FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Tuesday, Franklin's Board of Mayor and Aldermen will revisit a controversial flag ordinance and consider several amendments.

Tuesday evening, Franklin's Board of Mayor and Aldermen will revisit a controversial flag ordinance and consider several amendments.  

News 2 first introduced you to Duane Charlton, a man cited for having more than three flags in his yard, last year. The BOMA will discuss several possible amendments to the ordinance during their Tuesday work session.

“He's always stood up for the military and the United States and for what he believes is right — and for that to inspire change, that's great,” Duane’s son Ryan Charlton told News 2. 

The board will consider several amendments, including allowing more flags during certain holidays and removing the limit for stick flags. This comes after Franklin resident Kimberly Manion reached out to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression for help attempting to change the ordinance.  

"My father fought in Vietnam and I'm very proud of him, so it means a lot to me," Manion said. "It's freedom. It's justice. It's unity. It's our shared values. It's all very important, and I should be able to express that on my lawn."

FIRE attorneys have been in touch with Franklin officials and are glad to see discussion, however they still have concerns — even with the proposed changes. 

"If you're saying, 'Only on July 4th, Memorial Day, Veterans Day can you have flags up,' Or something, as opposed to other days ... An Irish flag on St. Patrick's Day for instance, that wouldn't be allowed, that's going to be still content-discriminatory in a way that would be at least problematic under the Constitution,” Brennen VanderVeen, Program Counsel, Public Advocacy for FIRE, told News 2. 

According to Franklin's planning department, the flag limit aims to avoid visual clutter and protect property values. 

“The current law — the way that it is written — is supporting aesthetic moralism, which would mean that they're choosing one aesthetic over the other,” Manion said. “We should allow people to express themselves freely and choose what they want — freedom of choice of what they want to put in their yards.”

Both Manion and Charlton would like to see the policy scrapped altogether. 

“Why are we fighting amongst ourselves with flags because people are patriots when we could be putting our taxpayer dollars to better use towards helping the less fortunate in this county and city?" Charlton asked.

Tuesday night’s BOMA work session will begin at 5 p.m. 

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/franklin-flag-ordinance-revisit/