MARLBORO — I hope you saw the banner flying over Main Street in Brattleboro last week.
On Sept. 3, the Brattleboro Fire Department raised the “We Celebrate Democracy/Civil Rights For All” banner over Main Street for the third time this year. Making the banner and paying the hanging fees to the town has been funded for the most part by small local donations from individuals and businesses in the area.
I am pleased to say that the banner raising was attended by 10 local people, including Brattleboro Selectboard Chair Kate O'Connor and two representatives of the police department.
In the words of Town Manager Peter Elwell, they were at the banner raising to “support equity and inclusiveness in our community.”
Firefighters Dan Hiner and Michael Heiden raised the banner. The Brooks House Board of Trustees let us use the Brooks House foyer during the raising.
After the raising, I made the following remarks to BCTV and supporters who attended the raising.
“I am here today to stand up to fascism.
“Fascism is corporate control of the government for profit.
“Fascism wants us all to fight and disagree about everything, but our true job is for all of us to unite to call for civil rights for all people.
“The 'alt right' are fascists, and Donald Trump is 'Hitler.'
“We must not be polite, but we must be nonviolent in word and in deed.
“We can't defeat fascism with guns or with money - we don't have enough of either.
“We can defeat fascism by telling the true story that fascism is hate, and democracy and civil rights is love.
“True democracy with civil rights takes care of the people. Fascism throws people on the garbage heap. We have to tell this story over and over and over.
“We have to leave our egos behind and all unite and help each other to tell this story with one voice, and call for civil rights for all people.”
Thank you to all our donors and supporters, to representatives of town government and the police department, and to citizens who came out to show their support for “civil rights for all” when the banner went up.
Thank you to Maria Dominguez of BCTV for filming the event. And thank you to the Brattleboro fire department.