Letter To The Editor: Questioning Symbol Is Not Attack On CFD

To the editor:

I support our Croton Fire Department. They do a hard and dangerous job, putting themselves at risk on our behalf. Likewise, I support our local police department; having local officers who know our community is critical. These organizations are an integral and important part of our community. I want to believe that they serve us all equally, honestly, and fairly.

That is completely separate from my question on whether it is appropriate for potentially divisive symbols to be displayed on Croton FD equipment, or my comments asking whether the new Croton PD patch is appropriate. Those are questions of symbology, and whether the intended messages of the departments are being effectively communicated. This is not criticism of the organizations; rather, it is a question concerning whether particular actions or messages actually benefit, or detract from, their roles in, and relationships with, the community.

But there are those who cannot discern (or refuse to discern) the difference between the two above statements. They assume that a question about an action or symbol is an attack on the organization (it is not). They also fail to understand that symbology is in the eye of the beholder; the intended message of a symbol is not always the one that is received by the viewer.

It is also not about free speech. Individuals are welcome to say what they want, and display the symbols that they want. Contrast this with employees (or volunteers) of an organization, who are obliged to confine themselves to the official messaging of that organization when communicating using the assets of that organization.

I note that the thin blue/red line flag in question has already been removed from the Fire Department apparatus. That is good news, and I respect our fire chief and the department for taking that action.

My words, my questions, my comments, and my letter today, are a hope, perhaps a paean, to the idea that our community’s emergency services are established and operated apart from the petty politics of the day, that they are non-political, non-partisan, unbiased, ethical and transparent; that regardless of the personal beliefs or political leaning of any member of the organization, when they are on duty in service of the community, partisan politics and personal beliefs are left at home.

Let us come together in support of our community's emergency services — in making them strong and effective, fair and transparent, and an exemplar of what is best about our diverse community.

Finally, I remind readers that the opinions that I express here are solely my own, and are not the official position of the Croton-Harmon Union Free School District (CHUFSD), or of the CHUFSD Board of Trustees.

Sincerely,

Joshua Moses Diamond

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