizing a community response in Billings
during the early 1990's to combat an attempted reign of terror by skinheads on Billings'
Jewish and minority populations. The Reverend Torney was brought to our county through the
efforts of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. While he talked about what happened
in Billings, he acknowledged the work folks here are doing to promote tolerance and
appreciation of our differences. His message included the idea that it isn't just the
responsibility of minorities to respond to hate groups, but the responsibility of
everyone, especially those of us in the white majority.
So with November and our celebration of
Thanksgiving, we felt it would be a good time to send out a positive message by
proclaiming this month "Unity Month". What better time to do it? While we
reflect on all the personal things we have to be thankful for, we also can be thankful
that for the most part, as a larger community, Westmoreland County is united. Our
population is diverse religiously, ethnically, racially, and lives together peacefully. We
are working to build stronger communities and all share in the responsibility to make our
county an even better place to live. |
