In one city, the council refused to fly the thin-blue-line flag in honor of a fallen police officer killed on duty. A councilman gave a sorry excuse saying how the flag was divisive and represented racism to those in Black Lives Matter. Yet, the Pride flag in the city remained and flew at half-mast as if there was no divisiveness in that flag. How did those actions console a devastated police department and how deep did the city council jab a stick in the eye of the officer’s grieving widow? Thankfully, Frank Siller of Tunnel to Towers compassionately stepped up and pledged to take care of the mortgage on the home of the slain officer’s family.

In another city, the mayor has the city fly only the flags which all can unite under. Those flags include the American, state, veterans’ and POW/MIA flags at the city plaza.

The first city is Wethersfield, Conn., and the other is Jamestown, N.Y.

The pride flag fails as a flag of unity unlike the flags of America, our state and veterans which unite us all. The pride flag represents identity politics and such politics fracture and divide people. If you cannot unite under the American flag as citizens of this nation being blessed by those who served in the military for our protection, then what are you doing here?

Sadly even Biden’s Pentagon goes all in for Pride month. Why does he insist on inserting morale-deflating divisiveness into the military struggling to meet recruitment goals?

Fliers and social media posts of Pride festivities showcased drag shows taking center stage. Besides making a mockery of women, why is it necessary for children to see men in women’s clothing with faces overdone in gaudy make-up and flaunting inflated fake female body parts?

Lewdness aside, this isn’t just about the divisiveness of identity politics pushed by Pride. The undeniable religious component in pride creates a massive mixed message. On the one hand, you will see a pride-loving man show off a t-shirt saying, “NOT YOUR DAY JESUS,” also depicting Satan owning the rainbow. On the other hand, you will see liberal clergymen wearing clerical garb parading with Pride.

Pride’s rainbow boasts the pride of man, but God’s rainbow brilliantly exhibits his mercy to man.

You will see a pride flag with a cross on it and you will see a similar flag with a satanic figure on it. No harmony exists between God and Satan, but the Pride movement claims otherwise. Spiritual confusion can hardly get worse than that and the author of it isn’t God.

The confusion rolled into our area. Along with the drag queen shows and activities highlighted by Jamestown Pride, two churches made the Pride event list. Their Sunday morning worship services celebrated Pride, not the exalted name of Christ who suffered on the cross for all our sin.

Still, a remnant of people prayed peacefully and humbly walking the streets of Jamestown praying not with a Pride flag, but a flag of burlap representing a sackcloth symbolic of humility and repentance. Which flag represents you?

The Rev. Mel McGinnis is a Frewsburg resident.