The city of Orland Park, IL revealed their new 2017-2019 vehicle sticker design; the design depicts the black, white, and blue American flag which is a symbol for the Blues Lives Matter movement; a movement created as a counter-movement to the Black Lives Matter movement. The sticker has the words “Orland Park Supports our Police” written on it.
The city mayor Dan McLaughlin stated that “We want our local police and law enforcement across the country to know that Orland Park supports them. Police officers on all levels have had a hard time these past few years and it’s time for people to thank them for their service.”
Many residents have shown concern that their cars may be susceptible to damages when parked in cities such as Chicago with the controversy surrounding Blue Lives Matter.
Mayor McLaughlin stated that “Police officers on all levels have a hard time the past few years” in his defense of the sticker. But, is McLaughlin aware of the hard times that people in the Black community has faced over the past few centuries? Where is the city’s sticker saying “Orland Park Supports our Black Community”?
To force citizens to take a political stance or face a ticket for not having the “proper and legal” vehicle sticker is an omen to the direction this country is going under President Trump. America is taking a hard turn right after decades of social reforms and progress.
Politicians like McLaughlin have an agenda to undermine democracy and to suppress the voices of minorities in this country, and actions and policies such as these are a way to do so without being upfront about it.
As citizens of any city, and as citizens of this country, we must continue to take an active role in our city and local governments because that’s where the conservative agenda is starting and hurting us the most; they know that people pay attention to federal politics so they try to sneak their policies through local politics in hopes no one will notice before it is too late.