The States are not facing easy times because of COVID-19 and all the protests against racism, but this new “Policy” on “divisive symbols” is raising serious concerns.
Yes, because amongst these “divisive symbols” we confined the Confederate Flag and The Rainbow Flag too. One could easy understand that the Confederate Flag is divisive (The Confederacy was the group of southern US states that fought to keep slavery during the US civil war), but why should the Rainbow Flag be so, when it is also known and used a symbol of peace?
LGBTQ groups pointing out that Pentagon also banned Pride flag on military bases today along with Confederate flag
— Erik Wasson (@elwasson) July 17, 2020
Would this be linked to a sort of “political revenge”? The new guidance on flags at US military bases has been welcomed for managing to skirt around Donald Trump’s objections to banning Confederate imagery, which he says is part of US “heritage”.
Trump – our dear Donnie – has defended the Confederate during the recent protests against racism, saying that banning that flag would have mined the basis of “free speech”.
Trying to avoid all possible complaints, the guidance excludes all flags other than the US flag, State Flags and some other military-linked flags to be flown at US military bases around the world.
“The memorandum does not authorise public display of unlisted flags in the Department of Defense,” Pentagon spokesperson Lisa Lawrence said in a statement.
Yes, the LGBT+ flag (as confirmed by the Washington Blade) is amongst those flags that cannot be flown.
It was signed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday night and released via memo on Friday.
“We must always remain focused on what unifies us, our sworn oath to the Constitution and our shared duty to defend the nation,” Esper’s memo states.
“The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols.”
