Community advocate reacts to Chardon High School’s ’thin blue line’ flag controversy

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A community advocate explained how the “thin blue line” flag can be interpreted in different ways, depending on perspective.

“You have people with different experiences and different backgrounds looking at the situation from a totally different perspective, and for a lot of individuals, I can understand there’s concern the flag was used in that manner,” Cassandra McDonald, of the Euclid NAACP, told 19 News.

The flag-in-question was brought onto the football field by the Chardon High School team before a recent game.

The pro-police symbolism can be see by some as opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement

“Are we saying police officers matter? To me, yes, they. Police officers matter and so forth,” McDonald added. “But we can’t turn away from the fact there is a problem with the protection of Black lives."

The Chardon Schools superintendent banned the flag, calling it a politicized statement.

All political statements, including also Black Lives Matter signs, are not allowed at Chardon schools, the superintendent told 19 News.

Some aren’t happy with the superintendent’s position, reasoning that the high school players were only honoring a coach who is also a police officer.

McDonald said the flag has been known to increase tension between pro-police supporters and Black Lives Matter activists.

“If ’blue life’ is specifically about police officers, say it. I think it’s condescending to say blue lives matter because Black, you refer to as people, blue, you don’t. So, if you’re going to say it, make it make sense.”

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