Philadelphia, PA, February 22, 2007 ... Six groups today sent a letter to the candidates for Mayor of the City of Philadelphia encouraging the candidates to oppose negative appeals on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, and sexual orientation or identity in the course of this year's Mayoral race. 

The candidates are being asked to instead focus attention on relevant and timely issues. 

Leading this effort are the Anti-Defamation League, Asian Americans United, Committee of Seventy, Congreso de Latinos Unidos, League of Women Voters of Philadelphia and the Urban League of Philadelphia, Inc.  These six groups are also distributing a copy of the letter to a variety of organizations and agencies asking them to endorse it as well. 

In making this effort, the groups stressed that their purpose is to encourage the candidates to set a standard and to educate the electorate to encourage proper and constructive behavior.  It is also to place responsibility where it lies—with the candidates, their parties, press and the electorate—to conduct a campaign free of racial and other such appeals.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.