To the Editor,
I’ve read with dismay the actions by local city and county boards to “oppose” a new Minnesota law. Using cost as an excuse, these elected officials oppose the new flag and seal and have stated they’ll vote no on transition costs. They intend to defy a Minnesota law passed by our duly-elected Legislators and Governor.
What other laws will Houston County and Fillmore County oppose? What other regulations will Houston, Brownsville, and Eitzen go against? Will the Mayor of Chatfield allow a “few callers” to embarrass our town into opposing the flag?
The sky’s the limit once you start picking and choosing which laws to enact. Will they decide that meeting Minnesota water quality standards is “too expensive”? Will they no longer run open elections because they disagree with the process? Will they stop enforcing speed limits and policing laws because they know better?
As Katherine Holbrook pointed out, the old seal and flag is painful to a wide swath of Minnesotans. I urge the Journal to print the entire poem written in honor of the seal by Mary Eastman, whose husband designed the seal. I would also love to see the flag detractors defend the old flag and seal after reading this poem.
The movement to throw out the new flag and seal is being led by GOP Senator Steve Drazkowski, who represents the Olmsted side of Chatfield. In February, he intends to introduce a bill to reverse 2023 legislation to redesign and replace the flag and seal. He and his supporters want to undo completed work and ignore the will of the voter. Once again, they’re trying to nullify election results.
The flags we fly show the world where we stand. Is this the face you want to show to our nation?
Julie Fryer
Chatfield, Minn.
Amy Maas says
Julie’s letter is spot-on.
If you “can’t believe all that many are offended” or that living 58 years means prejudice doesn’t exist then you clearly have not engaged in thoughtful dialogue with an Indigenous person.
Although I understand cost concerns, this cannot be an excuse for continued harm. Our government consists of elected officials who create laws for the benefit of all. Our state flag should be a welcoming banner and not a symbol of exclusion.
Rock/Cow per Walz says
Gee Amy:
And the Democratic party does not pick and choose the laws they want to follow? What a joke! What about all of the illegals they have let into the country the past 3 years? The Democratics are not enforcing the immigration laws on the books now. And MN now wants to be a “sanctuary state” for illegals? They (DFLer’s) will give them drivers licenses and make them DFL voters. The sanctuary state ideology has worked so well for the Democratic run cities and states so far. Wait until the illegals flood into MN and them are put into the schools and take resources that are supposed to be for US citizens. And the flag issue, it looks like the Somali flag. I see nothing that even comes close to resembling anything about MN.
Kim Wentworth says
One more time:, in my view this debate is nothing more than pc run amuk. A couple of examples: 1) nobody has been offended by ANY sport logos. But the family and descendants of the artist and designers of those logos are offended by people like you 2) the wonderful Lady on the side of my syrup bottle was never spoken ill of, she was thought of in endearing terms, her descendants are fighting mad over people like you and erasing her wonderful image. The companies for their part are also to blame. For cowering in front of the woke crowd. Slowly they are learning thru their pocketbook what a mistake they made.3) the same people that want to change our flag are the same people that want to erase history, destroy statues, defund the police.
Amy, are you really one of those people? If so, shame on you.
Greg Rendahl says
I can’t believe that all that many are offended by our historic flag. I see a strong farmer and a strong Indian. The new flag is a boring nothing.
Kim Wentworth says
If I may:
The very idea that in some way our flag AND every other state flag is/was somehow racist is laughable. I’ve never heard of a single person in my 58 trips around the sun say they find their state seal and flag offensive !! What is crazy is the pc and woke thinking “allowed” to blossom anywhere in our United States. There is no ” voter will” behind this flag change. Democrats and Republicans both think it’s a silly idea.
Oh, and the reference to the poem inspiring our flag is a wonderful poem, every single word.