BCAT News

The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to vote down a proposed flag raising policy that included erecting a flag pole for non-governmental flags in the area of the Town Common after hearing from a number of Veterans at Monday night’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

As reported on BNEWS, the board had discussed the possibility of allowing groups to apply to have certain flags marking different organizations, events or important dates on or near the Common after receiving numerous requests. At their last meeting they talked about possibly erecting a new flag pole in the area of the Common or allowing flags to be put on the gazebo.

On Monday, after discussing the options with town counsel, they determined that having flags on the gazebo would be an issue and that the best course of action was to erect a flagpole in front of the Human Services Building at 33 Center Street if they were to approve the new policy at all.

In the course of the discussion they opened the floor to public comment and that is when Burlington Veteran Services Director Chris Hanafin, accompanied by a number of Veterans in uniform, had their say about the policy.

Hanafin started by saying in his view the board has a history of supporting Veterans and their causes.

“I first want to emphatically say that since I have been in this position for the last six years, this board has had utmost respect and support for Veterans,” he said.

Hanafin then began reading from a statement he had written about the policy.

“There have been many discussions at the Town, State and National level with regard to our American Flag, what it stands for and how it should be displayed and treated,” he said. “These discussions have been initiated by special interest groups that want a platform or area to display their flag, insignia or propaganda, and want that area to be as prominent as the display of the American Flag.

Hanafin said he wanted to address the board about the proposed flag policy as a representative of the Veteran population of Burlington and that he had been in contact with numerous veterans about the initiative and they shared his sentiments.

Hanafin said the first thing he wanted to raise was the establishment of the Federal Flag Code on June 22, 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law. He said the code is very specific to the manner in which the flag is to be presented and treated.

“As stated in the U.S. Flag Code, the American Flag is to be presented as ‘The’ place of honor, with no other flag or insignia equal to its height or stature,” he said.

Second, Hanafin said the Flag Code also states “the flag of the United States of America is universally representative of the principles of the justice, liberty and democracy enjoyed by the people of the United States.”

“The flag universally stands for freedom, sacrifice, and justice for all,” he said. “It doesn’t just mean those things for Veterans, but every citizen of the United States.”

Hanafin said in his view the American Flag and what it symbolizes is under attack in the country and around the world and he doesn’t believe the town of Burlington should add to that by putting non-governmental flags on public land.

“Special interest groups around this nation and abroad are attacking the Flag and mocking its traditions,” he said. “Groups are burning the flag out of demonstration. Groups are actively trying to remove the flag from our schools and suing governments for saying the Pledge of Allegiance before government meetings and the start of the school day.”

“To pretend that there aren’t movements being made to remove the American Flag from its position of prominence on our Common would be naive and imprudent,” he continued. “This latest measure to provide a government owned piece of land; as well as using taxpayer dollars to provide a flag pole to fly a non government flag is a slippery slope. The funds that paid for the current flags and monuments being flown in the Veterans section on the Common and elsewhere in town were privately raised … What message are you saying to those Veterans that raised those funds the right way if you approve taxpayer funds to install a flag pole for special interest groups to fly their non government flags? More importantly, what are you saying to those families and loved ones that lost their mother or father, so or daughter, brother or sister, who made the ultimate sacrifice to this nation, and this community, and were memorialized by private funds, but other special interest groups are getting taxpayer dollars for their platform?”

Finally, Hanafin raised the concern that has been shared by some members of the Board of Selectmen – will the town face potential legal vulnerability by allowing some flags to be flown on public land while denying others?

For these reasons, he and the other veterans in attendance at the meeting, he said, are asking the board members to vote down the proposed flag raising policy.

Members of the board were receptive to the arguments made by Hanafin and the other Veterans who spoke against the policy.

Selectman Nick Priest, who had a hand in drafting the proposed policy, said his eyes were opened to this perspective by those in attendance.

“Thank you to everyone who came tonight and spoke,” he said. “The intent of this was never to subjugate or shine any light poorly on the American Flag. I respect the flag behind me beyond and I don’t understand what it means to be a veteran and to have served. The intent of this policy was to find a home for the people of this community to express themselves.”

“With all of that being said, however, and being one of the people who brought this forth, I don’t know if I can support it anymore,” he continued. “After hearing everyone speak today I don’t know if I can support the policy I brought forward.”

In the end the board voted unanimously to vote the policy down.