On June 18th, 2020 Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther announced that the Christopher Columbus statue on the south side of City Hall would be removed and replaced as soon as possible. In light of this event, I have proposed a new design that reflects the history, community, and symbolic importance of Columbus and Ohio. 

CURRENT FLAG

The current flag of Columbus breaks most rules of basic flag design. The seal in the middle displays a crowded design - on which you'll find two American flags, an eagle, and a ship depicting the Mayflower that Christopher Columbus sailed on. If we've agreed on removing the statue of Columbus, it would make sense to remove his ship from the flag as well. Furthermore, the words "Columbus, Ohio" on the flag shouldn't be there from a design perspective. Lettering on flags takes away from the purpose of symbolizing a community without words. A combination of all of these things not only arises questionable choices (controversial historical figure, religious symbol, etc.), but also is just an eye sore to look at. 

THE RE-DESIGN

The Re-Design of the flag shows clean, geometric symbolism that showcases the history of Columbus, along with representing the community in a way which words are not needed. The 8-point star represents that Columbus is the capital and located in the heart of Ohio. It also shows that the Columbus Metropolitan Area is comprised of a wide array of communities in all cardinal directions. The yellow ring around the 8-point star represents Columbus’ diverse and colorful community that not only unifies the city but makes it the special place it is. The red and white arrows represent the United States of America and serve as a symbol of forward progression and a reminder that we must constantly continue to grow in and with our community. The horizontal blue line traveling through the flag represents the infamous Scioto River that travels all throughout Columbus and central Ohio. Finally, there are a total of 17 stars on this flag, as Ohio was the 17th state admitted into the Union in 1803.

PROPOSAL

I request that the City of Columbus, its Mayor and City Council retire the current city flag and replace it with this new design. As Columbus progresses towards social equality, this would be a great way to symbolize a start of a new era. Please join me in adding signatures to this petition.