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12 <br /> <br />Board to table this issue, and said Orange County has gotten along fine without this ordinance. 1 <br />He said limiting free speech could cause many more flags to be flown around Orange County in 2 <br />protest. 3 <br />Heather Redding said landownership does not bestow unlimited rights. She said the 2nd 4 <br />amendment does not extend to children or those with criminal records, and one’s right to vote 5 <br />can be taken away. She said the right to free speech is not unlimited in scope. She said the 6 <br />current UDO already limits what can be done on one’s property in regards to signage, and has 7 <br />for years, without complaint or threats of lawsuits. She asked the Board of County 8 <br />Commissioners to approve the proposed amendment. 9 <br />Nan Fulcher said she is from Orange County, and she supports the text amendment. 10 <br />She said the regulation addresses the messages that are on display in the community. She 11 <br />said all messages affect us, regardless of where they are or what they say. She said Orange 12 <br />County has carefully regulated signage over the years, which has resulted in the area being 13 <br />less burdened by the blight of unrestricted, in your face signage that many communities have 14 <br />suffered. She said regulation is balanced by the needs of the economy, the government and 15 <br />the people. She said free speech is not an unconditional right, and this proposed amendment 16 <br />only limits flag size, not content or nature. 17 <br />L.A. Elvin said the dimensions of the property on which he lives will preclude him from 18 <br />flying his flag. He said he spent a few hundred dollars to erect his flagpole, and flies the 19 <br />National colors and the Marine Corps flag. He said he is confused after hearing this evening’s 20 <br />presentation, and does not know if he can continue to fly his flag or not. 21 <br />John Roberts said one of the recommendations is to reduce the setback from 50 feet to 22 <br />20 feet for smaller lots. 23 <br />Commissioner Rich told Mr. Elvin that the County will work with him to solve this issue. 24 <br />Olivia Strong (Ms. Redding read a statement on behalf of Olivia Strong): The 25 <br />Confederate flag on 70 is affecting the community and families. It’s not right to see such large 26 <br />symbols. Large symbols affect the children. 27 <br />Ashley Campbell said she is a Hillsborough resident, and noted that there is an FAQ 28 <br />about this topic on the County website, as if the ordinance has already been approved. She 29 <br />said she agreed with some of the other comments that the progressive communities are trying 30 <br />to destroy the public commemoration of the Confederacy. She said it is clear to all that this 31 <br />ordinance was introduced to limit a particular flag because it is intimidating. She said the 32 <br />Confederate flag is intimidating, and has a terrible legacy behind it, but as a conservative that 33 <br />lives in Orange County, she was intimidated by the letter from Orange County that was sent out 34 <br />after President Trump was elected, implying that conservatives were not welcome in Orange 35 <br />County. She said she could have been intimidated at a Human Relations Commission (HRC) 36 <br />event last summer about the flag issue in the schools. She said the HRC meeting that took 37 <br />place a couple of weeks ago was not well promoted, and it became a progressive activists rally. 38 <br />She reminded the BOCC that its job as elected officials is to protect everyone’s rights. 39 <br />Dylan Mole said he is a UNC student, and supports the proposed text amendment. He 40 <br />said the rebel flags are dangerous distractions to drivers, and massive symbols of white 41 <br />supremacy that have no place in an inclusive community. He said the most prominent party 42 <br />that opposes the regulation of flag sizes is ACTBAC NC, and this organization is responsible for 43 <br />putting the rebel flags in their current location. He said ACTBAC is a Southern Poverty Law 44 <br />Center designated hate group, and its sole purpose is to perpetuate the lost cause mythology of 45 <br />neo-confederate culture, and intimidate people of color. He said these massive flags do just 46 <br />that. 47 <br />Katherine Walker said she was born and bred in Orange County, and her roots run 48 <br />deep. She said she and her family are Americans, and she fully supports the adoption of the 49 <br />ordinance text amendment. She said it clarifies rules, is content neutral, and there is no rational 50