Pride message on Beaverton Valley Rock vandalized
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The Beaverton Valley Rock that serves as an informal message board for San Juan Island was vandalized this weekend. It had been painted with information about the upcoming June 17 Pride Festival at San Juan County Fairgrounds.
On Monday, May 29 Sheriff Eric Peter did a Facebook live message from the location. He said, "Somebody in our community decided it was necessary for them to trespass on someone else's property and commit a hate crime vandalism on the San Juan Island Pride Festival display on the big rock that everybody has painted positive messages on for years."
"I am extremely disappointed and disheartened that this is now roughly a handful of these incidents that I have seen in our community on San Juan Island since I have lived here... To the cowards who hide behind the darkness to come out and spew hatred is: I pity you for being so hateful, I pity you for having such ignorant views, and I pity you for being so unevolved. I am a big believer that life is 10 percent of what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it... We will let hateful acts of a few control us. Love will always win over hate and intolerance."
He finished up by thanking Brownes for their generosity in donating the painting supplies.
Several people worked together and fixed the painting with supplies donated by Brownes Garden Center in Friday Harbor.
2 comments
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Dan Wednesday, 31 May 2023 13:47 Comment Link
Good to see the new Sheriff doing community outreach like this.
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terry brown Wednesday, 31 May 2023 07:54 Comment Link
Way to go to our newly elected sheriff! You said what the majority of us on the islands truly believe, said it well and with conviction and passion. Thank you!!