Local vigils take a stand against hate

Abington. Kennett Square. Media. Phoenixville. Pottstown. West Chester.

These are among the places in our region that have gone on record during the past nine days decrying the Aug. 12 violence in Charlottesville, Va., and standing together against hate.

These towns have held vigils – not demonstrations, not protests, not marches, but gatherings where people could speak, share, and commit to join forces for the true values of democracy.

The numbers of participants have reached the thousands in local counties, and leaders, from local police chiefs to congressmen to county commissioners have led the dialogue. The events in Charlottesville went from national headlines to local emotions in the space of hours. The reaction was not about the color of a person’s skin or the political views a person espouses: It was about humanity and the need to speak out for decency, peace and tolerance.

“Today we want to stand elbow to elbow, arm to arm and we want to combat racism, hatred and any of those events that affect our community,” said Pottstown Police Chief Richard Drumheller at a Thursday night vigil in Pottstown organized by the YWCA TriCounty Area and the Pottstown chapter of the NAACP.

“I think it’s really important that it’s not just people of color who gather in unity with Charlottesville. It wasn’t just people of color who were the anti-protestors in Charlottesville and it isn’t an issue that only affects people of color. It affects every American citizen and it’s important to look for ways to be engaged and be against hate, hate speech and hate activity,” said YWCA Tri-County director Stacey Woodland.

Wayne Braffman, a Kennett Square councilman, said that if people do not learn from the mistakes during the Hitler regime in Germany, we are doomed to repeat them. “We have to be the ones to speak out. We have to be the ones to not tolerate hate.”

In Montgomery County, county Commissioners’ Chairwoman Valerie Arkoosh called the local response “reaffirming and inspirational.”

However, at the same county meeting Thursday, Commissioner Joe Gale parted from the statements of fellow commissioners Arkoosh and Ken Lawrence, saying “hateful rhetoric on both sides must end.” Gale then cited Black Lives Matter protests, the shooting of Dallas police officers, and the attack on congressmen practicing softball as examples of recent violence.

His comments elicited a sharp response from Arkoosh: “I believe that trying to equate any kind of moral equivalency between the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacist groups, and those individuals in Charlottesville who were standing up against racism and anti-Semitism is just absolutely wrong.”

While Gale is entitled to speak his own mind, citizens expect moral leadership as well as independent thinking. There is no middle ground and there are not two sides to the Charlottesville reaction. We regret that a local elected official has chosen to deny that position, clearly in contrast to the thousands in our local communities taking a stand against hate.

The ideology on public display nine days ago in that Virginia community cannot be interpreted in the same light as a protest against President Trump’s agenda or a march to emphasize equality.

Citizens and people of faith in our local communities reinforced that during the past week. People were “drawn together with the firm understanding that creating a moral equivalency between hatemongers like the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups and those that stand up in opposition to racism and antiSemitism is just plain wrong,” Arkoosh said in observing events in Montgomery County communities.

Hate has no place here, was the resounding message throughout the rallies and vigils of the week.

Looking forward, Pottstown School Board member Emanuel Wilkerson said the nation’s founding documents hold the answer with three simple words — “We the people.”

“It is we the people who will solve these problems,” Wilkerson said. Phoenixville resident Wendy Kelly said “the change that America needs can start right here in Phoenixville.”

In Phoenixville, Abington, Media, Pottstown, West Chester, Kennett Square, Lansdale and Norristown: The change that America needs starts here.