City issues statement condemning ‘mean-spirited’ message

This beach message greeted ferry visitors Thursday morning.

Edmonds Chamber of Commerce Communications and Program Coordinator Alicia Moreno had just arrived in Edmonds from Kington via ferry Thursday morning, after enjoying a “lovely and peaceful” commute. That feeling turned into dismay upon seeing a message containing swastikas and a racial slur written in the sand at Brackett’s Landing South beach next to the ferry terminal.

She said she believes it’s important to share the photo, as “it shows just how much work still needs to be done in the Edmonds community.”

“This expression of free speech is what all the walk-on passengers saw as they exited the ferry for a few hours this morning, in a way representing Edmonds to the folks coming into town,” Moreno continued. “Is this the ‘An Edmonds Kind of Day’ we want people to have?”

The photo, which was also sent to Edmonds police, drew the following statement from Edmonds City Council President Adrienne Fraley-Monillas acting on behalf of Mayor Mike Nelson, who is out of town:

“This morning, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, several people observed inappropriate and mean-spirited messaging etched in the sand adjacent to the ferry terminal.

While not wishing to rebroadcast the specifics of the message, we do want to be clear that the City of Edmonds condemns any such language and/or symbolism that is intended to be hurtful and harmful to residents or visitors. No single act, if mean-spirited, must be tolerated. This is your community.

Edmonds is a welcoming and accepting community, and we are confident that the vast majority of Edmonds residents condemn hateful speech, bigotry, and racism.

And we are wholeheartedly thankful to all those who work hard to make Edmonds a welcoming community on a daily basis. Together we will continue to be the light than shines brighter than hate.”

 

 

  1. Some a_ wrote it knowing some bigger a_ would take a picture of it and put it in the news. The functioning adult side of me was still able to laugh at the inclusion of a pentagram while the dad in me wouldn’t want my kids reading the n-word. The un cropped picture is circulating every where and is a self-realizing prophesy to those who really want that, and just a s-post to those who don’t.

    It seems like these incidents are getting worse ever since Mike became Mayor. I don’t have to prove causality. I just have to say it.

  2. By doing that Carl and Ron you sweep the story and it’s message of hate away as if it didn’t happen. Shouldn’t we use this as another example that this is not OK in Edmonds or anywhere? This was meant to provoke and cause fear. And it was clearly distressing for Alicia Moreno. If you keep sweeping it away like it doesn’t matter then it will never go away. Not End of Story.

    1. This is a relatively infrequent incident in Edmonds, and it’s very possible that it wasn’t done by a resident of Edmonds. I walk the waterfront area and Sunset Ave. quite often and become aware that a high percentage of the users of those areas do not live in Edmonds.

    2. No Melissa, we sweep away such messages of hate to keep them from spreading. Haters need to learn their hatefulness is not acceptable around here, period. Had I come across this sand message, in seconds my right foot would have been at work to remove it.

      1. Right on! That’s what should have been done rather than publicize it and immediately condemn our city.

      2. One further observation~ people who do things like this crave attention. If they saw this article in MEN, they would celebrate a victory, a win for hatefulness. Better to not give them such wins. Wipe their stuff away when we see it.

  3. another example of selective moral outrage from the left. get rid of the offensive “I can’t breath” sign across the street from the police station. It is insulting.

  4. One of the those symbols is the Satanic pentagram. My husband and I saw this same Satanic pentagram on an umbrella held by a BLM protestor at Westgate recently. And, no, I am not saying it is the same person. Simply noting that the Satanic aspect of the beach message is not mentioned. And it is the second time, now, that its presence is visible here in Edmonds.

    1. There’s nothing inherently Satanic about a five-pointed star; they only became commonly associated with that during the devil worshiping scare of the 1980s. (Which produced little to no evidence of actual devil worshipers).

      Googling “pentacle” or “pentagram” will turn up lots of info on how these are typically used, by new-agey Wiccan types. That may not sit well with your religious beliefs, but they aren’t Satanists.

      My personal belief is that this was probably done by someone trying to get a rise out of people, who who knows what purpose. They certainly accomplished their goal.

      If I saw it, it would not have survived an encounter with my shoe.

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