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Most of the stories we read regarding anti-police sentiment being expressed by elected officials usually come from big far-left cities like Seattle and Portland.
But as one recent incident shows us, such sentiments are not confined to large cities.
A Twitter user by the name “@farm_witch” tweeted a photo to Somerville, MA Mayor Joe Curtatone (D) on Saturday of a “Thin Blue Line” flag that was displayed on the back of a local fire truck. “Is the fire department allowed to display a thin blue line flag?” the woman asked in a now-deleted tweet:
The tweet he responded to was deleted for some reason. Saved it. pic.twitter.com/l5JQE5Add5
— Sister Toldjah 😁 (@sistertoldjah) August 3, 2020
Mayor Curtatone, who has been the man in charge in Somerville since 2004, responded the next day by noting the flags “are off the trucks” and that an investigation was now underway to find out just “how they got there.”
He also expressed hope that the firefighters who, like police officers, put their lives on the line daily “people who did this” horrible thing of expressing support for law enforcement officers “did not realize how hurtful it would be to people in our community”:
Flags are off the trucks. They were not authorized to be there. Looking into how they got there. Sincerely hope the people who did this did not realize how hurtful it would be to people in our community. https://t.co/wzHF2e4Ad1
— Joseph A. Curtatone (@JoeCurtatone) August 2, 2020
I saved his response, too, in the event he figures out how stupid he sounds and deletes it:
— Sister Toldjah 😁 (@sistertoldjah) August 3, 2020
Ms. Farm Witch has since hidden her account behind the “locked” wall, presumably because of the pushback she received.
The mayor was understandably ratioed by other Twitter users who took exception to his ridiculous response:
@JoeCurtatone these guys RUN INTO FLAMING BUILDINGS you can’t let them fly a flag to support their brothers in blue ? My god this cancel culture is like social media on steroids…
— Michael McGagh (@mikemcgagh) August 3, 2020
Who the hell would be offended by this and why are they more important than the many more who arent offended?
— Number One Bad Boy (@The_Warlock_86) August 3, 2020
Why would someone be hurt by the fire department honoring a police officer killed in the line of duty? Stop caving in to lunatics
— Maxine McCann (@maximccan) August 3, 2020
Other Twitter users pointed out a “BLM” banner is flying above city hall:
The banner of a Marxist organization whose members openly call for the murder of Law Enforcement Officers nationwide adorns city hall. YOU know that is hurtful to members of “our community “.
— Shawn Lynch (@CPD496) August 3, 2020
So this flag is allowed but others arent? pic.twitter.com/wIAux5GGOt
— Ryan (@TroopRG) August 3, 2020
So the city can express support for BLM but local firefighters cannot openly express support for the police. Okay.
According to Wikipedia, Somerville is “located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge”, which explains quite a bit. They also note a 2019 population estimate of 81,360.
It’s bad enough to have anti-police movements take root in places like New York City and L.A. It’s even worse when they take root in the smaller communities that have a much deeper local connection to law enforcement. This is why it’s very important to pay attention to the words and actions of local leaders and hold them accountable at the ballot box in the event they don’t get their act together.
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