The City Council recently approved a resolution to display “commemorative” flags on city flag poles. Special interest group flags selected are: NAACP, Pride/LGBTQ, and Suffrage. The stated purpose of the resolution was to improve the quality of life for the city.
In the city council meeting of Jan. 28, 2020, some people said that the quality of life would improve with this resolution while others indicated the quality of life would deteriorate. It makes me wonder how success of this resolution will be measured? I believe comments were made by some who are not residents of Signal Hill. What evidence does the City Council have that the majority of Signal Hill residents support this resolution?
The federal, state and city flags (the Unity Flags) deserve special recognition and a distinct place of honor (the flagpole) for a number of reasons:
1. These symbols of Unity represent the interests of us all, and they bind us together for the greater good of the Country, the State, and our City.
2. They represent a common purpose in which we all believe and to which we all contribute including the safety, education, and the well-being of our fellow citizens.
3. All citizens are represented by the Unity Flags and no one is excluded.
Why does a special interests flag deserve to be honored and revered to the same degree (by being placed on a flagpole) along with the three Unity Flags?
I recently looked at flag poles at City Hall in 11 neighboring cities. I saw 11 cities flying the federal flag, nine flying the state flag, and five displaying a city flag.
There were four POW/MIA flags displayed. This may reflect the National POW/MIA Flag Act of 2019 which describes when this flag will be displayed. Most cities typically displayed these flags on one, two or three poles. There were no other flags displayed on these poles. Why?
I recommend that the City Council review its decision to allow commemorative flags to be displayed on city flagpoles such that no flags other than the federal, (and POW/MIA as required), state, and city, the three Unity flags, fly on city flagpoles.
Randy Hartshorn
Signal Hill resident
Nowadays, it’s difficult to get people to stand for the National Anthem! Conflicting-flags will not at all bring us together, but, rather balkanize us even further. I suppose it is to be. With our forced confinement, ever more people will only wish to trust and associate with their own particular group.
so some flags are approved and signal hill will avoid the confederate flag though…
I was very amused that Long Beach had a, Robert E. Lee elementary School. I wrote about it and the next thing you know they changed the name. Now, have you noticed Charles Lindbergh School on Market Street. Oh, please note. I like both of them! I am not writing to get them closed down, merely because it amuses me to note hypocrisy. Lucky-Lindy was very popular in Nazi Germany. I got a medal from Reichsfuhrer Goering! He loathed war and wanted us to stay out of the European War. So, now…we have a school named after a supporter of the Nazi regime. Let’s watch the City Council deal with this. Some one out there…please forward this to the Councilmembers.