It is time to address the unacceptable rise of hate and bigotry in Morgan Hill with a firm and unequivocal voice. On March 7, 2025, a Muslim family in our community was violently attacked—a targeted act of racial and religious aggression. And now, on March 21, 2025, a Nazi flag was displayed on the Burnett Avenue Highway 101 overpass.
These events are not isolated incidents, and they are not just “difficulties” or “challenges.” They are manifestations of hate that demand an immediate and forceful response from our city’s leadership.
If you see Bully Behavior and you do not call it out and say, “That is Bully Behavior. I will not tolerate Bully Behavior,” you are condoning it.
If you see Racist Behavior and you do not call it out and say, “That is Racist. I will not tolerate Racist Behavior,” you are condoning it.
If you see a Nazi Flag and you do not call it out and say, “That is a Nazi Flag, and I will not tolerate Nazis,” you are condoning Nazis.
Yet, instead of unequivocal condemnation, Mayor Mark Turner’s responses have been weak, vague and evasive. Where is his strong rebuke of the March 7 attack? Where is his outrage at the display of a Nazi flag—a symbol of genocide, white supremacy, and hate—flying openly in our community?
In Mayor Turner’s State of the City address (March 13, 2025), he spoke about “community character” and “relational bridges,” but when confronted with blatant racism and religious violence, he offers little more than platitudes. Turner acknowledges the existence of racial hostility but fails to act on it.
Let me be clear: the time for polite, abstract “conversations” has passed. This is not about differing opinions or immigration policy debates. It is about standing up to hate, calling it out by name, and making it clear that Morgan Hill will not tolerate racism, Islamophobia or Nazi symbols in our midst.
Turner said, “The character of a community is not determined when all is well, but when difficulties and challenges are present.” Well, here we are, Mayor Turner, facing the challenge of rising hate—and what you do now, as the Mayor of our town, will define the true character of Morgan Hill. Will you stand against hate, or will you continue to offer hollow reassurances while hate festers unchecked?
Division in our community does not come from those demanding justice. It comes from those who excuse, minimize or fail to condemn bigotry and violence in clear, forceful terms. Turner’s leadership will be judged not by poetic reflections on unity but by actions.
If Turner is serious about fostering “an environment that nurtures compassion, understanding and progress,” then it is time to act. I implore Mayor Turner to publicly denounce the March 7 attack as a hate crime.
Mayor Turner, you must condemn the displaying of the Nazi flag on March 21 as the racist, antisemitic act that it is. I urge Mayor Turner to actively listen to his constituents and understand that true leadership begins with listening.
Mayor Turner, please pledge that you will work with law enforcement to ensure justice is served in the case of the attack on March 7 and the displaying of the Nazi flag on public property on March 21. I beseech you to engage actively with Morgan Hill’s Muslim, Jewish and marginalized communities to guarantee their safety, belonging, and dignity.
And perhaps, instead of offering vague reassurances, Mayor Turner could take concrete action to rebuild trust. Will he show up at a Friday prayer service and offer himself as a personal escort to those seeking to exercise their right to religious freedom and safety? Mayor Turner, be the leader you claim to be—the one who stands up, calls out hate and says, “This is not who we are, and we will not tolerate it.”
Anything less, Mayor Turner, is complicity. And complicity in the face of hate is unacceptable. The time to act is now.
Karen Fitch
Morgan Hill
Karen, thank you for putting your thoughts, concerns, and requests in writing. I think the community is imploring the mayor, displaying the need to be heard by him in many different ways.
Is Mayor Turner listening?
l Get paid over $110 per hour working from home. l never thought I’d be able to do it but my buddy makes over $22991 a m0nth doing this and she convinced me to try. The p0ssibility with this is endless….
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Mark Turner has shown a willingness to equate the vile act of using hate speech with speech that he dislikes, in an attempt to silence criticism. Expecting him to denounce something that he’s willing to exploit for his own gain is, unfortunately, unrealistic. He may offer eloquent statements and perhaps even suggest actions if he feels that public opinion and pressure make it politically advantageous, but when someone is willing to falsely accuse their critics of hate speech publicly, their lack of action against actual hate speech and hateful behavior shouldn’t surprise anyone.