Etna rallies against swastika flag with messages of love

Legal but not acceptable — that’s how many Etna residents are describing a swastika flag hanging from a porch along Greeley Avenue.

“We have been working to positively respond with love and inclusion,” said Robert Tunon, chairman of the Etna Community Organization (ECO).

It was late 2021 when neighbors first noticed the flag, hung by Richard McCloskey, who is renting the property.

McCloskey was not able to be reached for comment but, in December, told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI that the flag was in response to a dispute with the Game Commission over a raccoon problem in the neighborhood.

“I don’t hate nobody,” McCloskey said. “It’s a freedom of speech, like a right to bear arms in the Constitution of the United States.”

Borough Manager Mary Ellen Ramage said, while municipal leaders are “saddened by the symbol of hate,” they are limited in their ability to demand the flag be removed.

McCloskey is protected by First Amendment rights, Ramage said.

“We tried to talk to him, but he felt it is his right to express what he called an anti-government sign,” Ramage said.

“Instead, we are proud to join the ECO and fight it with a message of love.”

There has been a series of activities in the borough to dispel fear or worry over the sign, Tunon said.

Several residents have joined together to amplify the message of an ongoing campaign, Etna is for Everyone.

Councilwoman Jessica Semler spearheaded an effort to create yard signs with the saying made popular in ECO’s 2018 equity program. While stronger policy is needed, the signs are a signal “that we care for each other and that we will not tolerate hate in this community,” she said.

“The Etna is for Everyone and Hate Has No Home Here signs show our neighbors that there are lots of us who are loving and supportive,” Semler said.

“While the swastika flag is a threat to our marginalized neighbors, it also empowers others in the area who share white supremacist beliefs and we must emphatically combat that.”

Semler was joined by fellow council members Megan Tunon and Alice Gabriel, and together the trio launched a GoFundMe that so far has raised $1,770 to cover 120 yard signs produced by Etna business, PGH Print Ship.

The signs have been distributed to residents and businesses.

Etna leaders and the ECO also purchased two electronic billboards that hang above Route 28 with the message Etna is for Everyone.

In January, a virtual community meeting was hosted to discuss ways to broaden diversity and promote inclusivity. There were more than 100 people who logged on, Tunon said, and shared visions for a more welcoming community.

“It was the first step of many that will be taken to strengthen the fabric of our community, in Etna and beyond,” Semler said. “Our hope is to continue this deepened engagement and commitment to create lasting change.”

It featured regional leaders who spoke about how to address antisemitism and community trauma, as well as local leaders who are working toward positive change.

“While we condemn the display of a swastika flag in the strongest terms possible, we want to address the broader issue of antisemitism and all forms of hate in a way that we can learn and grow stronger together,” Tunon said.

The Rev. JJ Lynn, pastor at Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Etna, spoke at the meeting and reinforced the message of unity.

“Genesis taught us that all people are created by God, in God’s image of love,” Lynn said. “So, how do we live out love today? When we hear perspectives that challenge our own understanding of society, we need to focus on the things that unite us. Such as, we all love Etna!”