Bedford Residents, Local Leaders, and Clergy Gathered for Monday’s Community Vigil

August 19, 2017
Congressman Seth Moulton speaking during Monday’s community vigil in Bedford – Image (c) Bedford TV, 2017 all rights reserved

Compiled by The Bedford Citizen

The Congressman greets a constituent – Image (c) JMcCT, 2017 all rights reserved

Nearly 200 Bedford residents — parents, grandparents, teens, children, and pets — made their way to the basketball court across from Bedford High School after Congressman Seth Moulton’s Town Hall Meeting at BHS on Monday evening.

Congressman Moulton opened the community vigil, speaking out against the recent demonstrations and violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“We are all here today,” Moulton said, “because we are fighters for justice, for our values. There are Nazi rallys going on in America, and it’s not 1939 Germany, it’s 2017 in America.” Moulton pointed out that while free speech is fundamental to America as a nation, “[R]acism, hatred, and speech that incites violence are not, and that’s why we need to take a stand. That’s why it matters that you’re here tonight.”
In conclusion, Moulton thanked the crowd for “standing in solidarity for what it truly means to be an American. Let’s be sure we go home and carry on this work.”

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State Representative Ken Gordon (D-Bedford) shared his thoughts on Charlottesville: “Let’s call this weekend what it was. This was domestic terrorism. This was not “bigotry and violence, on many sides … on many sides” this was good against evil. It’s not difficult to explain. When we see people dressed up in KKK robes, Nazi arm bands, carrying NAZI flags and torches, in response to a community’s decision to take down a symbol of racism, that’s evil. When we see people standing up to evil to protect their community, that’s good. There is no virtue in blaming both sides. There is no equivocating.” – Click this link to read Rep. Gordon’s remarks in full.
Selectman Margot Fleischman quoted Mayor Jim Gray of Lexington KY who had been interviewed on WGBH Radio’s The Takeaway, “There’s no perfect time to speak out against hatred and violence. Standing up and speaking out is the responsibility of all of us, especially as elected officials.” She went on to read a poem by Alden Solovy – Click here to read We Will Not Yield

Other speakers included the vigil’s primary organizer, Bedford resident Rabbi Susan Abramson of Temple Shalom Emeth; Jon Sills, Superintendent of the Bedford Schools; Senior Minister Rev. John Gibbons and Parish Minister Megan Lynes of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Bedford; Rev. Christopher Wendell, Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Bedford; Rev. Alexx Wood, Director of Pastoral Services at Carleton-Willard Village; Kashif Ahmed, representing the area’s Muslim community; Claudia Fox Tree, representing indigenous peoples, and interfaith chaplain Sharon Dickinson. Music was provided by cantorial soloist David Smerling.

More images from the vigil

 

 

 

 

 

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