Letter to the Editor: "The decision of whether to fly flags in support of the President, in a public place, is not one that should be determined by the majority view of the city populace or by their elected city council."

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by Kevin Hoeltzle of Canton, Minnesota):

I will preface my comments by saying that I do not live in Decorah. Having said that, the city of Decorah and its community vigor are important to me and to my family.

In my opinion, the decision of whether to fly flags in support of the President, in a public place, is not one that should be determined by the majority view of the city populace or by their elected city council. Rather the decision should rest firmly with the citizens who are asserting their rights of free speech and assembly as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I say this as a man who does not and will not support the President in the 2020 election. My reasons for that decision are my own.  However, I do support the right of any group of people (the Winneshiek County Republican Party in this case) to peacefully assemble and to freely exercise their freedom of speech and expression.

If we allow the majority to silence this group, it sets the precedent that any group can and will be marginalized in the future. That is not something that any of us want in the long term."