Scott Maxwell: Why I signed the Central Florida Pledge

Last week, the Orlando Sentinel shared a story about leaders from all over Central Florida coming together to take a stand against hate.

It was an inspiring story about business execs, nonprofit leaders and elected officials teaming up with pastors, imams and rabbis to promote love and compassion.

But there’s a good chance you missed the story. Why? Because people tend to ignore good news. They’d rather read about bomb scares and failed restaurant inspections — two stories that attracted 25 times as many eyeballs on orlandosentinel.com.

Still, I think this story about people from all walks of life — white and black; Republican and Democrat; and all faith backgrounds — uniting to make Central Florida a safe and welcoming place is significant enough that I wanted to share a bit more about it. I also thought I’d tell you why I signed the pledge.

The effort is being led by Alan Ginsburg, a Jewish developer and philanthropist, and Joel Hunter, a Christian pastor. The two men were troubled by rising instances of hate and intolerance, particularly in reaction to the violence in Israel and Palestine.

So they wanted to bring together people of all backgrounds and beliefs to collectively lift their voices to say: Hate has no home in Central Florida. This is a diverse and welcoming community. And we pledge to stand against intolerance whenever we see it.

“This is about neighbors who just want to be better neighbors,” Hunter said before mayors Buddy Dyer and Jerry Demings added their names to the list.

The Central Florida Pledge specifically references “rising levels of hate targeted at Jews, Muslims, and Palestinians as a result of the hostilities in the Middle East.” But those who sign it vow to combat “all forms of harassment, hate speech or persecution directed toward anyone who resides in our community.”

That second part was important to me. Because in 25 years of covering politics in Florida, I have never seen such a dogma of division preached from the highest pulpits of power.

Many of this state’s leaders are openly attacking diversity and marginalized populations. And it’s not just wrong; it’s dangerous.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said as much last year when Tallahassee lawmakers were vilifying the state’s LGBTQ population, calling them names like “groomers,” “demons” and “imps.”

Chitwood said that, as a traditional guy, he wasn’t sure he understood everything about transgenderism. But he absolutely knew why it was wrong to dehumanize people who are different — because it puts “a target on their backs.”

Chitwood’s words were powerful. But they also made statewide news for a sad and simple reason: He was one of the few law enforcement officials willing to raise his voice in defense of this marginalized group.

That’s what this pledge seeks to do — create more upstanders.

It asks signers to educate themselves “about antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia and all other forms of discrimination” and to encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same.

If other parts of this state want to revel in division, so be it. Central Florida wants the world to know we welcome all.

A couple of hundred local leaders gathered last week to kick off the pledge signing. In their own words, here’s why some of the signers said they did so.

Retired Chief Judge Fred Lauten said: “Because intolerance leads to hatred; hatred leads to violence; and violence leads to death and destruction.”

Felipe Sousa-Lazballet, executive director of Apopka’s Hope Community Center, said: “Everyone in our community deserves the right to live full lives without fear.”

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said he wanted to “nurture understanding, foster empathy, and embrace diversity.” UCF Palestinian Association president Hanna Al Jallad said she was looking for support — which is what Rabbi Steven Engel said he wanted to offer.

And Archbishop Allen Wiggins of the Hope Church of Orlando said that, without understanding and respect between different groups, “there will never be peace.”

Obviously signing a piece of paper isn’t enough. But there’s value in telling people who feel disenfranchised that you are their ally. And in publicly committing yourself to do so, so others can help hold you accountable.

Hunter said that when we stand up for the vulnerable, it doesn’t just help them; “It improves our own character as a community.” And our community is really the only part of the world most of us can reasonably expect to impact.

That was specifically why Lua Hancock, the head of the Ginsburg Family Foundation’s fellows program, said she joined the group: “I signed The Central Florida Pledge because, although it is hard for me to know how to promote international peace in the world, it is my responsibility to address hatred and bigotry in my own world.”

You can sign the pledge or just learn more about it and see who else has signed at centralfloridapledge.com

smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com