Well, we’re not sure another change made by the village board last week is for the better or worse. In practice, it’ll be neutral. And we guess that’s the point.
By limiting banners in Guthrie Park to simple informational signs about upcoming civic events and things like fundraisers, the village will save itself the headache of having to weigh which social causes are appropriate to support and which aren’t.
As Trustee Scott Lumsden pointed out during a discussion of creating a clearer policy on the display of banners in parks, the village’s intention in allowing the banners in the first place was for simply informational purposes, not social action.
That’s not to say the village board can’t take up the mantle of some cause and then publicly announce that support. The village did that, in a way, by passing a diversity/inclusion resolution recently. When a rainbow flag stands inside the village hall lobby, we guess we’ll find out what the reaction will be.
But banners in the park will be strictly for events like chicken dinners and art festivals. And that’s probably OK.
