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Last year, in a statement made at our 2020 Town Meeting, the Select Board along with others, said “it is our responsibility to continue to speak out against discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and hatred.” And once again, for the third time in less than a year, the Board finds itself in the position of fulfilling that responsibility of speaking out.
Over the last months, we have all read of the increasing acts of violence and hate crimes committed against the Asian-American, Pacific-Islander community, culminating in the murders of six Asian-American women in Atlanta last week.
The Select Board stands in solidarity with our AAPI community. We condemn hatred of any kind and the targeting of any individual based on their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. We remain committed to combating hatred and discrimination in any and all of its forms.
We remain committed to ensuring that Westford is a community that is inclusive, safe, accepting and that provides equitable treatment for all. As Albert Einstein once said: “It is harder to crack prejudice than it is to crack an atom.” In spite of that difficulty, the Board will continue to speak out against prejudice when we see it happening in our community and in the world around us.
Hate has no place in Westford.
Andrea Peraner-Sweet is chair of Westford’s Select Board.
