Remember the flap last spring over whether it was appropriate to fly the Gadsden flag over the state Capitol? Well, the controversy is back again.
The mother of a U.S. Marine asked earlier this month to fly the historic "Don't Tread on Me" flag at the Capitol. Unlike the request made in April, this flag-raising wasn't part of a political rally. The military mom said the flag had flown over her son's base in Afghanistan and she thought it would be nice if it could fly in Hartford, too.
Capitol police rejected this request as well, saying the Gadsden flag does not meet the criteria of the Capitol's flag policy. Only the following flags are permitted: "Flags of the United States of America; a state of the U.S.A. or a political subdivision; the District of Columbia; Puerto Rico; the U.S. Virgin Islands; any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S.A.; an Indian tribe recognized by the U.S.A.; any foreign jurisdiction with which the U.S.A. maintains diplomatic relations or its political subdivisions, to include the United Nations; flags of recognized military organizations of the U.S.A., to include the VFW, American Legion, and POW/MIA flags."
That also means another historic flag won't be flying over the Capitol. The Society of Cincinnati flag has flown over the Capitol every July 4th since at least 1968. But this year, the banner won't be hoisted because it, too, does not meet the requirements of the policy.