Edmonds mayor issues statement about hate flyer

Mayor Mike Nelson

Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson issued a statement on Facebook Tuesday regarding a hate flyer that was distributed in parts of downtown Edmonds. “This deceptive flyer copied the Black Lives Matter logo above a list of made-up inflammatory statements designed to incite fear, hatred and violence,” Nelson said. “This flyer has also been seen in other parts of our state and online across the country.”

Nelson said the flyer “is no match to the very real movement sweeping our nation calling for an end to injustices of Black people – injustices that have long been perpetuated by all segments of our society since the founding of our country,” he said.

Here’s the complete statement from the mayor:

On Monday, a hate flyer was distributed in parts of Downtown Edmonds. This deceptive flyer copied the Black Lives Matter logo above a list of made-up inflammatory statements designed to incite fear, hatred and violence. This flyer has also been seen in other parts of our state and online across the country.

This fake flyer is no match to the very real movement sweeping our nation calling for an end to injustices of Black people – injustices that have long been perpetuated by all segments of our society since the founding of our country.

Whole segments of our population have been denied access to opportunities, not welcomed, not respected, dehumanized.

Black mothers and daughters, fathers and sons have been systematically discriminated, targeted, and killed because of the color of their skin.

We all have much work to do to address systemic racism and bias and prevent senseless violence against Black people.

Regardless whether this conduct was from one person or not, I take this very seriously and am committed to ensuring Edmonds is an open and welcoming community.

We will not be deterred from those who seek to divide us.

We will not be stopped from those spewing hate.

We will continue to work towards an equitable and inclusive city.

  1. I’m grateful Mayor Nelson called out this deceptive attempt to promote hate in Edmonds for people of color.

  2. Thank you Mayor Nelson. This cancer has no place in the lifeblood of our community, and I very much appreciate you acting promptly, decisively, and clearly in making that point known.

  3. Thank you, Mr. Nelson, for speaking out against those hate-filled flyers. I believe the vast majority of Edmonds residents agree with the sentiments you expressed. Nevertheless, it’s a natural tendency to react in silence to hate-filled and hurtful statements made by a few individuals about others — whether that’s out of our fear of reprisal, or our desire to be seen as ‘tolerant’ other points of view, or simply out of a reluctance to ‘get involved.’

    These words by Martin Niemöller are a reminder of the potential cost to each one of us from choosing the safer route of remaining silent rather than speak up in protest:

    “THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up
    — because I wasn’t a Communist.

    THEN THEY CAME for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up
    — because I was not a Jew.

    THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up
    — because I was not a trade unionist.

    THEN THEY CAME for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up
    — because I was a Protestant.

    THEN THEY CAME for me.
    — And by that time, no one was left to speak up.”

  4. Excuse me, but I’m just a little skeptical when someone is making a judgment about what’s hate. Mayor’s credibility not real high for many of us. And is this the hate where “someone really hates another” or the “woke” definition where “I disagree with it and it offends me” and my currently favored protected group?

  5. First, Good job by the Mayor taking a tough principled stand that something 99% agree is bad is bad.

    Second, the Mayor knows that BLM didn’t put this out as a publicity stunt, I guess that means he knows who did, can we expect to hear of an arrest soon?

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