‘Thin Blue Line Flag’ Stirs Emotions and Controversy in This Connecticut Town

I would like your thoughts about the 'Thin Blue Line' flag and what it represents to you. According to an article in the Hartford Courant, the decision to fly or not to fly the Thin Blue Line flag in Connecticut is creating quite a controversy in Weathersfield. Members of the Wethersfield town council who voted not to raise the Thin Blue Line flag to honor fallen Trooper Aaron Pelletier have been met with death threats.

The question is, what does that Thin Blue Line flag actually mean? According to an article on nationalpolice.org, by Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D. who states:

It is not a flag of defiance. It is not part of a battle cry by police officers of aggression toward the public or those who oppose law and order. It is not a flag pronouncing superiority of class or privilege. It is a symbol to the citizenry that the thin blue line will not be broken.

An article on the website tacticallysuited.com states that the 'Thin Blue Line' has also become a symbol of controversy among those who believe it reinforces negative stereotypes about police officers and promotes an "us versus them" mentality.

Unfortunately, the divide over the flag's meaning has fallen largely along political lines, according to an article on CTInsider.com. In 2021, Manchester police took down a Thin Blue Line flag because protesters equated the flag as a racist response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

While compiling my research for this article, I came upon the website, flagsofvalor.com, which I think truly defines the meaning and the history of the 'Thin Blue Line Flag.' The following is an excerpt from the article.

The Thin Blue Line emblem was established to symbolize all law enforcement personnel similar to the Red Cross symbol representing all medical personnel. The Thin Blue Line embodies the unbreakable component of law enforcement standing as a safety barrier between the law-abiding citizens of America and the criminally inclined. 

I would like your thoughts about the 'Thin Blue Line' flag and what it represents to you.