SHELBY — On the meeting of Shelby City Council that falls before the July 4 holiday, Councilman Garland Gates has a longstanding tradition of reading the Declaration of Independence.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” Gates read on Monday.
The weight of these words, nearly 244 years old, hung heavy in the air during Monday’s council meeting where Mayor Steve Schag addressed comments made during and after the June 10 Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Shelby.
“I feel compelled to say a word about recent verbal exchanges made in regard to the city of Shelby,” Schag said. “On behalf of all law-abiding citizens of Shelby, let me state unequivocally that we collectively abhor and renounce hatred, racial bigotry and racial discrimination.”
Schag’s comments come five days after a group of nearly 50 peaceful protestors marched up and down Main Street as part of the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the nation. Protests have taken place in most major cities in Ohio, and locally in Mansfield, Ontario, Ashland and Mount Vernon.
When asked why it was important to hold a protest in Shelby, organizer Lizzy Campo said she wanted residents to open their eyes to different perspectives other than the ones they grew up with.
“I wanted to show people there are other people that believe differently,” Campo said.
One controversial video from the June 10 protest has been viewed more than 10,000 times; near the one-minute mark of the video, a man can be heard saying, “KKK town right here.”
Since the June 10 protest, a Shelby Black Lives Matter Facebook group has been joined by nearly 200 people, and a second peaceful protest was held downtown on June 14.
“I do ask the question, is it really fair that a community be judged by its soiled past, a social media post, or a quarrelsome person on the sidewalk? And I think not,” Schag said.
“Surely there are ways to improve societal interactions, and we should be looking for ways to implement that. However it has been my observation as a minister and a mayor that Shelbians sincerely believe in liberty and justice for all.”
The mayor closed by sharing a verse from Romans 12:21: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
“Shelby citizens are known for pulling together, not pulling apart … known for inspiration, not injury … known for churches and charity, not chiding,” Schag said.
