A bris is a ritual circumcision of an 8-day old Jewish boy.

It is part of God’s covenant with Abraham.

When the gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh this morning, a bris or a baby-naming ceremony was taking place.

Earlier today, a friend sent me an article headlined Study: Online attacks on Jews ramp up before Election Day

The study was conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, whose CEO said that the midterm elections have been a ‘‘rallying point’’ for far-right extremists to organize efforts to spread hate online.

I was the House sponsor of the bill creating Maryland’s hate crimes law.

This article prompted me to ask our legislative staff in Annapolis, “Are all of the online acts described in the article linked below covered by our hate crimes law? If so, does the law treat automated ‘bots’ as one criminal act?”

https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2018/10/26/study-online-attacks-jews-ramp-before-election-day/LBEDGDx1dIKNcaII5edH6H/story.html?s_campaign=8315

Learning about this hate crime in Pittsburgh prompted me to go vote.

I was voter number 401 at 1:50 pm. By day’s end four years ago, 343 people voted at the Public Safety Training Center.

Join us.

It is our covenant with our Founding Fathers.