The Hingham Unity Council was formed to encourage people to have meaningful, in-person discussions about our differences; to hear each other’s perspectives and experiences; to gain understanding; to promote empathy and support for all of our community members. The members of the HUC are distressed by the discourse on social media surrounding the Thin Blue Line flag displayed on Hingham fire trucks. We don’t believe this is what Hingham stands for. We believe Hingham stands with our Weymouth neighbors as they mark the anniversary of the death of Officer Chesna in a horrific killing as he upheld his duty to serve and protect. We believe Hingham stands with our Black community as they protest unjustified killings of Black men and woman and demand systemic reform. We believe Hingham stands with our police and first responders. We believe Hingham stands for the right to question public officials, existing policies and status quo. We believe Hingham stands for civility and empathy, even when we disagree. We believe Hingham can stand together to grieve and remember all of the men and women whose lives were taken too soon. We urge everyone in the Hingham community to push their capacity for empathy a bit further and consider entering into a deeper, interpersonal dialogue beyond the world of social media. Let’s listen more and post less. The Hingham Unity Council supports the current decision of our town officials to remove the Thin Blue Line flag from town property until there is a more complete understanding reached about the significance of its display and what it represents to all members of the Hingham community. In the upcoming months the HUC will continue to present opportunities for this type of dialogue and exchange and hope you will join us.