Re: Somebody from Hanover PA has been in the news
Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2019 1:57 am
https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news ... 091132002/
A piece of paper attacked someone, eh? I wonder if it cut her with its sharp edges. Can paper commit a "hate crime?" The only thing I could tell going on with it was that the flyer had some rather 'colorful' language to it.Flyer attacks Hanover's first female African-American mayor
Rebecca Klar, York Dispatch Published 1:54 p.m. ET March 7, 2019 | Updated 9:24 a.m. ET March 8, 2019
A racist flyer circulating in Hanover attacks the borough's first female African-American mayor, calling her a "shameless anti-White bigot," according to a copy obtained by The York Dispatch.
The flyer accuses Hanover Mayor Myneca Ojo, who is black, of being an "ultra-left wing African feminist" who aims to replace "European Christian traditions with African sloth, thievery, violence and squalor."
Ojo said the flyer, which has been sent to residents through the mail, is not indicative of the community she serves.
"It's just another attempt to divide this community and to evoke fear in people when in fact the community is actually moving way beyond that type of behavior," Ojo said.
Ojo was appointed in October by borough council members to serve out the remainder of a term vacated by former Mayor Ben Adams.
The flyer calls the borough council members who appointed her "Pinko-commie lib morons."
Ojo said she is running in the November election to serve out the remaining two years in the term.
Based on information in the flyer, which takes aim at the borough's efforts to expand affordable housing, Ojo said she does not believe the creator is a Hanover resident.
"I have been certainly received very, very well within my community as a result of my appointment," she said.
Ojo was part of another incident in York County in April 2018 when she and four other women claim they were confronted at Grandview Golf Course by an owner and asked to leave for playing too slowly.
The flyer was sent to residents, business owners and borough council members, Ojo said. The mayor said she has not received it.
The anonymous creator of the flyer attempts to pit the predominantly white Hanover community against minorities, characterizing her agenda as one that's going to "curse Hanover with 'diversity' and 'inclusion.'"
The flyer also suggests Ojo is intimidating police to ignore "Black Crime."
Hanover Police Chief Chad Martin said in a statement that is not true, adding that anyone who thinks a crime is being ignored should reach out to him.
"Her goal in oversight of the police department is to ensure it is the best that it can be. She is committed to learning about the police department and has professional experiences that will benefit us," he said.
Martin added that while "derogatory and unacceptable in society today," the flyers are "political propaganda" and protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The flyer follows a growing pattern of racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic actions across the county and nation.
In August, Ku Klux Klan flyers were left on cars parked at the Regal Cinemas in West Manchester Town Center in response to the Spike Lee movie "BlacKkKlansman." The anti-Semitic flyers read "More Jewish Lies from Hollyweird."
In November, flyers attacking Mexican immigrants were left across the parking lot of Eastern York High School after a congressional debate between state Rep. Lloyd Smucker, a Republican, and Democratic challenger Jess King.
More: Racial unrest in York County prompts political action
More: 'I felt sick': Yorkers disgusted by KKK literature in West Manchester
More: Grappling with growing hate speech across York, state and country
White supremacists' propaganda efforts have exploded throughout the country, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League.
In 2018, there were 1,187 incidents reported compared to 421 in 2017, according to the ADL report. In other words, there was a 182 percent increase in reported hateful propaganda.
In terms of a response, Ojo said she believes it is best not to add "fuel to the fire."
"The flyer was designed to evoke fear, and we’re just simply not going to put any energy into that," she said.
— Rebecca Klar can be reached at [email protected] or via Twitter @RebeccaKlar_.