LETTER: Columbia residents speak up against hatred

Missouri is known asthe Show-Me State, and many residents of Columbia did exactly that Feb. 10 when the Heartland Men's Chorus of Kansas City presented a concert, "And Justice for All," at the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts. Columbia's Human Rights Commission assisted with a grant to help fund the costs of the concert. Faced with tirades and overt unpleasantness from members of Westboro Baptist Church, who picketed the concert and concertgoers, Columbians of all ages and backgrounds spoke up clearly and with conviction that hatred is not a "value" held by this city.