Last month, I asked Donald Trump at a Republican town hall debate in Wisconsin what he would do to protect Sikh and Muslim Americans who have been unfairly targeted in hate crimes in the wake of recent terrorist attacks.
The question is personal.
Hate violence has directly affected my life. On August 5, 2012, I was the first police officer to respond to the tragic shooting at the Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, that left six people dead and four others critically wounded. I was shot 15 times by a white supremacist driven by hate. When fellow police officer Sam Lenda arrived at the scene, he too risked his life to end what would be one of the bloodiest acts of domestic terrorism in U.S. history.
As a Caucasian male, I wanted to hear a plan from Trump to prevent another Oak Creek. Instead, he talked about the “Muslim” problem and refused to condemn hate violence against Sikhs and Muslims. He wouldn’t even acknowledge the pain of the victims of the Oak Creek mass shooting. When pressed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper to answer the question, he still failed to offer a coherent response.
Perhaps I should have known better. As Trump talked, I remembered his policy proposals to specially register all Muslims in the United States and ban anyone of the Muslim faith from entering our country. This dangerous rhetoric breeds hate and undermines the safety of minority communities. Attacks against Sikhs and Muslims spike when the media and leaders bow to the forces of hate. How can anyone who wants to be the leader of the free world continue to make statements this deep into election season that divide us?
Hate crimes against Sikhs and Muslims are escalating in America during this election season. In September, a 17-year-old viciously assaulted a Sikh man, Inderjit Singh Mukker, just outside Chicago, calling him a “terrorist.” The day after Christmas, Amrik Singh Bal, 68, was attacked and beaten as he waited to board a bus for work. Sikhs and Muslims are five times more likely to be targets of hate today than before 9/11 — based on FBI statistics — and potentially 100 times more likely than the average American. It can often seem as though we haven’t made any progress in the last 15 years.
However, in contrast to our leaders, many educators and activists are working to make America a better place, including in my hometown. Pardeep Kaleka lost his father, Satwant Singh Kaleka, in the Oak Creek shooting and has since formed a nonprofit group, Serve2Unite, to foster interfaith understanding and help break down barriers. Kamal Saini lost his mother and has since joined the Marines because he wants to give back to his country. Other community members have personally extended themselves to my family and me as I slowly recover from my injuries.
Hate is hate. We need our leaders to condemn it and acknowledge that our Sikh and Muslim neighbors are every bit as American as me. As we look ahead to the final presidential primaries in the next six weeks, now is the time for all Americans, especially our leaders, to stand united against bigotry and hate violence and come together.
Leadership after all is a top-down business. I learned this from my time in the military and law enforcement. Those under you watch you, listen to you and take your lead. On the day of the shooting, when I was bleeding and hurt just outside the Oak Creek gurdwara, my thoughts and prayers were with my fellow officers and those inside the temple. I had to lead by example: If I didn’t maintain my composure and calm, how could anyone else?
Now I want to see which leader will demonstrate virtue, honor and courage in the face of adversity. The real test of leadership isn’t who can divide; it’s who can unite.
