Over the weekend while crossing the intersection of Pitt and Tollgate Road I was dismayed to see a sign posted by Cornwall Police entitled “STOP THE HATE”. The sign is located next to the bus stop. I feel it is an extremely negative message!
This is the first time I have seen such a message displayed in Cornwall. I realize that the amount of crime today in our city is an ongoing issue, has increased considerably since 2020, but the Cornwall Police continue to provide excellent service for us. I realize it is an extremely difficult situation.
However, I think we need to debate and carefully understand public messages which we are sending out in to the community, to ensure that we don’t create what we trying to prevent.
In other words, asking people in the community to identify “hate” and then report it is a very risky proposition. For example, an argument between two people may escalate, and if a person’s rights and freedoms are threatened and/or there is violence, then police would likely be called. However, in this case a crime may have been committed and we would expect police involvement.
In today’s world there are so many different pressures which we face today which need our attention. Our ability to get along with our family, neighbours and our community is vital and I think we need positive messages to help make that happen. To that end, let’s not use the word ‘hate’ in our marketing materials, as I think the word itself creates some sort of turmoil in our minds. The goal is to advocate for friendship and kindness, and for everyone to make the best of their situation.
Our city logo is “Choose Cornwall- a city with a world of possibilities.” To that end I think we have to present positive and hopeful messages in our city, to continue our growth and development. Let’s take the high road and make the best of a challenging situation.
Kevin Parkinson
Cornwall, ON
