Black Lives Matter sign vandalized; Bend neighbors laud homeowner’s response
Urges those upset by what happened to give to an organization
Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) --Summer Sears, along with her son Kellen, were driving through their northeast Bend neighborhood when they noticed that a Black Lives Matter sign had been vandalized and covered in paint.
"We were disappointed about it, and sad, and we talked about it as a family," Summer Sears said Sunday.
Summer and her son also spoke to their neighbor who put the sign up.
"So apparently they put this sign up this summer, shortly after George Floyd's death, and there has been a lot of vandalism to the sign since then," she said.
Summer continued, "People have torn the sign down and thrown it across the street, they've painted it, they've destroyed -- and he just keeps remaking it, and now putting an extra, something positive, a positive spin on it."
The positive spin she is referring to, is the latest way their neighbor has put the sign back up, with this note, telling those passing by if they are angry about the vandalized sign to donate to their favorite BLM organization in its honor.
It's a move lauded by both mother and son.
Kellen Sears said, "Somebody does something rude, that's unacceptable. So again, we come back with tactics that aren't the same foul play."
One passer-by, Abinet Clift, said he wasn't offended by what happened to the sign.
"I don't find it disrespectful," he said, "because many people do not actually care about their neighbors. Until we care about each other and who our neighbors (are), and we don't see who they are, we will not solve any problems in this world."
He also said doesn't think the Black Lives Matter movement is making the difference its supporters claim.
"I don't want to call out a race, but it's mostly a 'woke' White people trying to have a White savior complex, and it's not helping the Black people."
Nevertheless, some neighbors remain upset about what happened.
Kellen Sears explained his anger: "I'm very, very frustrated to understand something so rude can happen in our neighborhood and our community."
