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A New Look

 


Howard County has a new flag. Yesterday County Executive Calvin Ball announced the final choice, designed by local artist Esen Paradiso.




Howard County selects sunny, colorful design by longtime resident for new flag, Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner

Esen Paradiso doesn’t think Howard County has straight lines. Rather, the farmland showcases the county’s curves, while the aqueducts and the Chrysalis amphitheater at Merriweather Park both boast arches. She incorporated these characteristics into her design entry for a new county flag.

True confession: this wasn’t my favorite of the designs submitted. Still, after reading Nocera’s article, I liked it a whole lot better. It’s growing on me. 

You probably know what comes next:

Let the carping and mockery commence. And, believe me, it has. People don’t like change. Some people especially don’t like change if it comes during a Democratic administration. And some people just enjoy making fun of things. This is not a crime. I am not inclined to make fun of it but still I found this comment somewhat amusing:

It’s not unattractive necessarily just seems like it belongs on a midwestern credit union’s Visa debit card, odd as a flag.

If I were to be uncharitable I might suggest that the new flag is a perfect embodiment of a popular sentiment: Howard County: No New Housing. 

Choosing a new flag is complicated and the Howard County Flag Commission has worked extremely hard to make this an open, engaging, and thorough process. 

Despite their diligent efforts we still have plaintive cries of: “What was wrong with the old flag?”

This is the old flag. In case you did not know, it features the Crossland banner which was flown by Maryland confederate regiments during the Civil War. Once you know that, I don’t see how it can be acceptable. 



Do we want to perpetuate a flag which honors the the Confederacy? Is that what we stand for? Is that what Howard County is all about?

I think most residents would say they don’t honor the Confederacy yet, at the same time, they wouldn’t find this symbolism objectionable. It’s not a dealbreaker for them. It’s rather like watching an entire television show and not noticing that everyone is white.

Howard County: the Confederacy is not a dealbreaker. Just don’t bring it up. 

Before I go, I want to share the following description of the old flag from a poster on Bluesky:

This flag commemorates two important events in the history of Howard county, Maryland: The Purchasing of the Dress with Fuzzy Shoulders, and the Forcing of the Christmas Tree Through the Golden Triangle. 

Changing it erases our shared history and is the act of a tyrant.

I love, love, love this tongue-in-cheek observation. I will never be able to look at the old flag without seeing the Dress with the Fuzzy Shoulders and Forcing the Christmas Tree through the Golden Triangle.

Of course, the new flag isn’t truly official until approved by the County Council. If they don’t approve it, I think they should be required to design a better one. And then listen to all the armchair critics. 


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