It seems like so long ago when I first wrote about the Black Lives Matter sign on City Hall and how it needed to be removed. How it was, and still is, the wrong message to be sending to the public, to the residents, to the police. It’s long overdue – that sign should be taken down – if for no other reason than group behind the movement has been proven, time and time again, to be nothing more than a glorified hate group – quite similar to the whack jobs at the Westboro Baptist Church. Yeah, I said it – and don’t give me that crap that I’m a racist for saying it. It’s 2017, not 1947, so get over yourself.
Time has gone on, and the sign still persists, and people don’t like it. When I first wrote about it, I’d say an honest 3 out of 10 people I ran into didn’t want that sign on City Hall. Today, it’s more like 6 out of 10. That’s a big swing, no matter what way you slice and dice it. But it won’t matter – the sign will stay there and then all of a sudden, one day, it will be gone…like a thief in the night. With no explanation. That’s nothing new in this city – in fact, it’s quite the pattern. You see, things happen, and then instead of being dealt with properly, they just float away – or they’re ignored – until, they float away – gone from memory.
Yet, sometimes, they are absorbed into the fabric of everyday life here in the city. They don’t float away, but, the details of which become clouded with time. People remember the way they want to remember, they want to carry on as they have all along. Confused? Well, a perfect example of what I am talking about is Somerville’s status as a Sanctuary City. This newspaper has called into question whether the city’s status is valid, and there has been no proof otherwise presented for the public to see. That’s being stubborn, and true to form. Ignore the issue, never address the specifics, distract with another hot button topic.
It wouldn’t seem to unseemly, but, even Former Mayor Gene Brune was on a radio show recently and explained that when he signed the Sanctuary City resolution, it was set to expire when his term as Mayor was done. Well that was a very long time ago. And expire it did. So instead of dealing with making it right, or even making it a public discussion, let’s ignore it, and be interviewed and state that the Sanctuary City status is alive and well. When it’s not.
Which is really, fine with me – since it was illegal in first place, if you want to be technical about it. Eventually, there will be enough people who have had enough. Who don’t like the usual games being played, who see through the insanity that politics brings into topics that affect all of us, not just a few. It’s what got Donald Trump elected President – people being fed up, wanting a change. This city changed a long time ago, I pointed it out over a decade ago – and I was right. Well, things are still insane, and games are still played, and issues that should be talked about, aren’t – same old routine.
So I say enough is enough – start by taking down that ridiculous sign – and since I’m going to be called a racist and fascist for that, I might as well just come out and say that the powers that be need to stop calling Somerville a Sanctuary City, because it isn’t. If people want to take up that mantle again, let them – and let’s all have a very public, very down to earth discussion about the pros and cons of intentionally ignoring Federal laws for the sake of those people, nice as they may be, who didn’t bother to take the time to become citizens the right way – like most of our ancestors did.
Has anyone thought about how insulting it is to those who came before us, who worked hard and went through real struggles to bring their families here legally? Whether they became citizens or not – they respected our country enough to be able to reside here legally. It’s really not the most difficult process, so let’s snap out of the over-the-top PC world we live in, and start making things right again – making America great again – making Somerville great again. Not continuing the embarrassment.
Whether you want to admit it, it’s time to start taking stock in those things that are the foundation of who we are as a society, before it all gets away from us. Before it’s too late. I think we should all stop pointing fingers and blaming other people – that doesn’t solve a problem, it only creates another one. Oh that’s right, a distraction. What was I talking about again? #gmk #gtbtp