April 15, 2008
Albuquerque Journal (Letters to the Editor)
UNFLAGGING SUPPORT
Readers run their approval for veteran Peter Lynch’s actions — and disdain for his sentence — up the flagpole
Americans’ Rights Trump Those of a Foreign Flag
I WOULD LIKE to express my disgust for the ruling in the Peter Lynch case. This is an outrage and should ignite sparks of patriotism in every American in New Mexico and nationwide.
Albuquerque has reached the depths of despair and desolation. For an American that served our country to have fewer rights than a Mexican flag is ridiculous!
I have had enough of the liberals in this country that tell us we have to be politically correct and make sure that we support diversity and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion are a farce that was dreamed up by liberals.
As a result, we now have verdicts like the one … regarding Lynch. The case should have been thrown out of court. The evidence that was presented points to one fact: Peter Lynch is an American patriot who acted the way a patriot is supposed to act.
He took down the flag because in the Air Force he was taught that a foreign flag should not be flown without an American flag next to it. I say the Mexican flag should not be flown anywhere in this country. We do not live in Mexico. We are in America. We should not fly any foreign flags, especially at an American university.
Lynch realized his mistake and tried to do the right thing and replace the flag that he destroyed. He went to El Centro de la Raza and offered a replacement. This is what any person with morals would do. The cordial thing to do would have been to accept the flag and the matter would have been dropped. Instead he was met with name calling and was labeled a racist by the organization.
Where is the ACLU in all of this? Aren’t they supposed to be the American Civil Liberties Union? Was this too conservative an issue for them to get involved with? …
JOE D. PEREA
Albuquerque
Apology and Replacement Should Have Closed Case
IT IS AMAZING that in a country where defacing the American flag is protected speech that Peter Lynch would have been found guilty of a misdemeanor for destroying a Mexican flag that was being flown improperly.
Judge Clyde DeMersseman made an important point when he said that anyone’s flag “is more than a piece of cloth” and noted that Lynch’s act deeply hurt others.
I am deeply offended whenever I see someone abuse the American flag. Since El Centro de la Raza is not a Mexican embassy or consulate, I would also have been deeply offended to see the Mexican flag flying over American soil.
La Raza’s argument that their flag had special value because it was donated by a former student is irrelevant once Lynch offered to replace the flag. … Since the sentimental loss is the only penalty La Raza is to suffer for its original breech of flag protocol, the original wrongdoing in this matter, it seems to me that the scales of justice would have been balanced had La Raza allowed Lynch to apologize and replace its flag.
If there were ever a time for jury nullification, it was (this) case. … By limiting Lynch’s sentence, Judge DeMersseman seems to have done his best to keep this debacle from becoming a complete miscarriage of justice.
DONALD R. BAUCOM
El PradoAmericans Need To Put Their Own Country First
U.S. AIR FORCE veteran Peter Lynch was put on trial for removing a Mexican flag from a University of New Mexico flag pole. If you know anything about flag etiquette, this is wrong.
Also putting an American veteran on trial for doing the right thing in our own country is wrong. Putting other countries ahead of our own has to stop. Mexico has put our flag upside down and also has burned our flag, and we just stood by and did nothing.
I don’t know about your forefathers, but mine wouldn’t just stand there. It’s time to take our country back. I have spent my whole life, including through two wars, defending my flag in other countries. And now I’ve been told I can’t defend it in my own country. …
WAYNE HALSTEAD
Bayfield, Colo.
Charge UNM Groups With Breaching Flag Etiquette
IN THE CASE of Peter Lynch, I believe that the UNM police, the UNM ROTC department and the university group that allowed the Mexican flag to be flown should have been charged.
UNM police did not take immediate and appropriate action when notified. The ROTC department did not take down the Mexican flag before they took down the American flag as required by U.S. flag etiquette.
When I took ROTC — not at UNM — we were taught flag etiquette. Apparently, this is not done at UNM. UNM did not provide proper flag etiquette education to the student group who flew the Mexican flag. The UNM police should discipline the officer who took the report and did not respond. Lynch is not the responsible party for this fiasco. UNM and its various departments are. The district attorney should resign for allowing this issue to come to court at taxpayer expense.
MIKE FORD
Albuquerque
Veteran Lynch Punished For Being True American
THIS STATE has done it again to one of our veterans, Peter Lynch. … Whoever brought these charges against Lynch needs to go back to Mexico. What is strange is no one else did anything to protect our country’s flag. Yet, he is being punished for being a true American. … Why are we flying a foreign flag in our country anyway? …
RASHEEDA HARRIS
Rio Rancho