Shame on Ridley

I moved to Ridley Township almost exactly 22 years ago, in August 1998. In all that time, I have been happy to call myself a resident and have never felt my neighbors in the township are a problem. Yes, I've met a few jerks, but on the whole, they are polite, respectful people.

Yesterday, I was ashamed to admit I live here. A small Black Lives Matter march and rally was held (I counted the participants at under 100) and was met by a rude and, yes, violent counter-protest of about the same size.

While the Black Lives Matter protesters marched along MacDade Boulevard, two pick-up trucks stopped in front of them near Kedron Avenue and burned a bunch of black smoke in front of them.

Throughout the route, which started at the park across the street from Frontier Saloon, then went down Academy Avenue to Holmes Road, then down MacDade to the township police station, both sides yelled at each other with shouts ranging from "Go the f--- home!" to "We love you!"

That's a quote from the article in this morning's Delaware County Times.

I didn't join the group until they got to the township police station, which is a short walk from my home. The violence was over, thanks to the local police who professionally separated the two sides, but the rudeness and stupidity from the counter-protesters continued. I heard one man yell to a speaker, "You're a Marxist!"--which makes me question if he even understands the word, because the speaker had said nothing that could remotely be characterized in that way, unless of course to be in favor of justice for all, no matter race, ethnicity or religion, is now a Marxist precept. Another yelled for the speaker to "Go back where you came from," but since the speaker, a young black man, spoke with no discernible foreign accent, that could only be a call for him to return to his own home, which was just as likely to be in Ridley as anywhere else.

I give full marks to the Ridley Township police and those from other jurisdictions who were also present. They did not turn out in riot gear, though some of the non-local cops wore visible bullet-proof vests. At one point a line of the police was deployed in front of the police station, in an obvious move to "protect" it--although the marchers gave no indication they intended to attack it in any way. In fact, shortly after that action was taken, the speakers announced that the marchers were returning the way they came and left to go back to their initial rallying place.

One more point: The marchers all wore masks. For the most part, the counter-protesters did not.

I am sad for my neighbors who were so badly misrepresented by the few who showed up yesterday. I urge you all, let it be known they did speak for you.