When I was younger, we lived in an area with moderate gang activity. Playing in the front yard without adult supervision was strictly forbidden. Accompanying my friends to the market on the corner and skipping the bus and walking to school in the morning was simply out of the question - even if we did it anyways. When I moved across the country, the atmosphere was different. I could play outside without my parents watching me through the window. I could go with my friends down to the stream and stay out until dark. It was there where a different form of hate and intolerance surprised and confounded me - racially charged aggression and violence in the high school I attended. It was unexplainable and unjustifiable, at least as far as I, and the majority of the school community, was concerned.

Having seen this type of hate, anger and violence first hand I understand what Not In Our Town is trying to accomplish. Many times, and my experiences not withstanding, it feels impossible that as individuals we can stop or somehow erase the negativity we sometimes find around us. However, chances are that the person standing next to you feels the same way, as well as the person standing next to them. We realize that we aren't just individuals, but communities and groups with a voice louder than our own. Not In Our Town aims to connect those dots and show people that standing up against hate and violence around us isn't and doesn't have to be an individual effort.

Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California, was one of several Bay Area schools targeted recently by the Westboro Baptist Church. The group, threatened by Gunn High School's strong movement towards acceptance of everyone regardless of sexual orientation or race, showed up one morning with signs and hate in tow. Students and faculty at the high school were given warning of the hate group's impending arrival and opened a dialogue about how the situation would best be handled.

Hate groups like the Westboro Baptist Church exist all over the country, and all over the world. Localized incidents of hate and violence represent an even greater challenge because its hard to identify the reasons behind why it happens and predict when and where it might occur. These are the problems Not In Our Town, a client we are proud to represent, has been attempting to combat for over a decade through campaigns to raise awareness and encourage communities to stand up against hate and violence in their area.

Students and faculty at Gunn High School put themselves on the map by refusing to hide and deciding to organize and stand up against hate. When protestors showed up they were met by students, faculty, and local organizations in song and tune. Their message: They aren't interested in hate and that Gunn is an accepting and loving place. This resonated with me, and showed what I, as an individual and member of a community, can do about hateful and degrading things being perpetuated around me.

Not In Our Town recently went live with a new web presence, http://www.niot.org, which EchoDitto planned, designed and built along with our creative partner, Biro Creative. The goal of this website is to provide a tool for people to share their experiences and see what others have gone through. The site features a mapping tool to chart the movement against hate. Users can add themselves to the map by creating a group, reporting an anti-hate action, or reporting a recent hate incident in their town. The goal is to reach as many communities and individuals as possible and give them the tools and opportunities to stand up and say no to hate.

So, this is why I care. Let us know why you care - check out this video on YouTube and respond with why you care about standing up against hate and intolerance in your community!

Also visit http://www.niot.org to put yourself on the map!