On one side of the issue: "This is the United States of America; there's only one flag we should fly," said Dennis Miller, 63, of Prunedale.
On the other: "As long as it's done in a respectful way and not inciting violence or hatred, then it should be fine," said Blanca Zarazua, a Salinas lawyer and honorary Mexican consul, on flying foreign flags. "It's part of democracy."
The issue comes in the wake of an alleged hate crime Sunday in Castroville. Monterey County sheriff deputies arrested a 32-year-old man accused of spitting on Mexican flags and vandalizing the vehicle they were displayed from.
The topic was already a sensitive one after a series of rallies over the weekend — including in Salinas, Watsonville and Santa Cruz — protesting Arizona's new law against illegal immigrants.
The new rule requires law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to believe they are in the country illegally. Protesters say the law opens the door to racial profiling of Latinos.
In this environment, flying the Mexican flag could be perceived as flaunting support for Mexico and illegal immigration.
But according to the Independence Hall Association at www.ushistory.org, the country's flag code does not forbid the display of a foreign flag or require individuals to fly the American flag. The code says only federal institutions, including schools, are required to fly a U.S. flag.
Zarazua said she would ask those offended by foreign flags why they have a sensitivity to non-U.S. flags.
"Why does it upset them so much?" she said. "People need to ask them." Miller, a veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1966 to 1972, said those flying a foreign flag should also display the American flag out of respect.
"It just hurts me to see another flag flying without the American flag," he said. "A lot of my friends died serving this country, and the American flag just means a lot to me."
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