Horror in Pittsburgh

It was perhaps the worst act of antiSemitic violence in American history. It was the latest in a seemingly endless string of mass shootings. It was another sign our divisions are spinning out of control. Labels for the Tree of Life assault are easy to come by, but none make the horror any less.

A longtime, flagrant Jew-hater opens fire at a bris, killing 11 and injuring many more. Murder in a holy place, of innocents gathered in prayer and joy

In this case, the hate was ancient: “All Jews must die.” But that doesn’t make it much different from the hate that moved Dylan Roof in Charleston, or Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik in San Bernardino.

Why does this keep happening? The Internet plainly plays a role, handing people on the fringe a way to wallow in their twisted thinking and grow ever darker — while also offering tips on how to slaughter. Modern 24/7 media guarantees massive global expo- sure of the obscenity — a sick incentive to seek a blaze of perverse glory.

Worse, you have to fear that each atrocity opens the door a little wider for the next, making it that much easier for another bitter hater to cross the line from talk to action.

So what do we do about it? Voices across the spectrum are united in revulsion, and in vows to tone down the rhetoric. Physical security will get a bit tighter, and maybe sites that foster extremist dialogue will grow a tad tougher to access — and be more closely monitored. We are on record supporting a range of common-sense gun controls.

Individual responses? Well, this latest gunman was particularly incensed by the work of HIAS, founded in 1881 as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a storied charity that now works to support refugees of all kinds. Sending in a donation is certainly one fitting answer to his hate.