Warwick is a town in denial. Unfortunately, that denial extends all the way to the top - to the governing bodies and the local police department.
It is a beautiful town and it relies on its image as an idyllic, welcoming farming community. And it is - if you’re white, Christian and straight.
I’ve never had a problem here for that very reason. But recent events involving Caffe A La Mode have exposed Warwick’s ugly racist, bigoted underbelly. Some will pass it off as an isolated incident - but those who witnessed the hordes of Trump supporters in their trucks driving through town before the November elections - hurling profanities and stealing Biden yard signs (mine included) know that the Caffe owners have plenty of company.
The negative publicity has surely driven like-minded business owners to stay under the radar, but they are definitely here.
I’ve had friends warn me about expressing my opinion because they worry about my safety. That is a sad commentary.
Warwick was given a mandate and an opportunity with Cuomo’s Executive Order #203 - the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative - but as evidenced by the full-page open letter in last week’s Advertiser, they are dropping the ball.
Further evidence of this is the recent hiring of six new police officers - and not a single one of them is a person of color. I’m sure the story will be that no POC applied.
My question is: Were any actively recruited in an effort to support racial justice?
There was a banner erected last fall stating that racism would not be tolerated here - but it had a short tenure.
Why?
It takes nothing away from white people or the police to acknowledge that Black lives matter. The comeback “all lives matter” is hollow - and will only be true when Black lives start to matter, because there is plenty of evidence that they don’t.
Another area where Warwick is failing and in denial is in its schools. I spent six years on the Warwick BOE and I can tell you the topic of racism and bigotry was never addressed. There are kids suffering every day with cruel taunts and abuse - both in school and online. It’s tough enough to be a kid in today’s climate, compounded by the pandemic. The administration throws up its hands and claims they can’t be responsible for incidents that occur off of school grounds - but not all of them do - especially with smart phones.
Intolerance is learned - usually at home. The schools have a responsibility to try to counteract that.
There are many local resources who would be happy to be involved in making things better - in providing forums and experience in dealing with these sensitive topics.
But the administration has to first admit they need this help, because they do have a problem.
Warwick is a microcosm of America right now - and as deeply divided. For that to really change, there needs to be a real willingness to acknowledge the issues and a real commitment - not lip service - to do better.
Susan Miller
Warwick