Flags using F-words raise ire

Political flags flying in Scanlon underneath an American flag have caused a lot of consternation in the community. At the corner of 22nd Street and Doddridge Avenue, which runs along the border between Scanlon and Cloquet, is a tall flagpole next to a home. It has three flags. At top is the American flag, second is a "Trump 2024" flag stating "F*ck your feelings," and third is a flag that says "F*ck Biden" and "F*ck you for voting for him."

The Pine Knot News chose to not explicitly spell out the words as seen on the flags, replacing the letter "U" with an asterisk.

The expletives on the flags, which fly just more than a block from the Cloquet middle and high schools, has had people talking and city officials studying what they can do about it. Veterans are also upset, saying the offensive language next to the American flag is disrespectful.

It turns out, not much can be done in the short term. After getting a number of calls, Scanlon officials asked attorneys for the City of Cloquet to look into avenues to get the flags taken down.

"There are First Amendment issues involved," said Cloquet city attorney Frank Yetka, meaning the owner has the right to free speech under the Constitution. Yetka said attorneys also considered signage issues under city code and even requirements on proper presentation of the American flag. He said similar political flags have caused issues in several Minnesota cities, especially during the political season last fall, and most of it is protected political speech.

The language on the flags is a gray area as well. "Society in general has become more tolerant to profanity, so it is harder today to claim that the flag is so outrageous that it shocks the conscience and therefore is obscene," said Bill Helwig, who works with Yetka on city issues as part of the law firm Rudy, Gassert, Yetka, Pritchett & Helwig. "Although the city may not be able to order the flag to be taken down due to First Amendment rights, such flags will appear outrageous to many motorists who drive by, and by creating such an intentional distraction for those drivers, the flag flyer could be held liable for any accidents caused by that distraction. If enough neighbors and other concerned citizens in the community speak out, the property owner may decide to do the right thing and take the offensive and profane flag(s) down."

Cloquet police have talked to the homeowner.

"We're aware of the flag and have received many complaints about it," Cloquet police chief Derek Randall said. "We've been in communication with the homeowner, who, so far, has not been cooperative or civil with our requests to remove it."

There was a similar Biden flag along Minnesota Highway 33 north of Cloquet in recent months but it was taken down.

Efforts by the Pine Knot News to reach the property owner on 22nd Street were unsuccessful.

Ron Stiger has also received a lot of calls about the flags. That's because he's on the Scanlon city council. But he's also commander of the Cloquet VFW, and veterans don't like the American flag flying with the political ones.

"Veterans are upset," Stiger said. "It isn't about the right to fly the flags. It's just not respectful to have that vulgarity underneath the American flag."

VFW members are keen on flag protocol. The U.S. flag code can be found using a tab on the home page of the group's website.

The pro-Trump and anti-Biden flags are easily available by ordering on the internet. They are made by a company in China and displayed for sale on websites next to flags of all political and social movement stripes, including those supporting President Biden and groups such as Black Lives Matter.

The flags fly at the former home of the late Nick Burggraff, who died in 2019. He served in the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne in the Pacific during World War II and once was commander of the VFW. Family members said Burggraff was a proud veteran and erected the flagpole.

"I don't think he'd like it one bit," Stiger said.

Keith Burggraff, Nick's son, said his father would be devastated to see the political flags competing with the American flag on the pole. "It's too bad. He was really proud of that flag."

On at least two occasions, Nick was able to acquire American flags that had flown over the U.S. Capitol. He was faithful each morning and each night in raising and lowering the flag, Keith said. In his 80s, when it became more difficult for Nick to get around, a neighbor helped install a light so the flag could remain up overnight under flag code that requires illumination.

Keith said he hasn't been by the old place but people have asked him about it, noting his father's reverence for the American flag and the pole.

A woman who goes by the flags often said she finds those with the swear words offensive. She didn't want her name used out of fear of retribution.

"There's freedom of speech and there's being disrespectful to veterans and families with kids," she said. "I think people would feel the same way whether the tide was turned. Our kids are taught at home and school to respect the president even if they don't agree with their politics."

Given the community reaction, Stiger said he'd hope the owner would reconsider flying the offending flags.

"He's conscious enough to fly them" despite the protest, he said, "but he should be conscious enough to respect the American flag."