To the Editor:

I am writing this letter with anger, shock, and hurt at what I saw this past weekend posted on the lit sign in front of the Guilderland Fire Department on Western Avenue. The sign said, “Flag at half mast in honor of Charlie Kirk by order of POTUS.”

I do not condone violence of any kind and do not believe we should sensationalize any death of those who have been assassinated for any reason. All who die are mourned for various reasons. Most are private; some are public.

I found this repulsive and not in concert with the values we have as a community, or that an entire volunteer fire department would sign on to this kind of message.

First, although many flags were at half-mast around town, and many have signage in front of their establishments, ie: Fort Hunter Fire department and Westmere Fire Department, neither of them posted any message.

In fact, the Fort Hunter Fire Department did not have its flag at half-mast. Many flags were not at half-mast for whatever reason.

Second — let’s look at the definition of “in honor of .” Miriam Webster defines “in honor of” as “a way to show respect and admiration for (someone).”

What this tells me is that this entire department has respect for someone who has made these type of statements:

— “I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment.”

— “I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that does a lot of damage.”

— “Black women do not have brain processing power to be taken seriously. You have to go steal a white person’s slot.”

— “Gun control, like vaccines and masks, is focused on making people feel ‘safe’ by taking freedoms away from others. Don’t fall for it.”

— “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.’”

— “Democrat women want to die alone without children.”

Third — did you post anything similar for others who were assassinated but not a right-wing cultist? I think not. Your MAGA cultism is showing and quite badly.

We are a very diverse community; we have people from all walks of life and all countries in our world who live here. When you, as an organization, claim to “honor” someone like Charlie Kirk, in public as a public volunteer organization, I would raise the question of your ability to do what you do for every single person who resides in this fire district without judgement.

You would have been better served to lower the flag as ordered by POTUS, but kept your thoughts out of the public venue. You should all be ashamed of yourselves for posting this.

Comments such as this require a degree of insight, which clearly none of you have. This is a reflection of you, as a whole department, with this type of message. You owe this community an apology.

Robyn Gray

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Robyn Gray chairs the Guilderland Coalition for Responsible Growth but says she is not writing this letter in that capacity; the coalition is nonpartisan.

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