Confederate flag comes down in West St. Paul after objections

A politically conservative West St. Paul City Council member last week defended his right to display the Confederate flag on the deck of his home but nevertheless took it down after Mayor John Zanmiller and others objected.

Council Member Ed Hansen said the Confederate flag that hung from his deck over the past year was a symbol of "true sovereignty."

He displayed it, he said, because "I like the design" and "I love the Dukes of Hazzard," a film and television series in which the characters' car was painted with the flag in what is generally considered to be a gesture of southern pride.

The flag drew attention recently because a prospective buyer for a house near Hansen's reportedly decided against it because of the flag.

After learning about that, Zanmiller asked Hansen to take the flag down, telling him: "This will not play well for the community. It doesn't reflect the community. It doesn't reflect the council."

Zanmiller said he was "concerned about the perception that people have about the flag, the perception that it creates when a council member flies it in the city that he represents."

City Council Member Darlene Lewis said she found the incident baffling. "I think it's an embarrassment to our city," she said.

At a City Council meeting last week, two members of the public objected to Hansen's display of the flag, and he said he had taken it down.

Resident Robert Allen said he would like an apology from Hansen for bringing disgrace on the city. He called on the City Council to censure Hansen.

Kenneth Paulman said he is working to attract new businesses to West St. Paul and found Hansen's display of the flag a poor reflection on the city.

"This is a symbol that is immensely popular with white supremacists," Paulman said. "It's a symbol that signals to a lot of people that they are not welcome in this community."

Paulman said he would support Hansen's right as a private citizen to fly the flag of his choice, but "when you chose to take this job, you became a public official" and the actions of officials reflect on everyone in the city.