In response to the brutal home invasion murders of six Mexican workers in Georgia, the mayor of Tifton, Georgia, Paul Johnson decided to honor their memory by flying the Mexican flag at the town hall. That wasn’t a good idea, according to some citizens of Tifton:

Johnson didn’t expect to be criticized for flying a Mexican flag. But a local radio station received seven back-to-back callers Thursday morning who said the U.S. and Mexican flags should not fly together.

But Mayor Johnson doesn’t care. Mayor Johnson feels pain for the victims and plans to continue honoring them regardless of the backlash:

Mexico’s red, white and green flag flew beneath the U.S. and Georgia flags from Monday until noon Thursday, when Tropical Storm Tammy’s gusts damaged the banner.

the mayor has requested a new one and he intends to fly the flag for six full days — one day for each slain man.

Only then was the tattered flag, which was donated by the Colombian-born priest of Tifton’s only Catholic church, lowered, but

Johnson said he considers immigrants “very much a part of this community. I don’t see them as taking jobs away. I see them as doing a very important job.”

Three people have since been charged for the murders.

Via / AccessNorthGa.com