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 [email protected] 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.
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December 15, 2020 at 05:23AM
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Livermore: Officials address 'out of context' story on Thin Blue Line flag - Pleasanton Weekly
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