To the Editor:

Referring to his right to display a Confederate flag on his Medusa property, Lane Stannard tells The Enterprise: “It’s mainly a symbol of me being able to do whatever I want” [“Town board not keen on request to denounce Confederate flag,” The Altamont Enterprise, posted Sept. 29, 2020].

Be honest though or at least informed about what this flag stands for, Mr. Stannard. It does not represent freedom. Just the opposite.

The battle flag of northern Virginia has a sordid and racist history. In 1948, the newly formed segregationist “Dixiecrat” party adopted the flag as a symbol of resistance to the federal government. It’s contemporary display began as a response to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s and is still being used today in support of white nationalist and white supremacist movements.

By displaying this flag, you show your support for evil and the ideals of white supremacists.

As for Councilman Anthony Guadagno stating, “A lot of people in the neighborhood hang the gay pride flag, the rainbow flag” — there is a big difference, Mr. Guadagno! Pride and rainbow flags are positive symbols that speak to inclusion, not repression.

It is too bad that the Rensselaerville board members cannot see past their politics. While they may not have the power to forbid the display of this flag, they should at least have the courage to acknowledge and denounce what this flag stands for.

Donna Lansing Baker

Guilderland