re: Minnesota considering changing state flag

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a bit of a stretch

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As the image in the OP readily indicates, the only “stretch” at play here is the suggestion that the new flag design does not borrow heavily from the Juba Valley state flag in Somalia. Yet the following report from the Alden media conglomerate — one of the largest owners of newspapers in the United States — makes no mention of the similarities to that Somalian flag and the obvious design inspiration the Somalian flag provided for the new Minnesota flag.

This piece is a perfect example of how “fake news” does not necessarily have to contain erroneous information: the “abstract” symbolism described in this news item was without doubt retrofitted after the fact to justify the design inspiration for the new Minnesota state flag. Yet it is fake news nonetheless through the sin of omission because it deliberately fails to mention that the new flag design was obviously inspired by the Somali state flag.



Commission selects a final concept for the redesigned Minnesota state flag….



….it’s a flag with white, green and light blue horizontal stripes and a navy blue section on the left that mimics the shape of Minnesota. In that section is an eight-point white star meant to symbolize the state’s motto “Star of the North” as well as unity in a diverse land.

The white stripe symbolizes snow, the green stripe represents nature and agriculture, and the light blue stripe represents the state’s waters — from its more than 10,000 lakes to the Mississippi River. Prekker says the “swallow tail” design is unique among flags of the world, and that he wanted to keep it as simple as possible.