11/17/24 SAGE sent the following invite to all of our elected officials, only Howell’s mayor attended.
“We believe strongly in the importance of our state and local leadership to be the frontline voices in standing against the alarming increase of hate movements that have invaded our communities here in Michigan.
Recently cities and townships in Livingston County have made both national and international headlines as far away as London, Jerusalem, and Berlin in the wake of Nazi demonstrators who trespassed on an event sponsored by our heroic veterans at the American Legion in Howell. This event was intended to showcase a local arts group who performed ‘The Diary of Anne Frank.’
Afterward the group headed to downtown Fowlerville to continue their fetid display against every idea we stand for in our free society. Previous Nazi demonstrations took place in the cities of Howell and Brighton over this past summer.
In the past four months, the wave of hate and discrimination has shown up all over Livingston County affecting not only our Jewish friends but also women and the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. These escalating eruptions of hate continuously undermine our community’s safety, unity, and sense of security. Local businesses are in danger of negative economic effects as national and statewide news headlines portray our community as an unwelcoming place.
Implications can be far reaching and end up escalating into hate crimes. The impact has been traumatic to those groups who are targets of this intimidation. In the face of hatred, silence and apathy have been interpreted as acceptance by our neighboring communities, white supremacists and their victims.
We must denounce white supremacy not just through words, but by taking meaningful action against it. Passive inaction and silence from local leaders provides tacit acceptance to white supremacy as our marginalized neighbors and their legitimate safety concerns for themselves and their families are ignored. The alarming rise in hate speech promotes violence against individuals while the extremists grow their base. Racial slurs can quickly escalate to harassment, harassment to threats, and threats to physical violence.
Stand Against Extremism Livingston County (SAGE) emphasizes the need for a unified front against these heinous, harmful acts. We call upon community leaders from all across Michigan to come together with us in making a strong statement as we rise against white supremacy. Our collective response must be unwavering, resolute, and committed to protecting the rights and dignity of all our fellow residents.
It is with this critical mission in mind that we wish to invite you as our City Council to join us on the front steps of Howell City Hall for a Community & Unity rally Saturday November, 23rd from 2-4pm to be those frontline voices in speaking out against hate, and to share with your constituents what you feel needs to be done to address is here locally and statewide.”