There’s a resolution to the continuing controversy over changing the state’s historic seal, flag and motto that critics have deemed racist.
That is the seal that’s composed of a Native American holding a bow in a single hand and an arrow within the different. He’s wearing native garb and has feathers on the again of his head.
Above him is an arm holding a sword that might be interpreted as threatening,
Draped across the picture is the Latin motto that interprets into, “By the sword we search peace, however peace below liberty.”
A particular revamped fee lately proposed a number of insipid design replacements that will eradicate the Native American and his bow and arrow, together with the sword-wielding arm.
The stirring motto would additionally get replaced with one thing like “We rejoice within the public good.”
The fee will maintain a collection of public hearings to assemble enter after which make suggestions to the governor.
Gov. Maura Healey can have the choice of constructing suggestions for adjustments to the Legislature or to simply go away nicely sufficient alone.
Given the governor’s wokeness, it’s anticipated she is going to go together with no matter milk toast adjustments the fee recommends.
Though a local of New Hampshire, Healey is not any reside free or die warrior.
In addition to, the matter has turn out to be a political subject and since each Republican candidates for governor are for maintaining issues the identical, Healey may suggest adjustments.
As GOP candidate Brian Shortsleeve, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, put it, “We now have an incredible flag. It’s a flag I like. It’s a flag that represents our heritage.”
Shortsleeve and fellow GOP candidate Mike Kennealy made their remarks in response to a Herald ballot that confirmed that 82% of readers polled need no change.
Whereas not an ex-Marine, Kennealy seemed like one. He stated, “Our state flag represents freedom from tyranny and is an emblem of Massachusetts.”
The seal, flag and motto return to 1786. The seal is printed on all state paperwork and the flag recordsdata at or over all state buildings.
The proposal to exchange the “racist” seal stemmed from the riots following the killing of George Floyd in 2020, when rioters demanding change tore down Accomplice statues and adjusted names, amongst different issues.
Therefore, the creation of the fee that known as for the controversial elimination of the historic and established state seal, flag and motto.
One resolution (mine) is, that if adjustments are to be made, they need to be made to attraction to each side of the talk — the anti-seal progressives and the pro-seal conservatives.
The Native American on the seal is supposedly primarily based on considered one of two (or each) Native Individuals who had been among the many first to greet the Pilgrims in Plymouth in 1620. They had been Samoset of the Jap Abenaki tribe, and Squanto, a Wampanoag.
That Native American on the seal might be changed, as an illustration, by one of many Pilgrims — say William Bradford, the Pilgrim chief, or Miles Standish, the group’s army commander.
As an alternative of the bow and arrow, the Bradford or Standish alternative, wearing worn-out Pilgrim garb, could be sporting a helmet and holding a matchlock musket.
The arm above the seal could be wielding a tomahawk as a substitute of a sword.
And the Latin motto would learn, “By the tomahawk we search peace, it’s too unhealthy you didn’t.”
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas might be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
