Who eats pets? Not me.  Growing up as a Haitian-American in Flatbush with a single mother and next to nothing was not easy, and my race made it tougher. Being harassed due to racist tropes and lies is something I’ve heard and dealt with all my life. In school, kids bullying you for having HBO (Haitian body odor), as an adult, being disgustingly viewed as spreading AIDS, and even as an elected official, having your ancestors’ country called a s-­-­-hole by a sitting president are just some examples. I’m not alone here. NYC has the largest concentration of Haitians in the U.S., and the Little Haiti Flatbush Assembly District I represent — and was born and raised in — is one of the world’s largest Haitian communities. In Flatbush, Springfield, Ohio and across the nation, we’re all feeling the pain. The false rumors disparaging Haitians being spread by former President Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance are beyond repugnant Republican racism: they are dangerous and must be stopped.  During the presidential debate, when Trump lied through his teeth, claiming that “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs—the people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there…,” it even offended some elected Republicans.  Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine quickly jumped to defend Haitians, noting they are actually legal immigrants who “came here to work,” while some GOP candidates in battleground races slammed the claims. The Haitians in Springfield are legally authorized to work there. And CEOs, like Jamie McGregor of Springfield-based McGregor Metal, praise their work ethic, wishing they “had more” to employ.  In fact, Haitians in the U.S. have a higher employment rate than the average American. Haitians create the largest number of Black doctors and health care workers, engineers, lawyers, educators, many of whom are the Black representation of the Ivy League and the specialized gifted and talented programs.  Yet these lies stunned and captured the nation’s attention. Now a recent poll revealed more than half of Republicans believe Haitians are eating pets. It should be ringing alarm bells.  The Trump-Vance campaign’s remarks have truly crossed a line from bullying into becoming a danger to Haitian Americans living in Springfield and other parts of the nation like in Arizona and Connecticut. Schools, stores and clinics are being evacuated, bomb threats are explicitly being made against Haitian immigrants, KKK signs are being openly distributed, and journalists are calling Haitians the “N” word on national TV. Constituents I represent in Little Haiti are fearful.  How long will it be before there’s blood on the campaign’s hands?  Instead of denouncing claims that have been discredited, the GOP presidential candidates are doubling down on their racist rhetoric and wreaking havoc. In response to bomb threats, Trump said the “real threat is at the border,” while Vance essentially admitted he fabricated the issue.  We know the lies. We see the damage they are causing. President Biden, and Harris/Walz — along with countless others — have made it clear they stand against this.  As the Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair, I’m committed to ensuring Trump isn’t elected again, by getting out the Democratic vote with fair and transparent elections.  As a legislator, I can’t sit by allowing this hate-mongering towards Haitians (and all immigrants). It’s clear we need action, especially after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost ordered his office to “research legal avenues” to stop new migrant arrivals, while spreading new bogus claims that they are causing car crashes.  We’ve seen accountability before: Trump’s incendiary remarks during the Jan. 6 insurrection led to his impeachment, for example. We need action here, too.  JD Vance, a sitting U.S. senator, continues his media tirades despite them being discredited. That spreads beyond recklessness to negligence.  Trump and Vance are inciting hate, and the Constitution does not protect that type of speech under the First Amendment. They can and should be held accountable.  I’m joining my Haitian-American legislative colleagues (including the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network) in finding legal ways to stop this dangerous spread of misinformation and hate speech. The November general election is only 35 days away, and we can’t allow unchecked hate to continue.  We all need to do our part: and the best way to get your voice heard is by voting. Should Trump-Vance win, stopping this racial hatred will become near-impossible. But we all can stop this and create a fair future for Haitians — and all immigrants.  Bichotte Hermelyn is the Assembly majority whip and chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.