We need to be on watch against hate crimes and hate violence.

Lynchings, cross burnings, vandalism and random violence driven by prejudice are a familiar part of U.S. history. Anti-black, anti-Jewish, anti-Asian, anti-gay, anti-Hispanic, anti-Muslim and anti-female beliefs are also a part of our past.

But they should not be part of our present.

When James von Brunn, the 88-year-old white supremacist and anti-Semite, allegedly shot and killed Stephen Johns, a 39-year-old black security officer guarding the Holocaust Museum a few days ago, he destroyed several lives with his violent action. Johns was a father, son, husband and friend. He died performing his job.

Von Brunn's son, Erik von Brunn, described his father's alleged conduct courageously.

"For the extremists who believe my father is a hero: It is imperative you understand what he did was an act of cowardice", Erik von Brunn noted.

There are other recent shocking incidents of hatred.

Lawrence King, a 15-year-old gay teenager, was brutally murdered last year in Oxnard, Calif., allegedly by 14-year-old classmate Brandon McInerney because King was gay. McInerney is being tried as an adult for the crimes.

Earlier this year, 22-year-old Keith Luke allegedly went on a violent rampage in Brockton, Mass., killing two individuals of Cape Verdean descent, and raping another. He was reportedly planning to shoot up a bingo game at a local synagogue when he was apprehended. Luke, who may suffer from mental problems, appears to have been motivated by racial and ethnic prejudice.

In 2007, there were more than 7,000 hate crime incidents, as reported by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Southern Poverty Law Center. In 2006, and 2005, there were also more than 7,000 incidents of hate crimes reported.

And the number of new hate groups formed is going up. Since 2000, the number of hate groups has increased by 54 percent, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The federal government must address hate crimes in a meaningful way. A major hate crimes bill, The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes/ Matthew Shephard Act, quietly vetoed in 2007 during Christmas break by President Bush, has passed the House of Representatives, and is up for a vote by the Senate. The bill strengthens the nation's hate crime laws. President Obama has expressed support for the bill.

But it will take more than just the government to combat hate crimes. The larger public has a role to play, as well. We must speak out against hatred and violence, and we should support organizations and politicians who stand openly against all forms of hate violence.

We need to demonstrate that we are not a country of haters.

Brian Gilmore, a poet and a lawyer, lives in Takoma Park, Md. He can be reached at pmproj [at] progressive [dot] org.