COMMUNITY FIGHTS PREJUDICE LEGISLATION PUSHED AT RALLY REMEMBERING JCC SHOOTINGS.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

WOODLAND HILLS - On the eve of the Democratic National Convention, hundreds of people gathered Sunday at Pierce College to demonstrate that intolerance and hate victimize the entire community.

A little more than a year after mail carrier Joseph Santos Ileto was slain in Chatsworth and five people were shot at the North Valley Jewish Community Center, about 400 people rallied at the community college for the Unity Over Hate rally.

``A man came to our community for the purpose of pulling it apart, and he did some real damage to the victims and their families,'' said Congressman Brad Sherman, D-Woodland Hills.

``But a year later, we're here, we're still here, even more determined to keep this society together and to celebrate our unity over hatred.''

In the past year, the families victimized by last year's shootings have been picking up the pieces and joining the fight against intolerance, they said.

Ileto's brother Ismael, 37, of Chino Hills said he was sad about what happened but also grateful for events such as the rally which promote awareness and encourage others to report hate crimes.

``There are so many underreported hate crimes, and we need to educate people that it's not an attack on an individual, but the whole community,'' he said.

For Joseph Ileto's sister Raquel, 30, of Monterey Park, the tears still come swiftly at the mention of her brother's death.

``It's just hard for me to talk about it,'' she said.

Buford O'Neal Furrow Jr. was arrested after Ileto's death and charged with all the shootings. He could face the death penalty if convicted; his trial is scheduled to start in February.

According to officials, Furrow admitted targeting the Jewish community center and also targeted Ileto because the letter carrier was a federal employee who was not white.

Those injured at the community center included receptionist Isabelle Shamoleth; then 16-year-old Mindy Finkelstein, a counselor; James Zidell and Joshua Stepakoff, then 6; and then 5-year-old Benjamin Kadish.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti pointed out at the rally that there has been a 25 percent increase in reported hate crimes in the San Fernando Valley since last year.

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said there must be zero tolerance for hate crimes in the community.

``We can't take for granted that people who are vulnerable or different are going to be safe from being persecuted, picked on or discriminated against,'' Yaroslavsky said.

As LAPD Police Chief Bernard C. Parks stood at the Pierce College rally, a number of people approached and thanked him for the compassion he showed the victims of the Aug. 10, 1999, shootings.

Chuck Kadish, the father of now 6-year-old Benjamin Kadish, who was shot at the JCC and still favors his left leg, hugged Parks and told him he was an inspiration while he was in the hospital's waiting room, worried about his son.

``Chief Parks came in and said a couple of words to help us,'' Kadish said.

Jeff Rouss, the former director of the JCC, also complimented Parks for his kind words to the victims of the shooting.

``He came by and visited with children in the camp and visited the wounded children. . . . There's a character to the man that transcends any politics,'' Rouss said.

The elected officials at the rally made a point to mention the legislation that has been proposed as a result of the shootings.

The legislation includes Assembly Bill 2000, proposing the formation of a Human Relations Commission statewide to promote unity and find solutions to hate-related incidents throughout the state.

Another is AB 1785, proposing to create system for reporting hate crimes in school.

Both bills emerged as a result of a meeting called by Antonio R. Villaraigosa, speaker emeritus of the Assembly, with a group of civil rights leaders, clergy and human relations experts following the shootings.

Villaraigosa said both bills are currently in the state Senate.

Sherman also took an opportunity to urge support for a federal hate crimes prevention act to make sure that hate crimes are federal crimes.

Addressing the community, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer praised Garcetti for more than a 100 percent increase in the prosecution of hate crimes in one year.

``In California, there are six hate crimes reported to the police every day,'' he said. ``Two-thirds are violent and two-thirds are directed at people like Joseph because of their race.''

Other families affected by hate crimes also spoke about their devastation and thanked the community for coming out and honoring the victims.

``It's been an incredible year, but we're OK again,'' said Dave Finkelstein, the father of Mindy Finkelstein, now 17, who was a camp counselor when she was shot twice in her right leg.

She said people thought the shooting would either drive her to become more or less of a Jew. But, in fact, the shooting didn't affect her in that sense, she said.

``I'm still the same I was before,'' she said, adding that it's important for people to know that it's not just an individual act, it's an act that affects the community. ``It needs to stop.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Ismael Ileto, the brother of slain Filipino-American letter carrier Joseph Ileto, speaks Sunday surrounded relatives at the Unity Over Hate rally at Pierce College.

(2) Michele Colby signs her name to a petition pledging her support of federal hate crime legislation at Sunday's rally.

John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News