Flagpoles and Free Speech—Why the Stars and Stripes Still Matter
On a windy morning in New England, I watched a city crew unlock a steel box at the base of a municipal flagpole. Two ropes, a few tugs, and a green flag that had flown for one community group after another came down. The workers were polite and matter of fact. By lunch, the city had announced that only the American flag, the state flag, and the city banner would fly from now on. No more rotating flags, no more special cause days. The reason given was simple: neutrality.