Legislators, veterans, community leaders urge immediate removal of swastika display in Sacramento’s River Park community
SACRAMENTO – Legislators, veterans and community leaders today decried a swastika display in Sacramento’s River Park neighborhood as offensive and an insult to victims of the holocaust and veterans who fought the Nazis during World War II. They urged the immediate removal of the display.
The press conference was attended by more than 40 legislators representing both parties, both houses and all ethnic caucuses. They stood together in solidarity against this “unambiguous symbol of hate.”
Senator Marty Block (D-39) who convened the news conference, made the following statement:
“In the face of hate and evil, good men and women must not remain silent.
“I thank all of my colleagues for being here today. Several will make brief comments. We stand in solidarity against this unambiguous symbol of hate.
“Swastikas displayed on a house in the River Park section of Sacramento tarnish the neighborhood and disrespect and dishonor the memory of tens of thousands of brave American soldiers...men and women who died for their country, fighting Hitler's henchmen who wore that very same symbol.
"This sad display insults the veterans still with us from the Greatest Generation, whose lives were forever changed in the fight to destroy all that the swastika represents. That evil symbol also desecrates the memory of the 6 million who perished in Hitler’s concentration camps. And its heartless display adds immeasurably to the pain of those still alive who survived the horror that the swastika symbolizes.
‘We have learned repeatedly that purveyors of hate often follow their vile speech with criminal acts of terror. I pray that is not the case in this instance.
“To be clear, we recognize that our cherished freedom of speech allows even the most hateful and ignorant among us to spew vicious venom.
“So my colleagues and I call on the owner of that house to voluntarily remove his vulgar display.
“He may have the right to leave it up, but that certainly doesn't make it right.
“It's time to remove this disgusting display of racism from our community.
“It's time to take it down.”