Thank you, McLeod County Commissioners for your unanimous 5-0 resolution vote to keep our current historic Minnesota flag. McLeod County joins a growing contingent of counties that have publicly denounced the new flag, including Crow Wing and Houston counties.
The state Legislature was not supportive of the proposed new flag. Sen. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, and Rep. Bjorn Olson, R-Fairmont, created a minority report that highlighted the heavy handed DFL process that rushed this through during the busy Christmas season while the legislature was adjourned.
The minority report questioned why the new flag process was not conducted by the legislative branch that is set up to solicit and hear public opinion about a topic important to veterans and others across Minnesota. Why did this have to be rushed through so quickly?
Aaron Wittnebel attached his name to the minority report. He was appointed to the commission by the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council to represent the Ojibwe Community. Mr. Wittnebel stated: “This is the most absurd meeting of a public body that I have participated in here in Minnesota.” “The #SERC (State Emblems Redesign Commission) has continuously changed rules and created a disarray of problems….” Wittnebel wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Flags and official seals are very important representations of a state or country. Ideally, these contain important historical dates or emblems to unite the citizens. Instead, the all-DFL Minnesota government is trying to eliminate a version of the historic flag that our regiments fought under during the Civil War. Minnesota was the first state to offer troops to the Union cause, against slavery, in 1861 — just two years after becoming a state. This is the flag that more than 2,500 Minnesotans died under while fighting to end slavery in the Civil War, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. This flag is something to be proud of.
On Jan 10, on a radio show, Gov. Walz compared these efforts to “somehow saving the Confederate battle flag.” The governor added, “These are the arguments that happened with Jefferson Davis statues in Alabama.”
The current Minnesota flag is the opposite of the Confederate flag. One was used as a banner to end slavery the other to promote slavery.
We ask that the governor not to ignore these county resolutions and to consider a more inclusive process for Minnesota flag changes.
