Hackettstown Torn Over 'All Lives Matter,' Nazis Book Display

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ - Patrons of the eatery Soups on Main were greeted this June by a storefront filled with images of Hitler and books about Nazis alongside Trump signs and an "All Lives Matter" sign.

And some are not pleased.

"My Dad first told me about it and I honestly didn’t believe him. I thought there was absolutely no way a store would really have all that hate negativity and extremely blatant racism in their window," Frank Wiggins said. "I went out the next morning because I had to check for myself and it literally blew my mind that there was a store like that in my town in 2020 nonetheless."

Wiggins told Patch he can understand a Trump sign or two, but this display takes it too far.

"In my opinion what they have in their window is absolutely outrageous and should not be allowed," he said.

And there are over 1,500 people who agree with him, according to a petition created by Black Lives Matter Hackettstown and Long Valley. The petition asked that the display be changed, that owner Don Sherman resign as president of the Hackettstown Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors, and that Hackettstown Mayor Maria DiGiovanni condemn white supremacy.

DiGiovanni said she believes in social justice for everyone and being treated fairly and equally.

"A person who exercises the right of freedom of speech, speaks for themselves and no one else. There is no room for white supremacy in The Town of Hackettstown," she posted to social media.

Co-owner Donna Sherman posted a long video online where she said her motivations were to "wake up the world." She also posted a long message on social media where she said an equal number of people like the display as disliked it.

"Since we are not educating our children in schools, since we are trying to erase history and pretend it doesn't exist, I want you to know that I feel it imperative to leave everything as is and to focus on educating the public," she wrote. "It is important to protect our constitution, our flag and all that America stands for."

The owners also said on their business Facebook page that their vocal critics are committing "criminal acts of harassment, defamation, and extortion."

"There are also presumably well-intentioned individuals participating that have believed and spread the false claims of a vicious petition, thinking they are merely exercising their Constitutional right to free-speech," the social media post said.

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