HARTFORD — Days before the country’s pause to celebrate the Fourth of July, residents held an emotional debate over the symbolism of the American flag at the town Selectboard meeting, following a board member’s online post that set off a social media controversy.
While at least one person called for Kim Souza’s resignation from her seat during a public comment period, most at Tuesday’s meeting rose to defend Souza’s right to speak her mind. And others defended the sentiment behind her original post, where she questioned whether American flags that had been hung from streetlights on the town’s main thoroughfare would be seen as welcoming by all residents and visitors.
Joe Major, the executive director of the Upper Valley Aquatic Center, is a former Selectboard member and a community leader, spoke first. Major, who is Black, is also a leader in racial justice efforts in the Upper Valley.
He told the crowd that he was an officer in the U.S. Army and came from a family from which every male member joined the military, including his father who served in a segregated unit in World War II.
“On May 8, 1987, my father told me it was the proudest day of his life, because he got to pin my rank as an officer on my shoulder,” Major said, adding that his father never saw an officer who looked like him.
“I come to support Kim Souza as well as the family of Lance Cpl. Jeffery Holmes,” Major said. “There was a lot of vitriol on social media, and a lot of that vitriol was aimed at my friend, Kim Souza.”
Major said he didn’t agree with her stance but called Souza “a true patriot to this community.”
“I don’t know if you know this, but she’s a white woman and she was trying to protect someone who didn’t look like her. Someone who, in actuality, looked like me,” Major said.
The flags had recently been put up along routes 5 and 14 by members of American Legion Post 84 in an effort to promote patriotism and hope. The post is named for Lance Cpl. Jeffery Holmes, who was killed in Iraq in 2004, a year after graduating from Hartford High School.
Holmes’ mother, Patti, was visibly emotional as she spoke at Tuesday’s meeting. She thanked Souza for meeting with her and her husband, Scott, following the uproar after Souza’s June 19 post on Facebook as well as on the Hartford listserv.
“We had, I believe, an intelligent conversation,” Patti Holmes said, later adding details about the flag display and how they were purchased, permitted and erected.
“It was a long process,” Holmes said. “It wasn’t something where we just said, ‘Hey, let’s throw up some flags.’ ”
Scott Holmes begged people to stop fighting that had characterized the online comments.
“As long as we keep debating and keep criticizing, we’ll never become united,” Scott Holmes said. “The American flag, it’s what we all fought for. If we don’t become united, we might as well tear all the flags down. Stop this fighting.”
Former Selectboard member Mike Morris, who came under fire for forwarding a racist cartoon to other officials, was attendance Tuesday. Morris ignored calls for him to resign before finishing third in a four-way race for two seats in 2018. Souza was the top vote-getter in the election.
Morris said the issue was an emotional one for him, but he was pleased with the civility of the meeting, something he said he wasn’t afforded.
“I want you to be treated fairly,” Morris told Souza.
In an interview after he left, Morris said, he didn’t want Souza to be treated the way he was.
“We put too much effort into judging people, rather than listening,” Morris said. “I hate seeing people being rude and crude. … I don’t like bullies or bullying.”
Others took the opportunity to take their anger out on Souza.
“My father, my grandfather, and myself, all served in the military,” said Wayne Kendall. “That flag behind you means everything. Telling people and veterans that that flag stands for white supremacy? That hurts a lot of people. I was going to ask for your resignation. I think the people — the veterans — of this town deserve an apology.”
Resident Dylan Kreis said he had empathy for Souza and recounted positive and negative actions conducted under the flag, from planting it on the moon to the Trail of Tears, a forced march of Native Americans from their homes to reservations.
“I only want to critique our tendency to rush to the defense of a symbol,” Kreis said. “Our flag has a complicated past.”
Dartmouth student Ian J. Littau said that, as a veteran, the rhetoric accusing Souza of disrespecting veterans was aggravating.
“If you would like the flags to remain up, then you need to articulate a better argument, which doesn’t employ veterans as a rhetorical tool to further your political agenda,” Littau said. “For some groups, the American flag evokes feelings of fear of organized, targeted violence, both at the hands of the U.S. government and by individuals and groups who aggressively wave that flag.”
Littau said he is a member of the LGBTQ community.
“Seeing such garish displays of the American flag doesn’t impart the same feelings of safety and pride which many of you have expressed that you feel,” Littau said.
Littau also referenced the “shameful display of behavior” toward Souza.
“Souza has not deserved the level of hate and vitriol she has received as a result of trying to speak up on behalf of our most vulnerable community members,” Littau said.
After everyone had spoken, Souza addressed the controversy.
She thanked everybody for their comments and for showing up to share their feelings.
She reiterated her original statement that a large volume of American flags for an extended period of time was not a welcoming symbol to all members of the community, but she did not request they be removed. She acknowledged that referencing white supremacy was an issue, but she clarified it was not intended to be aimed at any individual or the flag itself.
“I apologize again this evening for any unintentional harm or negativity,” Souza said. “I’ve had a number of very respectful and powerful conversations with members of the community. I hope this dialogue, which can be very uncomfortable at times, will continue.”
Darren Marcy can be reached at dmarcy@ vnews.com or 802-291-4992.