Throughout the month of June, the pride flag flew proudly above City Hall, at Marina Park and at many businesses and homes throughout Kirkland. On any given day a stroll through downtown will display a symphony of cultures, languages, and ethnicities. Our collective commitment to being a safe, welcoming and inclusive city is apparent throughout our community every day.

We’ve all become accustomed to the idea that our Puget Sound home is a safe space. We’ve repeatedly proclaimed that “hate has no home here.” That is why it’s so shocking when we hear about neo-Nazi fliers on the door of the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church. That is why it’s so devastating when we read that hate crimes have risen 78 percent between 2013 and 2017 in Washington state, according to statistics from the FBI recently published in the Seattle Times.

Now more than ever, we must be vigilant in our devotion to spreading a message of love and inclusion. We must redouble our efforts to come together as a community. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” As your city government, we will continue to ask ourselves this question every day. We hope that you will join us in doing the same.

Through demonstrating love for ALL our neighbors, we will work to change the hearts and minds of everyone in the community to support Kirkland being a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place for all people.

Kirkland City Council