Thousands of New Yorkers marched today. Hundreds of thousands of students will hear the same message in the coming days. But the challenge remains. How do you get that message across to those who are willing to kill? Suggestions welcome.

Days after police say a man was shot and killed "just because he was thought to be gay," New Yorkers are marching in Greenwich Village today to call for an end to hate crimes. The murder of 32-year-old Mark Carson follows 21 other bias crime investigations and three anti-gay attacks in recent weeks in New York City.

In response to the rise in hate crimes, the NYPD is pledging to station command vehicles in some neighborhoods through the end of June's Gay Pride Month. In addition, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott announced today that every school will hold a "Respect for All" assembly on bullying and hate crimes by the end of the school year. What more can be done?

What's your reaction to the shooting death of Mark Carson? Why do you think there's been a spate of hate crimes in New York City? How would you teach children about the effects of bias and bullying? What more can the NYPD do to combat hate crimes around town?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

I am outraged that this happened. An example needs to made with Morales. Injustice to one is injustice to us all! We have to unite and fight against such horrid acts of hate. Adults are free to love other adults, same sex or opposite sex.

Danielle
The Bronx

John,

There are hate crimes because there is hate. The solution is to, allow everyone, including the hated ones, whoever they may be, to be armed with the gun open to view.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

BRING BACK THE BEAT COP ON PATROL. COMMUNITIES GET TO KNOW THE OFFICER AND DEVELOP A SENSE OF TRUST. IF THERE IS SOMETHING OR SOMEBODY THAT IS NOT CORRECT, THE BEAT COP IS THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE. KEEPING OFFICERS SOLELY IN PATROL CARS MAKES THE N.Y.P.D. MERELY A REFERRAL AGENCY INSTEAD OF A POLICE FORCE.

JOE, BAY TERRACE

Hi John,

This chancellor is just another useless part of this Bloomberg administration. 'RESPECT FOR ALL" pertaining to any subject should be the problem of the parent/guardian starting in their home not out in the public or in the schools or anywhere else. The school system and the government are not responsible for the manners and knocks that children get in this life. So after they have their march just what will it accomplish? So far all of these marches, walks whatever one chooses to call them haven't accomplished anything other than for some politicians to get in yet another photo op.

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp

I am appalled and distressed over the murder of Mark Carson who was killed by alleged suspect Eliot Morales. He was gunned down in Greenwich Village, all because he was gay. This has to stop. According to police statistics this murder is at least the 22nd anti-gay attacks in the city. Anti- gay attacks are up 77% from 13 % where such assaults occurred, during the same period last year. This I find very sad. This has to stop. There has to be more tolerance for those of different life styles. My prayers go out to the family and friends of Mark Carson in this most difficult time.

Freddy- Glen Oaks Village

As an opponent of same sex marriage even i find this crime disturbing. Throw the book at this killer.

Jimmy.
Bronx.

I disagree with the first caller's idea that stop and frisk is the solution to the issue of hate crimes. Compromising the civil rights of certain groups is not necessary to protect the rights of others. I like the idea of public education as part of the solution. I think more tolerant groups should reach out to the less tolerant religious groups. We need straight allies to continue to stand up and tell bigots when they are out of line. We are on the right path, but the fight is not over, and understanding that reality is critical to us working together toward positive change.

Barbara
Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Please do not make excuses for the criminal by saying he was drunk. It was a crime based on hate. They criminal was looking for trouble and taunted the victim. It is not ok to "preach" hate and not to expect these kind of crimes to happen. We need to realize our words have consequences.

David from Woodhaven

Stop and frisk as a solution? Are you mad? Singling out one group to protect another is not the way to go. What is needed is stricter laws!

Mike from Morningside

This is Clint from Brooklyn, and I believe that a lot of people are feeling disenfranchised and powerless, especially with the economy the way it is. So these people are looking for a way to re-exert their power onto someone else, in order to feel good about themselves.

