LETTER from CHIP NORTHRUP

Limit Public Flagpoles

To New York, U.S. Flags

To the Editor:

Now that Oneonta has gotten into the flag du jour game, it may be time to review the wisdom of flying anything other than an American flag on a publicly owned flag pole. Again.

Absent a state law governing what flags can lawfully be flown on municipal flag poles, the only lawful options in New York State are the national flag, the state flag and the municipal flag.

Not bastardized versions of the American flag with black and blue stripes, nor rainbow stripes, nor with images of an orange conman superimposed, all of which are violations of the Flag Code:

“The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.”

Both the mayor and police chief were right to have the latest public desecration taken down from the municipal flag pole. For the last 244 years, we’ve done just fine flying the American flag – unadulterated – let’s keep it that way.

CHIP NORTHRUP
Cooperstown