Over and over, across the country, we are confronted with news that lets us know antisemitism and other hate crimes are not a thing of our past. They are horrifyingly present.

But not here, we say to one another. No, that is something happening in other parts of the country.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Monday the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati discovered 176 gravestones in two Jewish cemeteries had been vandalized, according to a report by WCPO 9 News in Cincinnati.

At the Tifereth Israel Cemetery and the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Cemetery, stones were knocked over and cracked in half. Some of those stones had been in place since the 19th Century.

“This act of antisemitic vandalism was uncovered early (Monday) morning and has left our community heartbroken,” the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati said in a statement.

And while the Cincinnati police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and SAFE Cincinnati — a security arm of the Jewish Federation — investigate the vandalism, it is a chilling reminder of what lurks among us.

It is a disgusting example of what happens when politicians manipulate people into believing the worst version of themselves is what they should be presenting to the world; that they should be proud of — even acting upon — their darkest impulses regarding the rest of humanity.

All the rest of us can do is remind those people who are reveling in what they believe is their newfound freedom to indulge their hate and fear that such acts will NOT be tolerated. We can vote out those who are encouraging a backward march to divisive and oppressive socio-cultural norms from centuries ago.

And we can say with our words and our actions to those who feel afraid and vulnerable after such displays: We are in this fight with you. You are not alone.

editorial@vindy.com