Marchers heading along Shrewsbury Avenue to an anti-hatred rally in Red Bank in August, 2017. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

By JOHN T. WARD

The recent discovery of Ku Klux Klan recruiting fliers in two Red Bank locations has inspired a drive to eliminate hate and tone down divisive rhetoric in town.

Rabbi Marc Kline speaks at a community event in January. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

The borough’s Human Relations Advisory Committee plans to kick off what it’s calling the “No Hate at Home” campaign Thursday, 3 p.m., at borough hall.

News of the KKK fliers, which in part denounced the new Spike Lee film “The BlackKkKlansman,” factored into the formation of the campaign, but more broadly, “the proliferation of hate in this nation has reached a level that
necessitates a response,” the HRAC said in announcement Monday. “We must stop taking civility for granted and begin teaching it by example.”

“It’s not an anti-KKK rally,” HRAC member Rabbi Marc Kline told redbankgreen Monday. Rather, he said, it’s about restoring respect and civility to common discourse.

“We’ve got to stop the rhetoric that’s causing violence in our communities,” Kline said.”We want to change the way we speak with one another. We don’t converse anymore.”

The campaign will begin with the distribution of “No Hate at Home” yard signs and decals, and a push to have people sign a “Stand Up Pledge” to challenge bigotry in any form, Kline said.

In addition, the HRAC expects to host public forums to encourage genuine dialogue. Kline, of the Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls, said he’s planning a Yom Kippur forum on “BlacKkKlansmen,” with details to be announced.

Here’s the full announcement: HRAC Press Release 082718