By Cindy Blanc

Juda

To the Editor: 

In the category of “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” comes now the public display of profanity in our local communities. Such F-bomb banners have no place in public view. It is petty and offensive.

I acknowledge that property owners probably “can” display such signs (freedom of speech, First Amendment, Constitutional protections, etc.) but if they were concerned about being actual good citizens under the Constitution, they would think about their effect on neighbors, passing children and the community as a whole. 

To be clear, I’m not a prude: I’ve used this word more times than my mother wants to know about. Common decency generally keeps me from shouting it out in public places, however.

Also, flying a boorish banner under the U.S. flag smacks of faux patriotism. “I looooove my country, but here’s a temper tantrum about its president.”

The U.S. flag alone makes a great statement. It has its roots in revolt, in case you weren’t paying attention during history class. Or is that not the endgame with these flags? Are you just angry people who didn’t get what you wanted so you display vapid and vulgar attacks rather than working to effect whatever change you apparently want?

There are ways to express political displeasure. Public obscenity isn’t one of them.

If we accept such displays for political purposes, where does it end? Will we next see “---- the Bears” signs hung on local porches when the Packers play them?

To the people who display their opinions in such inelegant colloquial terms, I ask that you take them down. By leaving them up, you perhaps prove that a four-letter word is the longest in your vocabulary, and show that you care more about dividing a community than healing it.

When the children of our community inevitably notice these flags, we must turn it into teachable moments. Explain free speech to them, but also explain class vs. trash.