SWAMPSCOTT — Thomas Scanlon draws waves, honks and an occasional middle finger when he stands in front of the town Civil War monument holding a Black Lives Matter sign and waving to Boston-bound commuters.
The town native who spent his career working for the Public Works Department said his one-man standout supporting racial justice is driven in part by his military service memories and his family’s legacy as Irish-Americans.
The 79-year-old Navy veteran recalled serving in the South and walking along a street with fellow Seabees, including Blacks, who walked in the gutter to comply with segregated sidewalk rules.
“We all told them,’C’mon, there’s plenty of room up here.’ They said, ‘Shut up or we’ll all be in trouble,'” Scanlon said.
Scanlon has stood in front of the monument with his sign almost every morning for two weeks. He started sticking Biden/Harris signs on the grass in front of the monument during his standouts to show his support for the Democratic presidential ticket and his dislike for President Trump.
Not every commuter shares Scanlon’s political perspective.
“When someone gives me the finger, I give them the thumbs up,” he said.
Trump’s remarks, attributed to anonymous sources, referring to some Americans killed in combat as “losers,” incensed Scanlon, who said he knew Jennifer Harris and Jared Raymond, two town residents killed serving in Iraq.
“Trump always says, ‘Well, I didn’t say that,’ but it really gets me,” Scanlon said.
He grew up on Burrill Street on what he described as the “S curve” road stretch running to Paradise Road. The son of civil servants, his father, Charles, campaigned for John F. Kennedy, and told a young Scanlon stories about the discrimination his grandfather faced, including “Irish need not apply” signs on businesses.
Scanlon’s mother, Margaret, was a former town accountant and career employee who, her son said, “was hired for her handwriting.”
The summer’s racial justice protests sparked debates and arguments, but Scanlon said video images showing police injustice cannot be disputed.
“When you see what phone cameras show, it isn’t right. How many people have been killed in a 12-month period?” he asked.
He is not sure how long he will stand outside with his sign, but 42 years spent working for Public Works ensured Scanlon is no stranger to cold weather.
“My grandchildren tell me, ‘Just be careful,'” he said.
Thor Jourgensen can be reached at [email protected].