By , Epoch Times
Allowing national flags and flags about historic events, causes, and organizations while refusing to raise a Christian flag outside a city hall is an unconstitutional example of government censorship, a seemingly sympathetic Supreme Court was told on Jan. 18.
The hearing came as the high court has been becoming increasingly protective of religious freedoms since conservatives gained a 6–3 majority on the bench in October 2020, when Justice Amy Coney Barrett replaced the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The case, Shurtleff v. Boston, court file 20-1800, comes from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.
Petitioner Harold Shurtleff runs Camp Constitution, which offers classes and workshops on U.S. history and the Constitution. Camp Constitution, also a petitioner, was formed “to enhance understanding of the country’s Judeo-Christian heritage, the American heritage of courage and ingenuity, the genius of the United States Constitution, and free enterprise,” according to the petition filed with the court.
Three flagpoles adorn Boston City Hall’s entrance. Atop one flies the U.S. flag, and below it is a flag honoring missing soldiers and prisoners of war. The Massachusetts flag is on a second flagpole. A third flagpole usually flies Boston’s flag, but sometimes flags are hoisted to honor or commemorate causes, individuals, historic events, and foreign countries such as China or Turkey. Sometimes, the tertiary staff hosts flags about military battles, victims of crime, or the LGBTQ community.
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