by

Mo Merhoff

President, One Zone Chamber of Commerce 

(NOTE:  This is a commentary, posted here through a partnership between the Hamilton County Reporter and LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece was published on the front page of the Reporter’s August 9th edition)

If there’s a gift we’ve been given from the recent abhorrent vandalism at the Shaary Tefilla Temple, it’s the less-than-subtle reminder that prejudice and hatred isn’t gone. Not from the world, not from our country and not from our communities.

As Governor Holcomb has shown, it’s provided some impetus for us to address the fact that Indiana remains one of only five states in the country without a hate crimes bill. While we’d argue it’s pretty disappointing we need any more reasons to get off that short list, it’s focused our attention, and provided us with an opportunity to get something done. We support the governor’s view.

There are those who will counter that no one can legislate fairness, nor eliminate bigotry with a law. True. Others will argue that we need a lot fewer laws, not more. Arguably, also true.

But even if the recent incident doesn’t upset your own personal principles or strike you as in conflict with the sense of fairness our country has strived for centuries to portray, inclusion is a business issue. Those businesses we hope to attract to Indiana, as well as those we hope to retain, want to hire the best and brightest employees they can find. Even the perception that Indiana chooses to dismiss the significance of an inclusive culture can be detrimental to our economic development efforts.

Indiana already suffers from a lack of strong population growth. We’re growing at almost half the average of other states. There is no reason our culture should be labeled as something it’s not, simply because we want to avoid legislation that makes it clear we don’t choose nor support inclusion and diversity.

Simply put, Indiana won’t make anybody’s short list if we dismiss this need nor presume it doesn’t matter. It does.

Indiana should pass hate crimes legislation. We need to stop tolerating intolerance.