I write this letter as someone who has known Paul Swenson and the Swenson family, owners of Colonial Flag in Sandy, for the past 16 years of my life. Anyone who has met Paul Swenson can entirely reject any allegations of ties to white supremacy and racism.
As a woman of color born and raised in Draper, I have never been looked at nor treated differently by the Swensons in any interaction.
When those who do not know him write about his well-known conservative stances, and quote him on the term “losers,” it pains me to think they cannot put their biases aside to realize what he calls “losers” are his equivalent to what we now refer to as “haters.” Or that they have never seen his firework shows proudly celebrating a new year or our country’s independence.
The Betsy Ross flag was America’s first sign of unity and the Union. It was our first true independent symbol from England and as a new nation.
If anyone has seen Mr. Swenson’s posts, or his son’s, they would realize how they think the outrage over flying the flag is ludicrous, hence their decision to sell the Betsy Ross flag.
Never mind that Swenson pulled the Confederate flags (flags that, mind you, I would see on trucks from high school classmates in the parking lot) from his store years before any of this occurred.
Do I always agree with Paul? As a more liberal young adult, there are many political views in which we do not see eye to eye, but that has never made us care for one another any less.
I might question his views here and there, as I question conservative views as well as extreme liberal views of others around me, but the things I could never question of Paul Swenson is his love for this country, his pride in serving and protecting America, and the fact that how Paul treats you has nothing to do with your skin color or your background.
Alexsys Campbell, Draper