The Lebanon City Council has adopted a resolution denouncing racism.
The move comes after fliers promoting white supremacy were distributed in a local shopping plaza earlier this year. The Lebanon police investigated but didn’t make any arrests.
The incident prompted a discussion about whether the city needed to respond formally, or promote inclusivity more generally.
Rev. Stephen Silver of Lebanon's First Congregational Church attended the council meeting Wednesday on behalf of the roughly 200 members of his congregation. Even though the resolution is largely symbolic, he said, that symbolism matters.
"If we were quiet, then the assumption would be somewhere that the City of Lebanon doesn't care, and people in Lebanon think it's alright to do this," he said.
