Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Thursday's editorial on the state flag ("Design a flag that can inspire, unite") almost made me spill my coffee when I came to the offhand comment that "state law makes it a misdemeanor to cast contempt on the flag." The Star Tribune Editorial Board took a brave risk and (quite rightly, in my view) heaped plenty of contempt on our existing silly flag. Uh-oh: If this letter is printed, now I'm in trouble, too.

But wait: Minnesota can't really have a statute that makes it a criminal act to "cast contempt" on the flag, can it? It took only moments of research to confirm: Oh, yes, we can. Minnesota Statutes Section 609.40, subdivision 2 provides that anyone who "intentionally and publicly mutilates, defiles, or casts contempt upon the flag" is "guilty of a misdemeanor." Yikes.

But, surely, I thought, this is unconstitutional. And of course it is. The U.S. Supreme Court has long ruled that such "desecration statutes" are a blatant infringement on First Amendment rights of American citizens. (United States v. Eichman, from 1990, is the leading case.)

So, when the flag-designing commission comes up with a better state flag, it should include a proposal to repeal that unenforceable — and creepy — provision lurking in Section 609.40. (And while they're at it, they should look at the Monty-Python-esque rules for how to fold the flag — see Section 1.141 for a good laugh.)

At a time when Trumpists are claiming the First Amendment gives them the right to ignore the results of an election and remain in power no matter what, it's good to reinforce the actual First Amendment — a foundational idea that allows a newspaper to dis our ugly flag, and me to write a letter like this.

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In its June 6 editorial, the Editorial Board quotes Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to suggest that opposition to a new Minnesota flag and seal stems from a sense "that things are changing too rapidly in our country."

This might be partially correct, but the Editorial Board would do well to consider whether this is the most charitable characterization of opposition to the flag and seal change. Here's one such alternative explanation: the fact that changing the state flag was suspiciously absent from the DFL's 2022 election campaign, that the commission charged with designing the new symbols is unelected and that, unlike Mississippi, there will be no public vote on the final design. This means that this effort lacks even the slightest trace of democratic legitimacy.

Ordinary Minnesotans deserved a say in whether or not to replace these symbols, but they were denied this. By law, we will have new state symbols in 2024 without your average voter ever knowing such an effort was being considered. This is wrong, and no amount of aesthetic distaste for our current symbols changes this fact.

Brian J. Krause, Minneapolis

What did I glean from Saturday's front-page article concerning the redesign of our state flag? A teacher shows a picture of the current flag to her young, relatively naive, yet-to-be-educated, inexperienced students and grabs onto their assessment of the flag being a "mess." The commission (made up of adults with supposedly more wisdom as a result of their age and life experiences) is then compared to this same group of students, implying they hold a similar level of knowledge, such that this teacher will need to "unpack" the reported mess of the flag for them as well!

This doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Instead of attempting to rewrite history by making an uneducated interpretation of the current flag based upon the reactionary's flavor of the day, there must be some written record as to why the flag was designed as it was that can be used to dispel some of the irrational interpretations being offered up today. Do today's people really think that this flag was designed by a group of racist old men, wringing their hands at the thought that representing a proud Native American warrior on horseback, living in harmony with the "barefooted" settler handling a plow, was a tongue-in-cheek slap in the face to the Native American? No, the flag, while it may be a little busy, was designed to capture the essence of what Minnesota has to offer with the promise of continued respect between the natives and the settlers.

Bret R. Collier, Big Lake, Minn.

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David Wiljamaa, Minneapolis

Now that the rides, vendors and livestock have moved on, there's only one more blue ribbon to award before planning begins for next year's Great Minnesota Get-Together.

Minnesota, this one's for you!

For more than 160 years, the Minnesota State Fair has been an end-of-summer destination for people from across our state. We're proud of the fair's history and tradition and remain committed to its mission: to educate and involve our guests by providing a world-class showcase that is innovative, entertaining and fun — and it couldn't happen without you.

This year, more than 1.8 million guests joined in our big celebration, making this one of the most successful fairs in recent history.

You supported the state's finest in agriculture, the arts and industry. You celebrated educators, artists, entertainers, bakers, beekeepers, horticulturalists and kids with their prized pigs, cows, sheep, horses, rabbits, llamas and more. And you filled the fairgrounds with good cheer and joy.

In other words, you stole the show over the course of 12 delightful days.

But the impact of your enthusiasm for this beloved state treasure reaches far beyond the 322-acres of fun midway between St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Thanks to you, the Minnesota State Fair is able to contribute nearly $300 million annually to the state's economy, all without any government funding. Your support allows us to provide employment for nearly 2,000 people who join our team each year as seasonal and fair-time workers. Our concessionaires, ride and game operators and commercial exhibitors hire an additional 10,000 people. And, of course, we couldn't do it without all of the local businesses and partners — small and large — that provide products and services to keep the fair operating effectively and efficiently.

But more importantly, you foster a sense of community.

Renee Alexander, St. Paul