Community responds to hate flyers
EAST GREENVILLE » Residents in Upper Perkiomen were feeling on edge this week after several communities received mail allegedly advocating white supremacy.
The flyers, which according to media reports were received in East Greenville, Red Hill and Pennsburg, depicted images of what appear to be swastikas and hand drawn cartoons that many felt were offensive to say the least.
“My initial reaction to this mailer was not fear, it was sadness. I felt sad for the residents in my community who have already lived through this and it is resur-
surfacing once again,” said LaBrea Huff of Red Hill. “I also felt sad for my neighbors who may feel scared or intimidated by extreme ideology. Ultimately, I felt sad because I knew I had to explain the meaning of the mailer to my child and his young mind would have to process why someone would feel compelled to spread such hate.”
Residents said that while some were addressed to the “head of the household” others were more specific. One commenter on the East Greenville Police Facebook page said that some of the mail was addressed to “diligent gardener” and “patriotic flag waver” that appeared to be based on characteristics of their properties.
“The mailer was addressed ‘Hatephobe.’ I believe that it was addressed that way due to our ‘Hate Has No Home Here’ sign that is planted in our yard,” said Huff about the flyer she received.
Residents reported the mail to authorities.
East Greenville Police said in a post Tuesday that they had notified State Police about the issue and advised residents to dispose of the mail as they saw fit.
“The police department has received complaints regarding suspicious mailings from an apparent white supremacist organization. The PA State Police is also aware,” read a post from the department. “It is not necessary to contact the police unless of course, you would like to speak to an officer regarding this issue. If received, feel free to dispose of the mailing as you see fit.”
Several hours later, East Greenville Police posted again, informing residents that the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office had confirmed that no crime had been committed “by the person(s) that mailed the disturbing flyer.” They again encouraged recipients to dispose of them as they saw fit.
“Unfortunately, this behavior is protected speech,” the department added.
The department said in a later post Wednesday that none of the flyers had been hand delivered to their knowledge and that they are continuing to gather information.
“Additionally, we continue to gather information from the public concerning this incident. The public is urged to contact the police department with any information at 215-679-5194,” read the post.
To send a message of solidarity, the community has organized a vigil in order to show “support for equality, respect and compassion for all people.” The vigil is scheduled for Sunday Oct. 15 at 6:15 p.m. at Pennsburg Square.
“It only took a day or two for our Valley to coordinate a candlelight vigil so we could meet hatred with love and solidarity,” said Huff. “It also reaffirmed the need to expose and disavow hate and to teach our children tolerance and inclusion. I believe this community will rise against hate and become more united as a result. Every cloud has a silver lining.”