I want to thank the anti-Black Lives Matter suspect who threw the sign at protesters and possibly slashed the sign to make their opinion known. Thank you, dear individual, for bringing home a lesson that I think we all ought to keep in mind as we do our daily routines, and live in our comfortable, personal worlds.

The lesson is this: no matter how progressive and seemingly safe your town is, hatred still exists close by, and if you let it, it will grow. Like it or not, dear sign-thrower, I am your neighbor. I drink the same water as you do, I likely enjoy the same parks as you do and I’ve probably run into you at the Downtown Bellevue QFC.

I want to thank you, however, for inspiring me to act on my own beliefs — since you acted upon yours. If it weren’t for you, I would not have stepped out of my comfort zone just now to donate to two different organizations that support Black Lives.

So, thank you for inspiring me to make real my support of that which I believe in: equality, peace and a world free of racism such as yours. I hope that, because of you, many more will do the same.

Jennifer Sundt

Bellevue