To the editor:

Over the past approximately two years, Barrington Interfaith Partners has consistently supported the flying of the Black Lives Matter flag beneath the American flag on the pole outside town hall. We continue to support this policy.

There are two arguments that are usually put forth by opponents of this policy.

The first argument is that the statement “Black Lives Matter” is the branded slogan of a Marxist global organization. We concede that there is indeed a global movement for Black lives. If you Google Black Lives Matter, you will find their global website and see that the movement began eight years ago after the killing of Trayvon Martin. The site states that it is a movement for freedom and justice. There is no Marxist ideology on the website. Neither is there any partisan political message. There could well be people in the movement who identify as Marxists. However, undoubtedly, there are many who do not, including Barrington Interfaith Partners. “Black lives matter” is a statement that anyone should be able to accept and proclaim; anyone, that is, except a white supremacist. Last, the amended statement on the new town flag: “Barrington Believes Black Lives Matter” is not the slogan of any movement, and thus renders this first argument moot.

The second claim is that it is disrespectful to fly flags other than the American flag, a state flag, and the Missing In Action flag on the same pole. We don’t believe that any evidence as been put forth to support this claim other than: it’s disrespectful because it’s disrespectful. On the contrary, Barrington Interfaith Partners believes that by flying, beneath the American flag, flags that recognize those in our community and in our country, who historically and to this day have been dismissed, diminished, and disrespected is to show the utmost respect for our flag. These flags, be they flown in support of our LGBTQ neighbors, or our autistic neighbors, or our Black neighbors, these flags serve to include and unite all people, and most important, they serve to proclaim our deep commitment to the liberty and justice for all that is promised in the Pledge of Allegiance that we make to our American flag.

Mudge Anderson, Nancy Arena, Trinki Brueckner, Ann Doran, Elsa Grieder, Susannah Holloway, Lois Kemp, Marlene Manchester, David Mehl, Pamela Poniatowski, Katherine Quinn, Helen Schall, Cindy Thomsen

Barrington

Maxine Richman

Providence

Susan Rotblat-Walker 

Bristol