A 19th century flag found while renovating the Ocean Plaza hotel. Flying the American flag is a fine message for Grovers to display instead of signs about hate. This one has been preserved in Jack Green’s office for all to see. (prior BF post)
a. An Ocean Grover, Nancy Clarke, posted an item on Nextdoor complaining that a sign was removed from her property.
That sign says, “Hate Has No Home Here.” Words have meaning—what do her’s mean?
A better sign in OG would be: “Hate signs have no home here.”
Finally, someone appropriately returned her sign to the hardware store.
Memorial Day 2017. OG. Great Auditorium. Anyone see any hate there? Click to enlarge. Paul Goldfinger photograph ©
The opposite of hate is love, and which will be more enduring here?
See comments below:
So,RM, a couple of elementary school kids came up with the slogan. Thanks for finding that site.
The web site explains that these signs are declarations which say:
“The Hate Has No Home Here Project promotes just and inclusive communities by encouraging neighbors to declare their homes, schools, businesses, and places of worship to be safe places where everyone is welcomed and valued.”
Now we know that the sign stems from fear, promoting safe places. It has nothing to do with the theories promulgated above by those who are willing to translate a message that is incoherent as expressed with five words on a sign.
And if someone posts that sign in our town, it means that they want to proclaim OG to be “safe” where our citizens will “welcome and value others.”
Is that message really needed in Ocean Grove? Did the person who put that message out really understand what those few words actually mean?
Without the explanation to go with it, that sign is merely gibberish, begging for an explanation, and useless/misleading on its own.
Let’s speak plain English to each other. Leave the hidden meanings to poets.
Blogfinger: Thanks to you and your blog, topics like this can be discussed in an open and civil fashion so I would obviously like to thank you first and foremost for hosting such dialogue. Such a great resource for Ocean Grove.
Oddly enough, facilitating discussion seems to be a major part of the overall aim of the “Hate Has No Home Here” campaign. So let’s see if I can put this major mystery to rest. Get this, we can all find out the exact meaning and intention behind the sign and initiative at https://hatehasnohomehere.org. It looks like a primary issue of yours might stem from the fact that the phrase was created by an elementary school student. (Guess you’re too smart for your own good Doc. Sorry 😉
If you are getting tired of discussing this particular sign, maybe we can move on and try to figure out the overall meaning of other initiatives like Melania Trump’s signature “Be Best”…or those damn “Home Sweet Home” signs so many people hang on their door. Don’t even get me started on the “Life’s a Beach” shirt my neighbor always wears!!!
MLK: As for Martin Luther King’s words, they are very fine and meaningful, but your comment would be more meaningful if you told us your name.
The sign’s message is positive and the intention is coming from a good place. It is referring to the same meaning of the famous words of Martin Luther King Jr … “ Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ”
Erik: Of course you cannot find the meaning of that sign in a dictionary and you are being disingenuous by putting up that straw man.
The fact is that whatever true meaning exists in what you said, none of that can be found in that sign. You are simply imagining all of it—wishful thinking.
If words are not clearly stated, would honest folks just make up the meaning, as you did? After all, that sign is not poetry, and poetry won’t do in a debate.
ps In nine years of Blogfinger, we have avoided politics, except for localisms, but since the election is tomorrow, and in honor of the First Amendment and the American democracy, we will allow whatever intelligent comments come our way with respect to the sign-gate matter. I must admit, without any disingenuity, that I do enjoy debates at this level when they happen on Blogfinger.
Just ask those people with the signs what they think about President Trump and I bet a whole lot of hate will come spewing out of their mouths. Ha!
Kevin Chambers
Paul, I think you are being disingenuous. A dictionary is unnecessary to understand that “Hate Has No Home Here” means that “we” (those who embrace the meaning if the slogan) do not welcome expressions of anger or disrespect toward others on the basis of their social views, ethnic background, religious beliefs, gender identification, sexual orientation, physical or cognitive abilities or any other personal characteristics. That the sign was placed before the anti-semitic grafitti of Mischief Night does not invalidate its message. Rather, it underscores that even without its being evidenced, such hatred does exist in our community and that it must be opposed.
RM: That was a silly joke (loose screws at the hardware store,) so I have deleted it. It is not central to our discussion and is not directly aimed at her.
The main point of my comments was to find out what that sentence means to the person who put it up.
Especially I wonder if she is saying that there is hate in Ocean Grove, the town where I live, and if so, what is the nature of it? Those signs were placed long before this Mischief Night.
Or does her sign mean that she fears something might happen “here?” Is her concern rational or just aimless static? Or is she making some sort of political statement about America? Or is it something else?
That sign is an enigma. If I am to report on the loss of her sign, then I need to know what it is about.
And what will a stranger think who sees that sign? Will he think we have a problem in town?
With all due respect Blogfinger, you questioned the owner’s mental stability for displaying such a sign (i.e., loose screws). That goes a bit farther than asking what the sign means. It’s clear you have your own interpretation. May I ask what you think it means?
The brief discussion of the “Hate Has No Home Here” sign is primarily to ask the question, “What exactly do these words mean?”
There are some, like RM, who want to interpret those words for us, but only the person who displayed the sign can do that since the sentence has no precise meaning.
For those of us who are literate in our understanding of language, an explanation is needed. If others can “get it” by making assumptions, then they are free to do so.
As for the evil soapsters who struck on mischief night, try and connect those dots. That event is not part of this discussion. Let’s try to stick to the question that was raised.
A bit harsh regarding the theft of the “Hate Has No Home Here” sign. The sign means exactly what it states – there is no room for hate here. It actually promotes love and togetherness.
Let’s ask the numerous homeowners in town who just had swastikas and racial epithets scrawled on their car a few days ago what they think.