Gananoque mayor takes aim at hateful graffiti

Mayor John Beddows is upset.

On the morning of Remembrance Day this week, as the mayor began setting up by carrying sound equipment up the stairs into the bandshell at Town Hall Park, Beddows saw something that he can’t shake off.

“On my first trip up the stairs I saw that some person had vandalized our bandshell by drawing a swastika on the base of the right-hand pillar at the top of the stairs,” said Beddows.

“My outrage at seeing this at the beginning of setting up for Remembrance Day cannot be overstated.”

Beddows said he took a photo of the vandalism, however, has decided to not share it with the community.

“The offensive graffiti will be removed,” said Beddows, a 30-year military veteran who helped lead Monday’s Remembrance Day ceremony.

Beddows took to his personal Facebook page, as well, to share his displeasure with the act, and voice his concerns to the community he serves.

“We define ourselves not only as people, but as communities and societies by two measures: what we stand for and by what we stand against,” reads Beddows’ statement on Facebook.

“I stand for the bedrock principle that all persons have the same rights, and that all persons are equal, are equal in dignity, are equal in grace, and that the only true measure of the quality of a person is to be found in their words, in their actions and in the way they treat others, most especially those who are most vulnerable. I stand for inclusion, community, a just society, equality, hope, curiosity, discovery, pride in work well done, growth, caring for my neighbours, putting my best foot forward, never assuming I understand someone unless I ask and dealing with challenges right away, publicly, without letting them fester. This is the Gananoque I know.”

Beddows spoke against everything represented by this piece of hateful graffiti.

“The ideas it represents have no place in our Town, or in our society,” said Beddows. “I stand against racism, sexism, or any other “ism”. Full stop.”

Beddows has lived in Gananoque since 2013. This week’s Remembrance Day ceremony was his second as mayor.

“This is not who we are; we are better than this,” said Beddows. “I see it every day in the way people in Gananoque reach out to help others, in the kind words and supportive messages, in the way we celebrate each other’s success and support each other when the road is hard. I see it in the ability of persons to embrace positive change.”

Beddows has asked anyone who might have information about this act of vandalism to contact the Gananoque Police Service.