NORTHAMPTON — Creating what the council president termed “an aspirational document,” the City Council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday urging residents to practice “civil courage” during these trying times.
The resolution approved by councilors was inspired by the hundreds of “misogynistic, racist, anti-Muslim, and anti-Semitic hate crimes” reported to the Southern Poverty Law Center in the days since the election. The local community found it was not immune when last week racist, anti-Semitic and violent language was found spray-painted atop Mount Tom.
“The uptick is cause for alarm,” said Ward 4 Councilor Gina-Louise Sciarra, praising Mayor David Narkewicz and Police Chief Jody Kasper for speaking out against the spate of hateful incidents. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to be in other places right now.”
Oppressed populations, said Ward 7 Councilor Alisa Klein, “all feel a heightened sense of vulnerability.” Klein, who co-sponsored the resolution with Sciarra and Ward 1 Councilor Maureen Carney, said asking for the practice of civil courage, or the courage to call out bigotry when it appears, harkened back to Nazi Germany.
“We have to address hatred and bigotry head-on,” Klein said.
In all her years in the city, Ward 6 Councilor Marianne LaBarge said, she’s “never seen such anger.”
“It’s a new world,” Carney said.
While the resolution carries no teeth, Council President Bill Dwight called it “an aspirational document.”
“It speaks to our hopes — when you see it happen, call it out,” he said. “We have to back this up with action. I’m confident the community is prepared to commit to that.”
The resolution will be forwarded to state and national leaders, including President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump.
In passing the resolution, councilors joined other leaders in the area working to counteract hate crimes in the wake of the election. On Wednesday, Easthampton City Councilor Jennifer Hayes decried the hateful outbreak and said she’d work to create a human rights committee for the city.
On Thursday, District Attorney David Sullivan released a statement denouncing the violent words and actions, asking residents report all incidents. On Monday, Attorney General Maura Healey launched a hotline to field “reports of harassment and intimidation of racial, ethnic and religious minorities, women, LGBTQ individuals and immigrants since Election Day.” She advises residents who have witnessed or experienced bias-motivated threats, harassment or violence to call 1-800-994-3228 or fill out an online civil rights complaint.
Longtime area activist and Grove Avenue resident Amy Bookbinder spoke to her support for the Council’s resolution, adding one concrete suggestion for the administration: give the Human Rights Commission the same power it had under the previous city charter.
“I’m hopeful the city might be able to restore that power,” said Bookbinder of the body, now focused solely on education and outreach.
Residents at Thursday’s meeting were equally concerned with new LED lighting in the city, with three commenting on what one described as “Sing Sing”-like conditions — referring to the maximum-security prison in New York — in the Round Hill Road neighborhood.
“I want to urge you once again please to consider installing glare shields,” said James Lowenthal, a resident of Crescent Street who has so far led the charge against the lights. “I’m happy to help raise the funds.”
In a report to councilors, Waste Reduction Coordinator Susan Waite said the city’s reuse center, ReCenter, diverted 14 tons of material from the landfill between April and October.
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.