Some neighbors upset over Wilson man's F-word flag

The home sits on a busy stretch of Forest Hill Road, and passersby can clearly read "F*** Biden" on the flag most days.

​"I think putting a flag like that up is not appropriate for all eyes to see," one neighbor, who didn't want to be identified, said Tuesday. "Yes, it is his privilege to do that, but I wonder if he realizes – and he must – the audience that he has every day."

The flag has sparked debate online, with some saying children read and see far worse on social media. The neighbor who spoke to WRAL News said parents can filter what children can see on the internet, but they can’t filter what they see on a major road.

"I would ask that he take into consideration the children and the parents that have to explain 'What does that flag mean?' and 'What does that word mean,'" she said.

Public records list the homeowner as Hans Ellefson, who neighbors say is a former law enforcement officer and veteran.

WRAL News tried to talk to Ellefson, but he asked that a reporter leave his property.

Forest Hills Road is not a part of neighborhood with a homeowners association.

"We are aware of the flag in question and have received some complaints about it," Wilson officials said in a statement. "There is not a North Carolina General Statute or a city ordinance that allows us to take any action in this case. The city shares the concerns voiced by citizens, but our response is limited by federal and state law."

Brooks Fuller, an instructor at Elon University and director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition, said the city's position is limited by a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case involving a Vietnam War protester charged with disorderly conduct for wearing a jacket with the F-word.

"The Supreme Court said one man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric, and that’s protected First Amendment expression," Fuller said.

The ruling is meant to protect citizens from having political speech controlled by the government, he added.

"The whole rationale behind it is that we don’t want government officials being able to pick and choose what sorts of sentiments are appropriate for public consumption because that gives the government a whole lot of power over our individual ideas and expression," he said.