Members of the Blacksburg Town Council include (back row) Liam Watson, Susan Mattingly and Jerry Ford and (front row) Vice Mayor Michael Sutphin, Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith, Susan Anderson and Lauren Colliver.
Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
BLACKSBURG – The Blacksburg Town Council began their April 9 regular meeting with a statement concerning the conflict in the regions of Gaza and Israel.
In recent meetings, many citizens have addressed the council with their ongoing requests for the town to release a statement supporting a permanent ceasefire. Vice Mayor Michael Sutphin read the following statement reflecting the thoughts of the entire town council:
“The Blacksburg Town Council acknowledges the deep concern expressed by many of our citizens regarding the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel. We have heard the impassioned calls to take action on this matter. While the Town Council does not typically weigh in on international affairs, we are not indifferent to such tremendous suffering and loss of life. All human lives are precious regardless of ethnicity, religion, or geography. The devastating violence and dire conditions affecting civilians in the region constitute a tragic crisis on all fronts. As a local governing body, we recognize that we lack the authority or means to influence events unfolding half the world away. However, we fervently hope for an end to the violence and for humanitarian aid to reach those in desperate need. Promoting peace, human rights, and human dignity must be our shared goals as we bear witness to this catastrophic loss of life. Blacksburg prides itself on being a welcoming and inclusive community for people of all backgrounds. Understandably this conflict has surfaced strong emotions and divisions locally, just as it has around the world. Whatever one’s views, we urge our residents to treat each other with compassion, empathy, and respect during this difficult time. We also call upon all parties involved to pursue every possible diplomatic effort to cease hostilities, facilitate humanitarian relief, and work toward a just and lasting peace in the region. Only through dialogue and negotiation can the cycle of violence be broken. We remain committed to creating a community grounded in unity, understanding, and goodwill toward all people though an ocean apart, our hopes for an end to this terrible conflict are united with people of conscience everywhere,” Sutphin said.
The statement has been posted on the Blacksburg website at www.blacksburg.org and on the Blacksburg social media channels, Sutphin said.
“We are also sending it to our U.S. congress person and our U.S. senators, Senator Kaine and Senator Warner, and the President of the United States. So, we are getting our message out,” council member Susan Anderson said.
