The popular Libs of TikTok account, a conservative operation that seeks to antagonize and mock liberals, shared a video featuring news coverage of a Connecticut service that honored the late state trooper Aaron Pelletier, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver during a traffic stop on May 30.
The video — which Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) shared with the comment “This is ridiculous” — showed American flags, pride flags, and other flags being flown at half staff after Governor Ned Lamont ordered all flags to be flown at half staff for nearly a week in remembrance of Pelletier. The order stated that “since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, should also be lowered during this same duration of time.”
This is ridiculous. https://t.co/5IiyniDQ2c
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 6, 2024
Cruz’s “ridiculous” assessment concerned the report that the “thin blue line” flag, requested after Pelletier’s death, would not be flown in Wethersfield, CT, a decision made by the town council. The thin blue line flag, adopted by the Blue Lives Matter movement in 2014, is also a symbol commonly appropriated by white supremacist groups, its critics say, which is why the flag was rejected in Wethersfield.
Some critics — as below — are bothered by the blue line flag’s rejection only because of the pride flag’s acceptance, saying that to exclude the former while including the latter is unfair. (Critics of this argument claim the pride flag does not represent a hate group, while the white supremacist adoption of the blue line flag does associate it with a hate group.)
If you are going to say the thin blue line flag is offensive then so is the pride flag. Either you allow all or none. There is only 1 flag I care to see “Connecticut town council refuses to fly ‘thin blue line’ flag for trooper killed in line of duty” https://t.co/oodeeXMqkO
— John D. Macari Jr. (@JohnDMacari) June 7, 2024
[CT Insider reported that more than 1500 people turned out for Officer Pelletier’s funeral, including “hundreds of police officers and state troopers were at the funeral at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford. Officers from Enfield to New Haven and troopers from Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine were among the men and women in uniform.”]