Tinley Park Mayor, Church Leaders Condemn KKK Fliers (VIDEO)

TINLEY PARK, IL — Joined by community religious leaders Sunday afternoon, Tinley Park Mayor Jacob Vandenberg condemned fliers labeled as being distributed by the Loyal Knights of the Ku Klux Klan a week after the leaflets were discovered on lawns around the village. Officials intend to respond to the incident with "Love Is Harmony," an upcoming ongoing event designed to show that "Tinley Park is about love and acceptance," the mayor and members of the Ministerial Alliance of Tinley Park and Orland Hills announced during a press conference Sunday, July 29, at Village Hall.

"[T]oday we come together to send a message to those individuals who would try to spread this hatred among our families," Vandenberg said. "The message is very simple: Tinley Park is welcoming, safe, diverse and a thriving community. And we have zero tolerance for bigotry and evilness. You flat out are not welcome here."

Tinley Park police also are investigating the fliers to see if the case involves any criminal wrongdoing, interim Chief Charles Faricelli said. It's still too early to know what charges — if any — could apply, but they could range from littering to a hate crime, he added.

RELATED: KKK Fliers Left On Tinley Park Lawns Over Weekend

One village resident contacted police July 22 after she found as many as 15 fliers along 71st Avenue, between 173rd Place and 175th Street. She was the only person to report finding the handbills.

"WHITE PRIDE DOESN'T MEAN HATE," declares one of the fliers, which was placed in a plastic baggie and weighted down with aquarium gravel.

The leaflet states that it's not racist for whites to be proud of their race and culture. It ends by encouraging whites to stand up for their rights and lists a phone number to contact to join the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. A call to the number July 22 went to a voicemail recording that used anti-gay language to discuss an unspecified Indiana church forced to stop speaking out against homosexuals.

Details concerning the "Love Is Harmony" event are still being worked out, and no timeline was given about when it would happen. Vandenberg said he met with members of the Ministerial Alliance on Friday to discuss possibilities. No specific timeline for the event was given.

"We intend to use this unfortunate episode as an opportunity to engage in conversation that discourages hate and encourages love throughout our churches, our schools, our businesses and our homes," he said.

Pastor Adam Malak of Faith United Presbyterian Church, an alliance member who spoke during the press conference, emphasized the importance of speaking out against the fliers. He called apathy the "opposite of hatred."

After the press conference, Faith Christian Reformed Church Pastor Chris Pedersen, another alliance member, suggested that the village's religious leaders preach about the positive aspects of diversity as a way to bring people together.

Although not part of the "Love Is Harmony" proposal, Malak pointed to an existing weekly event that tries to do that. A free community dinner is hosted by one of four churches every Thursday as an outreach program to bring village residents together.

The next dinner is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, at Zion Lutheran Church, which hosts the first Thursday of each month, as well as the fifth Thursday when that applies. Here is the following monthly schedule for dinners:

• second Thursdays at St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr Catholic Church, 17500 S. 84th Ave.
• third Thursday at Faith United Presbyterian, 6200 167th St.
• fourth Thursdays at Family Harvest Church, 18500 92nd Ave.

Go to the websites for the churches for more details about the dinners.

Mayor Jacob Vandenberg (at podium) speaks out against fliers labled as being distributed by the Loyal Knights of the Ku Klux Klan during a press conference Sunday, July 29, at Village Hall. (Photo by Joe Vince | Patch)