The recent appearance of Hate Flyers
posted on parked vehicles in various Southington locations was reported to the
Southington Police Department. The news of leaflets bearing the Nazi Swastika
and bannered as White Supremacy quickly gained legs, going viral within and
around the community, notwithstanding what may have been a scattered
distribution of such offensive and illicit material in Southington.
E-correspondence among members of the Southington Interfaith Clergy Association
led to a prompt consensus to write an open letter to the community adamantly
renouncing such loathsome actions of hatred that symbolic of bigotry and violence
that is contrary to the fundamental values of human dignity in America.
A police investigation is ongoing and
without any further public announcements at the time of this writing.
An Open Letter to the Southington Community
As faith leaders in our beloved town of Southington, we stand together in our belief that every human being is a magnificent creation of God. Our tradition reminds us, “God now said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness.’” Together we affirm that all people are created in the image of God and that all persons, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or any other difference that might be used to separate us, are a part of God's sacred and holy creation.
We share a deep conviction in God’s will that every person be treated with equal respect. We are appalled that flyers bearing symbols of hate, the Nazi swastika and proclamation, “White Power,” have appeared in our community. We see distribution of these flyers as an act of hatred, symbolic of violence, seeking to deny basic human dignity to our neighbors and friends. As faith leaders in Southington, our common message is love for one another, love that transcends the differences our eyes perceive.
When we reach out to touch the hand of our neighbor, we do not feel color of skin or substance of belief. We touch another human being created by God. That is what God intends. We call on our Southington community to stand in solidarity, bound together in love and rejecting separation and prejudice. In God’s eyes, as it should be in ours, every human being is created equal, precious, and loved.
We deplore the violence represented by these flyers, and vow to stand against it. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” As faith leaders in our Southington community it is our fervent hope that we will stand together in love to drive out the hate represented by these flyers.
Only solidarity and love can make us the wonderful community Southington strives to be.
The Southington Interfaith Clergy Association
Rev. Rachel J. Bahr
First Congregational Church, UCC
First Congregational Church, UCC
Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker
Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation
Rev. Dr. Ronald B. Brown
First Congregational Church, UCC
Rev. Kevin M. Dillon
St. Aloysius Church
St. Aloysius Church
Mr. E. Richard Fortunato
Advocate, Community Service
Rev. Paul Goodman
Plantsville Congregational Church, UCC
Mr. Eldon Hafford
Bread for Life
Rev. Sharon Holt
First Baptist Church
Rev. A. Waine Kargul
Mary Our Queen Church
Rev. Ronald P. May
St. Dominic Church
Rev. Nicholas P. Melo
St. Thomas Church
Mr. John Myers
Southington Community YMCA
Rev. James R. Reemts
Zion Lutheran Church
Rev. Joshua Rinas
First Lutheran Church
Rev. Dr. Suzannah Rohmann
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Atty. Edward Rosenblatt
Gishrei Shalom Jewish Congregation
Kulwant Samra
Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar
Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar
Rev.Adam Subocz
Immaculate Conception Church
Immaculate Conception Church
Rev. Victoria Triano
Southington Care Center
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