‘Hate-filled’ antisemitic flyers left in Richland mailboxes anger neighbors

Flyers linking gun control legislation to Jewish lawmakers have been found in some Richland mailboxes, prompting complaints of hate speech and antisemitism.

It was not immediately clear how many of the illegally-placed flyers were distributed or what neighborhoods were affected.

Dori Luzzo Gilmour, a former Richland City Council member, posted on social media about the offensive flyers. She told the Tri-City Herald she learned about them from a neighbor whose children were upset to find it in the mailbox of their north Richland home this week.

The flyer features an image of a pistol and a headline that claims “every single aspect of gun control is Jewish.”

It includes photos of eight national political figures with a blue Star of David symbol stamped across each of their foreheads. Below their names are their purported voting records on gun control.

The flyer includes several QR codes, references to biblical passages, a website and a disclaimer: “These flyers were distributed randomly without malicious intent.”

Gilmour knows of at least two families who received them.

“I know we can come together and figure out whose hate-filled cousin is harassing our neighbors. If you know who is doing this, pick your friends better. If you’re doing this, pick better hobbies,” she added on Facebook..

Gilmour said anyone who receives the flyer should report it to the Richland police department or the postal service.

Kim Frum, spokeswoman for the postal service’s Northwest operations, advised anyone who receives such a delivery to report it to their local post office. She said they had not received a complaint.

“(I)t is illegal by federal law for any company/organization/group or person to place items or materials of any kind into mailboxes without it bearing proper postage. Only mail delivered by the postal service, bearing postage, may be placed in mailboxes,” she said.

Unauthorized mail can crowd out legitimate mail and even cause service delays. The post office advises that the best way to halt such activity is to ask those leaving unwanted mail to stop, if the identity is known.