Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone has ordered the removal of a Thin Blue Line flag off of one of the city's fire engines after receiving a complaint. This comes a week or so after the kerfuffle over the Hingham firefighters doing the same thing on one of their engines, with hanging a Thin Blue Line flag to honor the life of fallen Weymouth police officer Michael Chesna. In the case in Hingham, the local union did not back down despite the Board of Selectman stating that only a select few flags are allowed to be flown on town property. With that being said, the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts Union has offered to give the Thin Blue Line flag to any fire department or union wanting to fly it before it is presented to the Chesna family. Somerville fire was taking up this initiative and got reprimanded for it.
Mayor Curtatone put out a tweet to a local that this "hurtful" action has been dealt with:
Was flying a Thin Blue Line flag off a fire truck a "hurtful" action towards the community in Somerville? I don't think so. The Thin Blue Line flag represents fallen officers, and in this incident in Hingham and Somerville, it's honoring Officer Chesna so how is that "harmful"? A Thin Blue Line flag is to honor those who died in the line of duty and the tough job officers have with putting their lives on the line everyday, it's not to glorify racism as some radical left believe, which is absurd. The notion that any nod to police represents disrespect towards the African American community and or racism, needs to stop. When did police become a symbol of "hate"? If I've said it once, I'll say it again, there are good and bad people, just like there are good and bad doctors, police, firefighters, talk show hosts, etc. When did it become socially acceptable for all to be held accountable for the sins of one? Do SOME police departments need reform? Yes. Do all? No. If there is a need for it in that department, of course, but we don't need a nationwide reform push based on something that happened at another department out of state. That might be an unpopular opinion by me but Massachusetts is one of if not the most well trained states when it comes to policing and staying up to date with the most effective, safe, and community supported measures in policing. I digress though, this idea that a Thin Blue Line flag is "hurtful" is misguided. Those flags DO NOT represent anti-African Americans or ignorance towards injustice in policing so people need to knock that thought out of their head and get educated on what a Thin Blue Line flag truly stands for. Is a Thin Blue Line flag, political? No, I do not believe so. it's honoring public service, served, period.
-Producer Lightning