Kansas city council removes ‘thin blue line’ flags from July 4 celebration

May 14, 2024
3 mins read
Kansas city council removes ‘thin blue line’ flags from July 4 celebration



MERRIAM, Kan. (NewsNation) — While the “thin blue line flag” symbolizes the loss of life in the line of duty, is now at the center of political controversy.

The flag has become a divisive factor in some communities, specifically in Merriam, Kansas where there is no longer a five-year tradition of displaying flags in memory.

Council votes to ban ‘thin blue line’ flags

Merriam City Council voted 6-2 Monday night allow only American flags to be flown at the city’s “Flags 4 Freedom” event around the Independence Day holiday, which begins this year.

The event was started in 2006 in response to the 9/11 volunteer attacks and was called Healing Fields. Original organizers said Monday that the last thing the event should do was divide.

For the past six years, fallen law enforcement officers have been honored at Merriam’s Fourth of July event with “thin blue line” flags with the name of each new fallen law enforcement member added to the list.

However, the flag has since become a political issue. Additionally, this is the first year that the event will be run by the city and not just by volunteers.

‘Thin blue line’ controversy

Councilman Jason Silvers questioned whether the flags were appropriate for a city-sponsored event at a joint meeting with volunteers last month.

“I fully support the police, our Merriam officers, and have deep respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. To clarify, I proposed that we return the Flags 4 Freedom exhibit at Merriam Marketplace to its original purpose of honoring everyone. To accomplish this, I recommended relocating the blue line flag to a place of honor in front of the police station, specifically dedicated to those it represents,” Silvers said in a statement to NewsNation affiliate WDAF.

Merriam Mayor Bob Pape told NewsNation that the flag was associated with the Jan. 6, 2021, riots after many such flags were flown before the capital by white extremists in support of police departments. Additionally, he said they are often seen at President Donald Trump’s campaign rallies, signaling support for the far-right political party.

Additionally, Pape said there were questions about why other first responder agencies were not being equally honored with flags, including fire and EMS.

O “Flag Freedom Committee 4” voted to limit the display of the American flag, which Pape said likely influenced the city council to vote in favor of the recommendation.

The city administrator says it’s not a political issue, just an administrative issue.

For many Merriam residents, it’s personal

“It has been five years, 333 days and 3,110,400 minutes since my father’s untimely murder,” said Emma Rohrer, daughter of Representative Patrick Rohrer, now a high school freshman.

Rohrer continued: “Why is the flag that is a small and simple gesture in memory of my late father such a big deal? Why should one of the only signs of who my father was be taken away?

The Rohrer family and others spoke out against the plan to remove those flags and fly only approximately 1,200 American flags on Monday.

“I absolutely think our audience was very passionate and it personally affected a lot of them,” Pape said. “I wasn’t surprised by the reaction itself after the vote was taken – about six to two – to remove them. I was saddened by this vote. I personally would have liked to have kept the flags on the field.”

Pape said that, for him, it was a step too far to remove those flags that honored individuals who lost their lives in the field.

A retired firefighter and fire chief himself, Pape understood what it meant to put his life on the line for the community. Additionally, he personally experienced the loss of a fellow firefighter in the line of duty. He explained that he had a stronger bond with the issue than most councilors, reiterating that he would have stayed with the flags if it were up to him.

“I saw all the discouragement and sadness from the individuals in that audience and to have over 40 people speak in favor of keeping these flags, I felt like we let the community down and I don’t know if we really reflected what their true beliefs are in these flags,” he said. Pape.

Pape acknowledged that some people believe the thin blue line flag is divisive, but said he doesn’t see it that way.

“I think it means supporting our police officers and thinking that we are honoring and recognizing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in the line of duty,” he said.

NewsNation affiliate WDAF contributed to this report.



Source link