Congratulations to the mayor for standing up and speaking out last week against the vicious hate speech that has been uttered in and around our community of late.

As he so ably indicated, there is no place in a civil society for this kind of mean spirited behavior, and every single right thinking person should likewise stand up for those whose personal lives are not fair game for this senseless bashing.

In a time when bullying in general has come to the fore as a serious social issue, it is saddening that we must turn our attention to this particular brand of bigotry and abuse. But when we witness such barbarity we must deal with it accordingly.

The mayor did just that as he called the perpetrators on their misbehavior. Those who would label and belittle are wielding a sword that can be turned against they themselves, and shall be in the fullness of time.

Alderman O’Keefe, meantime, held the high ground and handled the situation with grace and tolerance. She has already proven herself to be a boon to her ward and the city as a whole. We are indeed fortunate that she has stepped up and agreed to serve us, as undeserving as a few may be.

When bipartisanship is a hard fought for and fleeting thing to achieve, as it seems to be these days, it is especially vexing to have this sort of nonsense muddying the process.

May this ugly incident serve to inspire us all to greater understanding of one another, and may we move on to the important matters that lay ahead of us. Enough said.