Letter to the Editor: The citizens of Decorah should be able to vote for themselves and not have the City Council make the decision for them.

(The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Judy Ehler of Ossian):

"Thomas Hansen is a successful businessman and farmer along with his wife, Jeanette. If he said that Neal was acting in a way that was not in the best interests of the citizens of Decorah, he was just looking out for everyday Americans and he was merely stating a fact. In this case, the citizens of Decorah should be able to vote for themselves and not have the City Council make the decision for them.

Hansen wanted to have Trump's flags put up on the poles on Water Street. I am ok with the Council's decision to not allow putting up the Trump flags as that is advertising for a political campaign.  However, then the same should not have been allowed by the gay pride group as their flags were on the poles on Water Street during their parade in Decorah. That was also making a political statement. Nary a word was said against it by the city council. That's a double standard. What's good for one should be good for the other.

I also do not live in Decorah, but I have a caring interest in Decorah as I worked there for 20 years and have relatives living in Decorah. I shop in Decorah and use the medical facilities there. So, yes, I do have a vested interest in keeping Decorah a community that is fair to all, citizens or not."