June 13,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, There was much ADO about the Pride Flag in Ridgewood. Some naysayers chose to loudly and nastily vilify members of the Ridgewood Village Council. One Village Council member managed to get The Record to write a somewhat-inaccurate account of the Ridgewood Pride Flag discussions and actions. Some residents got into online and in-person arguments with each other. The CRAB (Community Relations Advisory Board) got into the thick of it with commentary and not-so-veiled accusations about the Ridgewood response to their request to fly the flag. Somehow in all of this Glen Rock was held up as the more inclusive, welcoming, agreeable Village Government and community.
Take a look at the Pride Flags displayed in Glen Rock and Ridgewood. This is what you will see:
1. The Ridgewood flag is larger than the Glen Rock Flag.
2. The Ridgewood flag is displayed at eye level while the Glen Rock flag is way up high (you have to really look to see it).
3. The Ridgewood flag is displayed in a very central location where there is a ton of pedestrian traffic, outdoor cafes, parking on the street, and in general many people coming and going all day and evening, seven days a week. The Glen Rock Flag is by a field on a very busy street where it can only be seen as you either whiz by (and you would have to take your eyes off the road if you are driving) or if you happen to be at a game being played at that field. There are no stores, no restaurants, no businesses of any kind on that stretch of road, and no parking on the street where the Glen Rock flag is.
4. The Ridgewood Village Hall has two flags on display – the American Flag and the MIA-POW flag. The Glen Rock Village Hall has numerous flags on display, maybe six or eight different varieties. So while Ridgewood did not wish to display this flag at their Village Hall, stating that no other flags traditionally fly there, Glen Rock has a whole menu of flags but opted not to put the Pride Flag among them.
5. The Ridgewood Pride Flag is displayed proudly and prominently. The Glen Rock Pride Flag is out of the way and hard to find.
It is disgusting that some members of our Ridgewood Village government were wrongly accused of bigoted behavior and attitudes while their counterparts in Glen Rock were held up as paragons of inclusiveness. The truth is, Ridgewood’s Pride display is, well, much more PROUD than that of Glen Rock. Go Ridgewood!!!
