No one is quite sure where they came from but it seems there is a sign that is getting a lot of backlash as it gets hung up in lots of places around Harleysville, PA. The sign only has three words but it seems to be making quite a stir in the small town as one girl said she was horrified by it. The sign, which read no white guilt, is a phrase that seems to be in direct response to the BLM movement. & they have since been popping up all over town; one of them was posted near one of the biggest supermarkets in town on the main street while another was seen on one of the most gridlocked intersections not too far from route 113. A third one then made its way to a private piece of property on Allen town road. One of the citizens, Arielle Bianchimano, spoke to the press and said it shocked her as she did her best to grasp the message as well as the intention behind this mysterious new sign that is gaining traction all over town.
She went on to post on facebook where she talked about her response to it & said that it disturbs her that anyone would want to spread a message of hate such as this. One of the history professors at U Penn noted that whites have been trying to spin the BLM movement to make it about them but it is actually about the blacks trying to better their own lives as they strive for equality. The professor, Anne Berg, also noted that it is time for all of the white people to step aside & realize that it is not about white men. The sign has also been noticed by some of the lawmakers too & one of them state senator Maria Collett tried to urge some of the locals to stop spreading a message of hate. She went on to say that they understand how important it is to have diversity in their community and as much inclusion as possible. While some of the locals have gone to the cops to file a complaint they have said there is nothing they can do about it.
This is due to the fact that the sign is covered under the first amendment which states that each citizen has the right to free speech. As such, it would be illegal for them to be removed by anyone other than the person who put them there in the first place. The BLM movement first started about a year ago after the death of George Floyd. Though white people today may not be the ones who have slaves, they are still able to profit from a system designed to benefit whites. Due to free speech, it can often be difficult for the whole community to decide on one specific message that should be broadcast to the rest of the public. No one is quite sure who put those signs out in the first place but based on the message, it is safe to assume that whoever did it is white. As for how the sign will continue to impact the town over the years, it seems only time will tell looking to the future.
