The first sentence in your 4:30 News sounded great; “The Fountain will turn blue Saturday, Nov. 19, to honor emergency first responders.” This was soon revealed as subterfuge, a political event masquerading as a celebration of public safety workers to gain legitimacy.

As an eighteen-year Fountain Hills homeowner I know that the far right is over-represented in our demographics. Fine; all have a right to live where they can afford and vote as they wish. However, in recent years there has been an increasingly apparent agenda to turn Fountain Hills into a bastion of right-wing extremism, notably during the term of the current mayor. It is succeeding through insidious techniques such as the event at hand.

This is a right-wing rally, not a celebration of first responders. Look who’s involved. Organizer Kern brought the Trump rally to Fountain Hills. Others include far right public figures Arpaio, Montgomery, both Kavanaghs, Ugenti-Rita, Lawrence and Bellenir. Absent is a single moderate of any political affiliation.

One speaker is identified as the mother of an off-duty police officer who was killed outside his agency’s city limits by a wrong-way drunk driver. Tragic. But why not focus upon an on-duty officer whose life was taken during an arrest? Why? Because the drunk driver was undocumented. The speaker was recruited having become known after telling the same story at the Republican National Convention.

Organizers can attempt to sanitize their purpose. Flag shirts will abound. They will pray and sing the National Anthem. The truth remains: this is an anti-immigrant, right-wing rally with speakers to match, conducted on public property under the guise of a civic event.

Let me know when there is to be a real tribute to law enforcement officers and firefighters. I wouldn’t want to miss it.