Letters to the Editor about displaying "MAGA" flags

(From Hans Peter Jorgensen): "The local Republican Party wants to display flags supporting their standard bearer on Water Street during a commemorative event for the President's birthday they are holding on Flag Day, June 14th. Allowing any particular political party's flags to be flown in the public arena seems to me to smack of endorsement of a particular ideology on a national holiday, which is not in the public interest, in my understanding of history. (I can hear the push-back from among the Trump supporters that, "Well, the LGBTQ+ community got to put up rainbow flags!" Those flags celebrated diversity and inclusiveness which are the ideals this country was founded upon; they did not endorse a candidate. There are folks in the Republican Party who don't find themselves solidly heterosexual, though they may be reluctant to be public about it.)

Maybe it's time to have a policy of no political party flags on public flagpoles. I ask Republicans: 'Isn't the Stars and Stripes enough for you on Flag Day?' Political endorsements proffered by a government we all participated in electing isn't in the interests of a functioning democracy. I'm old enough to remember the results of Swastika flags flying in the square at the Reichstag in Berlin in the Thirties and we all should know how that worked out.:

(From Kevin Lee of Freeport): "Flag Day June 14th. With all the requests and debate to fly flags in Decorah my thought is that governing officials can accept all the flags that are requested and particularly flags that have been established for decades representing various  service groups. These include: Air Force, Navy, Army, Coast Guard, Fire Fighters, Marine, POW/MIA and the Iowa Flag. There may be other public service flags I missed. OR we could just fly predominantly the American flag which pretty much represents all of them and means many different views of all Americans and an icon to other countries. The American flag is flown whether the country is strong or weak."

(From Kari Hanson and Gary Ronnie of Decorah): "The June 14th Republican festivities in the Water Street Park should be allowed to take place. It is, after all, a public space. However, the Republican Party's request to fly MAGA banners anywhere other than in that spot must be denied, for two reasons: First, their application was submitted late, based on current council requirements.  Secondly, June 14th is a day meant to honor the U.S. flag, a designation dating back to 1777. Flying our flag is an expression of APOLITICAL national pride. It is NOT a day to celebrate an impermanent political movement or the personality who leads it."