By Hunter Oberst
THE KEENE SENTINEL
WESTMORELAND — Members of the Westmoreland United Church say that a sign meant to convey the congregation’s inclusivity to all was defaced with black graffiti twice in the past two days.
Carol Austin, the church’s moderator, said she was first notified of the defacement early Wednesday morning when a community member notified her of the spray paint partially covering the sign.
The sign, Austin said, is a rainbow flag behind plexiglass with words like “diversity,” “inclusivity” and “spirituality” and others written over each color to define what they mean. She added that the sign proclaims the church, on South Village Common, to be an open and affirming community.
On Wednesday, those words and colors were eclipsed by what Austin described as a Confederate rebel flag and the number 1488, which according to the Anti-Defamation League is a white supremacist symbol.
Austin said that she notified State Police and they took a report and looked around the property Wednesday.
Later that day, church member Jeanie Sy said a handful of volunteers were able to remove the graffiti with paint thinner.
But Austin said the sign was once again defaced overnight Wednesday. She said a community member driving through this morning saw the black spray paint and threw a white shower curtain over the sign to cover the words it said. Racist and homophobic slurs had been painted over the sign.
“This morning there were words we did not want school children going by to see,” she said. “Fortunately this sign was only installed in the last couple weeks. It is a sign that our church is open to all. What’s interesting is this perpetrator would be welcome at the church, which is kind of ironic.”
Austin said she took a photo of the sign and sent it to State Police Thursday morning.
A spokeswoman with N.H. State Police said in an email Thursday that State Trooper John Lucero of Troop C, which covers Cheshire and Sullivan Counties, responded to the initial incident of property damage on Wednesday, shortly before 9 a.m. and took a report.
Lucero returned Thursday morning around 9 a.m. and noted the new markings on the sign, she wrote.
State Police said the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Lucero at [email protected].
Sy said she was shocked by the words that were painted over the sign.
“It makes me very sad that in a town of 1,200 people in which our church is open to everyone no matter who they are, that someone has chosen to do this. Speaks to me on the underlying hate that people have for others and that’s very disheartening.”
Pastor Lynn Wickberg said this morning that it’s been an ongoing process for the church to convey its inclusivity to people of all backgrounds, and it will continue to do so.
“We all live in this world,” she said. “We may not all think alike, but we can still all love.”
A N.H. State Police spokeswoman said Wednesday evening she did not have any information that police responded to calls to the church Tuesday or Wednesday. The department could not be reached for information on the incident this morning.
This story has been updated with additional information from N.H. State Police.
Hunter Oberst can be reached at 355-8546, or [email protected].
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