There have been more than 400 instances of hate speech and harassment across the country since the day after the election. President-elect Donald Trump should use his bully pulpit to condemn these incidents and begin living his promise to be president to all Americans.

The perpetrators of many of the incidents tracked and fact-checked by the Southern Poverty Law Center invoked the Trump presidency as a kind of troubling justification for this new form of intolerance that pushes our country backwards into an ugly era.

While there have been incidents reported that turned out to be false or misleading, the number of such cases was small compared to an overall number of real incidents.

In the Mankato area, there were reports of MSU students being the target of racial slurs and discriminatory remarks. Another female student reported being thrown to the ground by a male student who put his knee on her back and told her to “get out of my country.” A gay couple holding hands on a bus were the target of mean-spirited talk about banning such displays of affection.

There have been incidents at grade schools where children have been bullied. But in at least one case near a hospital, a woman wearing a Trump T-shirt was also assaulted.

Somali leaders in Mankato say there may not be a lot of police reports about harassment, but there is growing hostility against Somalis in the region. Somalis standing outside grocery stores and restaurants endure verbal assaults from passersby.

“Somehow people are using the election of Trump to justify their hate,” said Abdi Sabrie, a local Somali leader and member of the Mankato school board. “It’s like a confirmation for them wanting a homogenous society.”

Even Trump supporters say the president-elect can do more to quell the incidents and the misplaced support. While Trump used rhetoric during the campaign that inferred a number of messages for accepting intolerance, he went on “60 Minutes” and told people to “Stop it.”

But that may not be enough. Some of these harassers may not be watching “60 Minutes.” Trump is a voracious user of Twitter. Some tweets of reconciliation would be appropriate here and now.

And we must be careful not to brand all Trump supporters as those who would promote this new intolerance. Many had voted for Barack Obama in the past. But Trump supporters too have a role in condemning the attacks against immigrants, Muslims and racial minorities.

Words are powerful. But words coming from the president of the United States can be even more powerful. It will cost Trump nothing to be more vocal on these issue. In fact, he would have a lot to gain.

— Mankato Free Press, Nov. 19