Rockland County (N.Y.) Creates Task Force On Tolerance and Harmony

January 8, 2004

Source: The Journal News

http://www.nynews.com/newsroom/010804/b0108taskforce.html

On January 8, 2004 The Journal News reported, "Kenny Grand-Pierre said yesterday that the creation of a new task force to promote tolerance and harmony after a countywide spate of hate incidents was 'long overdue.' 'It's necessary,' the Spring Valley man said. Grand-Pierre is a Haiti native who has lived in Rockland for 23 years. During those years, he said, he has seen exchanges between people that were hateful. What has been lacking, he said, was a public stand by people against such acts. 'Any one attack on a religious group, in my opinion, is an attack on religion in general,' Grand-Pierre said. 'We should be defending all kinds of religions because that's what America is built from — allowing everyone to have whatever religion they want.' The new panel was announced yesterday by state Assemblyman Ryan Karben, D-Monsey. He calls the Task Force on Tolerance and Harmony a response to acts of hate that have occurred in Rockland since August."