KINGMAN – Mayor Jen Miles is calling for civility, respect and tolerance as Kingman area residents debate everything from COVID-19 restrictions to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Miles said she is thankful that recent BLM demonstrations at Locomotive Park downtown were mostly peaceful and without injury.
And the Mayor hopes it remains that way.
Miles told fellow council members Tuesday that she and city manager Ron Foggin have been bombarded with emails regarding display and sale of the Confederate Flag at the Thunder-Rode apparel business adjacent to the park. Owner Jack Alexander has a poster board on his property that denotes the history and heritage of the “Battle Flag”.
Confederate flags and other monuments and symbols of the Civil War have been under scrutiny during racial activism across the nation. Many have called for their removal from state capitol grounds, court houses and other public property.
Miles said Kingman citizen Dominic Tapia has orchestrated like-minded local residents to send emails to city officials urging them to allow a BLM symbol to be displayed in the park, as a statement intended to counterbalance the flag presence at Thunder-Rode.
Alexander has countered with his own letter to city officials contending he has rights as an American, business owner, taxpayer to fly, display and sell the flags.
Miles said she and Foggin have decided that the City should respect everyone’s Constitutional rights. She said it would be inflammatory for the city to take one side or another.
“It’s time to de-escalate. It is not a position for this city to try to take sides at this point,’’ Miles said. “Our position is that as a city we are going to uphold the oaths that we took to allow people to exercise their rights but maintain decorum and civility the best that we can.”
A Public Works employee with the City of Kingman spent part of Wednesday afternoon cleaning up racist graffiti sprayed at separate locations in an alley downtown. The messages spray painted into the pavement used the “N-word” to communicate the African Americans are not welcome in Kingman.
The graffiti was mitigated within 90 minutes of the slurs being reported to city officials.
- Dave Hawkins
I for one will not support a business that displays a Confederate flag.
I for one will not support a business that displays a Confederate flag.
Why do I have a feeling that this wasn’t done by a regular Kingman resident? I’ve lived in Kingman for 11 years, I’m not going to say there are no racist people in Kingman, because there are racists of all colors everywhere in the world. But I’ve never met one here. There appears to be a concerted effort to divide us by race, class, religioun, gender, political and whatever else lines that can be thought of. I’m disgusted with the right for not standing up against the PC BS and I’m disgusted with the left for not speaking up for law enforcement and letting anarcharists destroy our cities.
Why do I have a feeling that this wasn’t done by a regular Kingman resident? I’ve lived in Kingman for 11 years, I’m not going to say there are no racist people in Kingman, because there are racists of all colors everywhere in the world. But I’ve never met one here. There appears to be a concerted effort to divide us by race, class, religioun, gender, political and whatever else lines that can be thought of. I’m disgusted with the right for not standing up against the PC BS and I’m disgusted with the left for not speaking up for law enforcement and letting anarcharists destroy our cities.