AndrewBlakeWaltham, Massachusetts – A librarian at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sent a letter to a funeral home criticizing them for flying a “We Support Our Police” flag.
Alena McNamara wrote in the Oct. 15 letter to Brasco & Sons Memorial Chapels that “We Support Our Police” flag horrifies her and that the flag “comes off as supporting police killing Black citizens without even a trial.”
The letter was first reported by Turtleboy Sports.
The letter went on, “In this context, your flag is saying: We are fine with police murdering Black citizens, because more deaths create more business for us as a funeral home.
“That is a terrifying statement to make to our African-American neighbors in Belmont. It is also a ghoulish public statement to fly on your flagpole.”
McNamara bragged on Twitter about the letter when she wrote Oct. 15, “Wrote my letter to local racist funeral home, now I just have to print and send.
“I am asking them to explain themselves, but I don’t think they really have any reason other than racism tbh. Gonna post the letter on fb probably and tag some folks who live near me in hopes that we can ALL send them letters.”
Wayne Brasco, owner of the memorial chapel, confirmed to Blue Lives Matter that he did receive the letter.
Brasco said he flies the police flag because he has family members who are police officers.
He didn’t know how to respond to McNamara’s letter because it was so outlandish to compare supporting police to “supporting killing black people without even a trial.”
“How do you respond to that? I don’t know what to say,” Brasco said. “To me, it’s crazy.”
McNamara also said in the letter police lives are no more in danger than garbage collectors and nurses.
“I will note too that there is absolutely no evidence that police are in any greater danger on the job than, for instance, nurses or garbage collectors. Replacing your flag with one that said, ‘We Support Our Nurses’ would create a much more positive image.”