LAS VEGAS (AP/KTNV) — Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says images of a protester holding a sign with a swastika on it at a recent rally in Nevada for Bernie Sanders are the latest sign of a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism in America.
Reid said it was "embarrassing" that someone brought the swastika sign to the Henderson rally, noting it came on the heels of other reports of recent hate speech in Nevada, including swastikas found spray-painted on a building at the University of Nevada in 2017.
The longtime Nevada Democratic senator joined a panel of experts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Thursday that included historian Deborah Lipstadt and journalist Jonathan Weisman.
Reid said state and federal hate crime laws need to be strengthened and America needs to examine all forms of bigotry. He also said that the younger generation needs to understand the horrors of the Holocaust better.
The former Democratic Senate Majority leader has not shied away from speaking out against hate, as he has been vocal about calling out former Senator Patrick McCarran and the renaming of the Las Vegas airport.
"I have been speaking out against McCarran for decades, and I will continue to do so," Reid said.
The panelists also said everyone must be aware of all forms of bigotry and be prepared to speak out and fight it as it's essential to have this conversation now and come together to find a solution.
"We all have to speak out against hate - whether it's at a ballgame, a concert in your own family - you can't let this go," Reid said.
