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This weekend, Livermore city officials addressed a story recently circulating on social media which they said took notes publicly posted online “badly out of context,” and sparked local debate.
A pro-law enforcement group, Law Enforcement Today, released an online story on Saturday about notes from a Nov. 17 city subcommittee meeting posted on the city’s website. The opinion-infused writing focused on references in the notes to the “Thin Blue Line” flag — considered a symbol of support for law enforcement by some people and a symbol of intimidation by others — and whether the city was debating it as a symbol of hate as part of its equity discussion.
“To paraphrase the old saw: a misunderstanding can go halfway around Livermore before the facts put on their shoes,” said Livermore Mayor-elect Bob Woerner, Councilmember Trish Munro, and the Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee in a signed statement.
“A few days ago, several paragraphs from posted notes on the Equity and Inclusion webpage were taken badly out of context,” the statement read.
Made up of a cross section of Livermore residents and stakeholders, the recently formed subcommittee and working group aims to carry out “diverse community engagement that will result in a welcoming city.”
According to the meeting notes, a community-wide assessment and inventory of identified “symbols, artwork, objects, artifacts, etc. in Livermore that represent and signify systemic racism as well as symbols, etc. that signify equity and inclusion” was one of “action steps” proposed at an October meeting.
Originally the assessment was intended for city-owned property and referred to images such as the “Pride flag, cowboy, field/vineyard worker, murals, Livermore seal (cowboy), sculptures of families/children with Eurocentric features, ranch brands, totem pole.” However, the working group suggested expanding the project scope to include symbols and items on private properties, including the “confederate flag, Thin Blue Line flag, inclusive signs.”
After identifying the properties, the city and subgroup would decide how to “address the symbols, acknowledge and reduce systemic racism, and promote equity and inclusion.”
By posting the meeting notes — which “summarize each meeting’s brainstorming and robust conversations, so that the whole community can see the process, warts and all” — officials said they hoped to increase transparency but it “unfortunately….has led to the misunderstanding that occurred a few days ago.”
“Unlike the very misleading and inflammatory story currently circulating, the Culture subgroup is simply trying to understand the look and feel of Livermore, a project everyone is welcome to participate in,” they added.
Noting certain symbols “can have very different meanings to different groups,” officials said “if the first step of the Culture subgroup is to gather data, the second is to understand meaning. Understanding begins with acknowledging that feelings are feelings.”
To that end, the city has invited all community members to weigh in and submit their story (“along with why it matters and what it means to you”) by emailing info@cityoflivermore.net with the subject line “Livermore Culture Stories.”
The Livermore Police Department did not respond to request for comment from the Weekly as of Monday afternoon.
The Thin Blue Line emblem was established to symbolize all law enforcement personnel similar to the Red Cross symbol representing all medical personnel. The Thin Blue Line embodies the unbreakable component of law enforcement standing as a safety barrier between the law-abiding citizens of America and the criminally inclined.
Above the blue line represents the “good” spoken in Reagan’s quote, while below the line represents the “evil.” The law enforcement brothers and sisters in the United States make Ronald Reagan’s quote a reality, and the Thin Blue Line represents their constant bravery. They risk their lives daily upon the streets of America. The Thin Blue Line is a small token to remind us that the presence of law enforcement is to bring forth peace and diminish hostility and violence.
Understand the facts behind a symbol before you condemn it, it has nothing to do with racism. It is a symbol of those who put their lives on the line each day to protect us from criminal acts. As law-abiding citizens, we should support the men and women who keep us safe.
@MichaelB
Well written Michael! Well said!
I was reluctant to write anything for being censored again regarding this ongoing subject matter. Not that I was crude, vulgar, violent, or angry, just that I held an opinion not in line with liberal thinking.
I had an opportunity to read the actual notes from the meeting, and to say the take away is misleading or misinformed just isn’t so. There is so much repetition in the liberal talking point of ‘systematic racism,’ but they never provide a definition or examples of it where we can actually have that conversation they say they want to have. It just sounds intelligent on their part apparently. They infer the ‘Blue Line’ (or Blue Lives Matter) flag as systematic, but fail to mention (or deflect) the BLM signage we see around town, which is an acronym that identifies and supports the Marxist BLM organization.
The notes are very disturbing and uncomfortable, and perhaps that was not their intention, but in the future I would suggest they have an independent person read through them before they escape from the eyes they were intended for.
“Unlike the very misleading and inflammatory story currently circulating, the Culture subgroup is simply trying to understand the look and feel of Livermore, a project everyone is welcome to participate in,” they added.”
Here’s the link to the Law Enforcement Today article:
https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/california-city-conducts-inventory-of-hate-symbols-includes-blue-line-flags/
Exactly what is misleading about the City of Livermore suggesting the idea of taking photographs of items/symbols on private property deemed “systemically racist” – and then developing “persuasion” and/or “policy changes” towards the owners (to presumably force removal – or punish them if they refuse)? We’re now being told by elected officials that the entire nation is “systemically racist”. So how long before the American flag is deemed “offensive” by the subgroup – and can’t be displayed or flown?
“There is so much repetition in the liberal talking point of ‘systematic racism,’ but they never provide a definition or examples of it where we can actually have that conversation they say they want to have. It just sounds intelligent on their part apparently.”
Here’s a definition and an example that probably won’t be considered as part of the “conversation” – because it doesn’t fit the predetermined narrative.
https://calcoastnews.com/2020/09/the-myth-of-systemic-racism/
There are laws that have been on the books for years to protect people from racism. If there is racism report it and charge the people responsible. Don’t try to take away our freedom to express ourselves because you want to pander to a certain class of voters. WE WILL NOT STAND FOR IT. In fact if you are not for the Police then you are against them in my opinion and the opinion of 70 million other voters in this country.
“…if you are not for the Police then you are against them…”
And if you are against the police then you are against me, my family, my way of life and my country and I WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT!
This crap is getting out of control. Someone tell me since when is supporting the brave men and women who protect our communities racist? God help the person who approaches me and suggests that.
It might be insightful if you asked yourself this question: “What would it look like if there was systemic racism here? “