On Nov. 4, flyers with the words “it’s okay to be white” were put around East Grand Rapids, supporting white supremacy. Some of the flyers were simply put on people’s cars or on trees, while some were put on signs in front yards to cover up more inclusive messages.

This unfortunate event shed a bad light on East Grand Rapids which is a city already known for being predominantly white and for its lack of racial diversity. Although EGR isn’t the most diverse place, the majority of the community does not discriminate against a certain race, and it welcomes anyone that wants to be a part of it. Some residents show that they are inclusive by putting signs out in front of their houses.

The signs have messages that support groups such as “Black Lives Matter” and the LGBTQ community, among others. When these signs were covered up by an exclusive message, it brought a whole new level to this issue.

No matter the community or neighborhood, putting out a message like this in the first place is clearly wrong. It is upsetting that people feel the need to spread a negative message like this, especially in the middle of the night when no one was awake to challenge or argue against this person or group’s opinion.

However, going to someone’s property and covering up a message that they support is out of line. What someone chooses to support is up to them, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. If the message someone is relaying is not something you agree with, a better idea is to discuss it with them. This creates room for more insight on both sides of the argument.

This event is obviously something that the city and community of East Grand Rapids doesn’t want to happen again, and the residents will continue to be inclusive and welcoming to all.