Montgomery council overrides veto, bans flags and symbols on city property

[RandomNumbers]

Thought this was interesting. Guy didn't get his "Christian Heritage Month" approved, so bans all displays except government flags.

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/2023/11/07/heres-what-the-new-montgomery-city-council-resolution-bans/71495238007/

The Montgomery City Council voted Tuesday to override Mayor Steven Reed's veto on a "neutrality" resolution that will ban non-governmental flags and symbols on city property.

The resolution covers any city property and will keep Montgomery from putting up Christmas decorations or other holiday displays; will ban items supporting causes like pride flags; and will ban anything marking specific causes like lighting up the city pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month, unless the council votes for a specific exclusion.
...
It would allow federal, state, county or city flags while blocking "displays of any kind depicting any cause or ideology" from being placed on public property. The resolution was crafted to override any executive order and can only be amended by a majority vote of the council.
...
The council decided to work on the initiative after Lyons put forward a resolution that would designate a month to be Christian Heritage Month and would require the city to fly flags associated with the month. Lyons withdrew the proposal after local religious leaders spoke out against it.

This story has a little more (emphasis mine).

The Council took up the issue after councilman Brantley Lyons introduced a resolution to designate a month “Christian Heritage Month,” but was forced to withdraw it after local religious leaders spoke out against it, according to the Advertiser. One local minister told the Council that the Christian Heritage flag, which the city would have been required to display under Lyons’ resolution, was not a symbol that would make many people feel welcome in the city.

Lyons abruptly withdrew the resolution. When reporters attempted to ask him about it, Lyons, the elected representative of an entire city district, told them he doesn’t speak to the media.

Reed also told the Advertiser that the hypocrisy of including “birthplace of the confederacy” on the city seal while claiming neutrality wasn’t lost on him.

I'm not sure it's a terrible idea. The ban only applies to government buildings, so ... ? At least it shuts down discussion of which displays are okay or not okay. But Reed makes an excellent point.

I did a google search for "Christian Heritage flag" and didn't get anything with that name - but a lot of links and images about the "Christian Flag". Presumably that was the flag that would have had to be flown? For those who have gotten this far, Patheos has a discussion about it, with an image. Let's just say there is an awful lot of white on that flag.

[DBoon]

1. so they ban "non-govermental flags"

Does this mean flags of the Confederacy are allowed?

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Sounds like Nazi flages aren't prohibited, either. nt