You fix the problem by increasing economic opportunities for more New Yorkers.

Studies have shown that homophobes & people who enact violent towards gays are usually people who themselves are gay, but afraid to accept it. So they think by attacking gay people. they are on some level, fighting those thoughts and urges in themselves. No one chooses to be gay (who in their right mind would chose to be a member of an oppressed minority??). People simply need to learn to accept everyone, regardless of whether or not we share their beliefs, skin color or sexual preference.

Raymond
Chelsea, Manhattan

I don't want to take away from the fact that these recent crimes seem to indeed be hate crimes. However, I am noticing that people are just generally angrier now than in the past. The economy is bad, the middle class and poor are becoming more disenfranchised, etc. They may be looking for targets to take their anger out on and if the nearest or most vulnerable person is a racial or social minority, then they attack. I even see it with children. I am an elementary school teacher, and each year we get more small children (kindergarten and 1st graders in particular) who are just angry. They curse at adults and hit their classmates. I think at the school level, we not only teach anti-bullying lessons, but also strategies for managing anger. At the government level, there should be more anger management for adults as well as more widely available parenting classes. No matter what the problem, attacking other people is wrong.

Janelle
Washington Heights

I've heard several callers use the term "sexual preference", which is considered an offensive term.

Offensive: "sexual preference"
Preferred: "sexual orientation" or "orientation"
The term "sexual preference" is typically used to suggest that being lesbian, gay or bisexual is a choice and therefore can and should be "cured." Sexual orientation is the accurate description of an individual's enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attraction to members of the same and/or opposite sex and is inclusive of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and straight men and women (see AP, New York Times & Washington Post Style).

Language is important in bringing about changes in the acceptance and understanding LGBT people.

Danie
UES

Hi my name is utopia and I grew up With mark carson,this is a horrible tragedy...My heart goes out to mark family and since I first saw ny1 air the story last night,I been crying since I luv you mark and see you at the crossroads

I am a white male and I was stopped & frisked several years ago in Astoria. The police told us that they were looking for two white males that fit our description. They patted us down and looked in my car. So don't tell me whites don't get Stopped & Frisked!

-Dan from Rego Park

Sadly you can't stop hate. It is a disease that infects cultural, racial, ethnic, religious communities worldwide. This is what blacks, jews, women and the lgbt communities have experienced in silence throughout history.

It has to been both an individual and community effort to find a way to co-exist in peace, with dignity and love.

Michael

This man was in jail for 11 years (or 9, I don't recall which) and was probably raped many times. He has issues with that experience and is expressing self-hatred for himself as he can't process being raped by another man and homosexuality and differentiating the two. He was yelling anti-gay slurs at a bartender before meeting Carson on the street. He was drunk and his fear and pain came out as hate. I have no respect for him but I think while this is a hate crime it is also something that was breed in prison.

Thank you.
Sinead

I am a non-Gay person. I have Gay friends, Gay co-workers and Gay relatives. I attended tonight's rally in Greenwich to show my support for the Gay community and Mark Carson who was brutally murdered. I think violence against Gays is starting to increase due to a lack of understanding of this community and resentment that people are developing towards Gays due to recent laws passed in favor of Gays (for example, marriage rights, etc.). When people do not understand something they usually rebel and feel threatened by it. It is important that non-Gays in particular speak out against any form of violence against Gays. One reason why Nazi-Germans were so successful in brutalizing Jews was due to the silence of so many non-Jews. Our silence encourages this kind of sick behavior. It is important to unite and organize against hate violence against the Gay community or ANY community. And the best way to combat hate is through education!

Charles
Bronx, NY 10467

Where does the hate come from? In my opinion, they hate in others what they see in themselves. They themselves are struggling with their own sexuality. Homophobic people need to know this. If you beat gay men, you, yourself are admitting to your friends and to the world that you are struggling with your own sexuality and you can't come to grips with it. They need to know this!!!

David