New York’s Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul emphasized the state’s commitment to combating hate crimes during a Monday media briefing. The governor expressed concern over the recent surge in online “negativity” and “hate speech” and outlined the state’s proactive measures.
She highlighted the distress caused by the mistreatment of New Yorkers in various settings, including college campuses, streets, schools, and places of worship.
Governor Hochul stated, “It’s painful to see the cruelty with which New Yorkers are treating each other,” and immediately deployed the State Police to safeguard synagogues, yeshivas, mosques, and other potential targets of hate crimes.
To bolster these efforts, the governor announced a significant increase in funding, allocating $75 million overall. Of this, $50 million is designated for local law enforcement to enhance their initiatives, and an additional $25 million will be allocated for security grants.
The spike in antisemitic hate incidents, especially after the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, prompted urgent action. According to data from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), antisemitic hate incidents in New York City surged by nearly 331 percent.
Governor Hochul detailed the state’s plan to address incitement to violence and direct threats through monitoring social media. She emphasized the focus on collecting data from surveillance efforts and countering online negativity. The governor stressed the importance of reaching out to individuals when hate speech is identified online, asserting that no New Yorker should feel the need to hide their religious beliefs.
“We’re very focused on the data we’re collecting from surveillance efforts – what’s being said on social media platforms. And we have launched an effort to be able to counter some of the negativity and reach out to people when we see hate speech being spoken about on online platforms,” she said.
New York is home to approximately 2.2 million Jews out of a global population of around 16 million.
It would be one thing if she really was trying to control hate speech, but what she’s talking about is censorship of anything she and other liberals don’t want to hear. They think hate speech only comes from the right, but that is wrong. We have freedom of speech in this county and our 1st amendment needs to be enforced for all.
Right on!!