Christian flag controversy engulfs small Georgia town
A traditional Christian flag flying over Cochran will come down Friday, after city officials bowed last week to threats of legal action and concerns over its impact on the city’s “fiscal resources.”
The controversy began early last month, when the Cochran City Council voted against the advice of its attorney to fly the flag at city hall to help promote a local Bible-reading marathon sponsored by the International Bible Reading Association.
While city officials have said local residents supported the decision, national groups including the D.C.-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State said they have received several complaints over the matter. The group recently sent letters to both the city and Bleckley County — which has flown the flag in the past — declaring that flying the Christian flag on public property violates the First Amendment....
