Which Flag?
The flag flap in Chardon has me scratching my head. We need to ask where the black, white and blue stripe flag came from, and why suddenly it is such a flash point.
Personally, I find the blacked out version of Old Glory unsettling and I can’t understand why those who claim to be super-patriotic have adopted it without hesitation or reflection. Isn’t it a misappropriation of the original red, white and blue?
Whatever its original intent, it is clearly connected to a group of white supremacists and Neo-Nazis who used it in a Virginia demonstration. From there, it has become a widely used symbol of counter-protests to the social justice movement that includes Black Lives Matter. These counter-protests are trying to explain away the deaths of unarmed Black men and women. How can anyone deny that the flag has racist meaning, especially for people of color?
You can say the Confederate flag is just a historic piece of southern culture, but to Black Americans it is clearly a symbol of intimidation and discrimination. This black ,white and blue flag definitely has mixed messages and a dark pedigree.
Supt. Hanlon recognized this. He saw its use at a high school football game as inappropriate, not for its intent to support police, but for its offense to an unrepresented minority of the community that he serves. His vilification and the subsequent rally completely ignore the facts about the flag and proved Hanlon’s point that the flag is too political to be used in the school setting.
I challenge everyone who attended the rally to sit across the table from a person of color and ask them about the black and white flag, and their life experience in white America. And simply listen. Until we start listening, we will never live up to the ideals of the red, white and blue flag that is supposed to unite us in our pursuit of “Liberty and Justice for All.”
Chris Black
City of Chardon
Restore Dignity and Courtesy
Just what is it we don’t get about a democratic republic?
We should not confuse the Democrats with a democracy any more than the Republicans with a republic. Both a democracy and a republic embody a representative government, representing all the people in the community. To bring these ideas to fruition requires respect for all, whatever their leanings, and playing fairly. Those who do neither are exposing their lack of mature understanding.
Unfortunately, many of our current role models in government are not embracing or exercising these concepts of caring and generosity. They degrade, rather than support; disrespect, rather than empower; ignore the truth, rather than seek it. They accuse others of the very faults they exhibit themselves. They are, in short, human — but not dealing with the helpful tools of empathy and ethics. For our self-government to succeed, we need respect and fairness.
We Americans must mitigate the boorish behavior that is becoming so prevalent in our society. It’s not only in Washington D.C. It’s not just in publicized demonstrations. It is also here in Geauga County, where we celebrate congeniality. Disrespect and unlawfulness have degraded our community.
Political signs have been stolen. They have been defaced. They have been erected on public township property, which should remain apolitical. These offenses appear to all be done by advocates of one political party, supposedly inspired and justified by ubiquitous examples across the country.
Please, let us not stoop so low. Let us as Ohioans, as Geaugans, show others how well a democracy can and should work. Let us restore dignity and ethics to this hurting country.
Steve Wick
Chardon
