Intolerance. Acceptance. Hate. Peace. Fear. Balance. Violence. Tolerance. Anger. Hope.
Tears.
All of this, and more, will be in Lewiston Saturday as we rally for peace.
We have endured several tumultuous months in this city, a time when hate has been unveiled and diversity celebrated. It has been wearing on us all.
It started in early October when Mayor Larry Raymond forwarded an open letter to the Somali community explaining the city was under some financial duress and asking migrants to slow their move to Maine. The letter drew immediate criticism for its content and its delivery.
It also brought world scrutiny to our door and we were undeservedly labeled racist and intolerant.
In marched the World Church of the Creator and the National Alliance.
The alliance has been to the city several times on recruitment drives, distributing fliers packed with misinformation. The World Church of the Creator, a violent and radical group, is seeking a greater presence and will rally here Saturday.
They are to be ignored. They will be policed and, at the end of the day, they will go away.
Elsewhere in the city the Many and One Coalition, born out of controversy and determined to spread hope, will also rally here.
They are to be supported. They will also be policed and, at the end of the day, they will continue their work to build tolerance.
This Coalition, although formed specifically to stage tomorrow’s rally, will continue its work to declare and demonstrate Maine’s communities are places where “people of every color, religion, culture, sexual and gender identity and national origin can find safety, comfort and full membership in community life.” It will demonstrate that Maine is a welcome home for us all, regardless of where we come from.
We strongly encourage people to avoid the World Church of the Creator rally, no matter how curious they may be at the spectacle of demonstrators and the media throng.
We just as strongly encourage people to attend the Many and One Coalition rally to demonstrate to ourselves and others that we are a community of people who hold respect paramount.
In this nation that prides itself on acceptance, the image the world now has of us is wrong and embarrassing. Turning our backs on racists and embracing tolerance will help mend that image.
In the tension of the day tomorrow we also encourage law enforcement and other public officials to remember to maintain balance between security and liberty.
The threat of violence tomorrow is real, and the city has developed a detailed plan based on experiences other cities have had with the World Church of the Creator. The prospect of making strides toward acceptance is also real as the Many and One Coalition has crafted an amazing and diverse program of love and respect.
Tolerance must rule the day, for people who may feel inconvenienced by security, for police who may want to clamp down hard on freedom, for racists seeking headlines and for demonstrators taking a stand against hate.
Millions of different people share this planet, each of us unique and all of us seeking acceptance. We are many and one.
jmeyer@sunjournal.com
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