For the sake of humanity’s future, we must defeat hate →

During my time as Lord Mayor of Sheffield, I was compelled to keep a hate-box in the corner of my parlour, filled with dozens of abusive and hateful letters that were awaiting me at the Town Hall on a regular basis.

None quite struck me like this one I received not long ago.

The vile, racist language. The demeaning insults. The threat of harm. The sinister reference to a great woman who was brutally assassinated by a far-right terrorist.

But I'm not sharing this to ask for sympathy or anger.

I'm sharing this as a harsh reminder. A reminder of the hate and intolerance that has penetrated the very heart of our communities. A reminder of the difficulties we face in our struggle to build a fairer, more equal society.

But we can - and will - continue to struggle. We will continue to speak truth to power - nobody can scare us into silence. When the time comes, we will act - and nobody can threaten us into inaction.

Yes, hate is pervasive and it causes real harm. But by embracing courage, compassion and a vision of hope - we can defeat it. For the sake of humanity’s future, we must defeat it.

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