Brekke defends Barrows' vote on Whitefish proclamation

Havre City Council President Andrew Brekke came to the defense of fellow Council member Brian Barrows Friday for voting against a proclamation denouncing anti-Semitic activity in Whitefish.

Brekke made the comments Friday at the meeting of the Pachyderm Club in the Vineyard Room of the Duck Inn.

Brekke, who voted in support of the proclamation, said that just because someone votes against a proclamation does not mean they support those values being denounced.

He said that since the vote, Barrows has been the subject of criticism in letters to the editor printed in the Havre Daily News.

Brekke said people also have made comments on social media using derogatory language against Barrows and his faith for opposing the proclamation.

Brekke said he thought it was ironic that people were using derogatory language against Barrows and his faith for not supporting a proclamation that condemns people for attacking other people.

Brekke added that a proclamation proposed by a council member is also highly unusual. He said that after the vote he received calls from people, who did not think the city should spend time voting on proclamations on matters on which it has no authority.

“We don’t usually do this in Havre,” Brekke said.

Barrows was the lone member of the council to vote against a proclamation introduced by Council member Caleb Hutchins at the Council’s Jan 17 meeting. Hutchins said that the proclamation was modeled on one passed by The Great Falls City Commission earlier in January.

Havre’s council voted 5-1 to pass the proclamation, with Barrows casting the dissenting vote. Members Karen Swenson and Jay Pyette were absent.

Whitefish gained national attention in December when neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer encouraged anti-Semitic slurs and provided personal information of Jewish residents of Whitefish.

Great Falls, Whitefish and Lewistown voted to pass similar proclamations. Gov. Steve Bullock, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and all three members of Montana’s  congressional delegation also signed a letter in December speaking out against the proposed march.

Barrows said Friday that he voted against the proclamation because the text of the proclamation included the terms Havre clergy when he said a majority did not express support for it.

“It was really clear that the clergy were not aware of it,” Barrows said Friday.

The proclamation also included language that said Havre veterans supported it. Barrows said members of local veterans groups were also not consulted.

He said that he did not think it was right to cite the support of organizations and groups in a proclamation that he had not contacted.

Barrows, a former school administrator, said criticism is something he is used to.

“I’ve been called worse by parents,” Barrows said Friday.