Letter writers to The Columbus Dispatch were spot on earlier this week with a response to a neo-Nazi march in the Short North neighborhood of our state’s capital Nov. 16.

City and state officials rightly jumped to denounce the tiny gathering of those so covered in clothing and masks it was impossible to tell just who was waving swastika flags and shouting racist slurs.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called it a “cowardly display.”

“We will not allow any of our neighbors to be intimidated, threatened or harmed because of who they are, how they worship and whom they love,” Ginther posted on social media.

“There is no place in this state for hate, bigotry, antisemitism or violence, and we must denounce it wherever we see it,” Gov. Mike DeWine said.

There is no place for it, and yet, similar incidents are on the rise in the U.S.

“Over the past few years, hundreds of white supremacist marches and events have been organized around the country, aiming not only to instill fear and anxiety in the communities they target but also to serve as photo opportunities for these groups to use in their recruitment and online propaganda,” said Oren Segal, vice president of the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism, according to a report by CNN.

We can’t tolerate it, we can’t ignore it, we can’t pretend it’s not happening. And we MUST not allow those who are beginning to feel comfortable expressing the worst of their cherished hatreds and appallingly antiquated belief systems to expect they will be not just tolerated but applauded.