Dear editor:
Hate must never, ever, be normalized.
Fear and silence allow hate to flourish. As people of faith who are called to love without exception and seek peace for all God’s People, Wyoming Interfaith Network and its national partner Interfaith Alliance are called to boldly speak out in pursuit of justice, dignity, and the equal worth of every person.
As people of faith, we honor life and creation, consciously supporting human dignity. We oppose intimidation, violence, hate, and disrespect especially in public forums.
On June 3, Cowboy State Daily published a cartoon portraying the perpetrator of the recent hate crime in Boulder, Colorado as the devil or a demon.
An article about the tragedy was published in CSD the same day highlighting the current administration’s focus on immigrants. Together, the cartoon and article place the perpetrator as representative of all immigrants.
Dehumanizing immigrants by depicting them as evil or demonic is not satire. Hate groups have long used demon imagery to stir up fear and rationalize violence.
The cartoon echoes language and imagery employed by white supremacist groups who seek to frame immigrants as existential threats to a “real America.” It feeds fear and reinforces dangerous narratives that have been used throughout history to justify exclusion, violence, and even genocide.
The Boulder tragedy — motivated by bigotry — is no excuse to stoke more hate.
Acts of antisemitic, hate-fueled violence against members of the Jewish community are horrifying and profoundly threatening to all who value a safe, multi-faith democracy. However, depicting any group of people as evil or demonic strips them of their inherent divinity and brings us all down to a lower level of humanity. Instead of addressing the real problem, it amplifies fear-mongering rhetoric.
The resulting real-world consequences are devastating, as demonstrated by The Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in 2018, the El Paso Walmart shooting in 2019, and others which have been directly linked to rhetoric dehumanizing immigrants.
The cartoon is part of a troubling increase in rhetoric in Wyoming that fuels fear and division, emboldens prejudice, and creates conditions for real-world harm. Across our state there have been reports of antisemitic graffiti, racist stickers, fliers containing white nationalist propaganda, Christian nationalist symbolism, and individuals attempting to intimidate marginalized groups.
As the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, says, “Time and again, we have seen how dehumanizing rhetoric and hateful ideologies lead to acts of violence against vulnerable communities. We cannot and will not allow horrific attacks or hate to polarize, divide and isolate us.”
Media outlets have power and with that power comes responsibility. They can choose to elevate discourse, to challenge readers to think critically, or they can choose to inflame hatred and reinforce white supremacy. This cartoon reflects the latter.
Demonizing groups is not new—but it is dangerous. We call on Cowboy State Daily and all Wyoming residents, elected officials, and faith leaders to speak out against hate whenever and wherever they see it. Join us in speaking out against hate in our Wyoming communities.
Hate must never, ever, be normalized.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Annemarie Delgado,
Executive Director, Wyoming Interfaith Network
