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WEST JORDAN — West Jordan officials say they are "very disappointed" after a Confederate flag was included in the salute at a city-sponsored demolition derby on Saturday night.
The controversial flag was flying from the back of a truck also carrying two American flags and a Gadsden flag — a common Tea Party symbol — when the audience was asked to stand for a salute.
Daniel Argueta, a West Jordan resident who brought his five children to the event, said he has "no problem standing up for our flag and the men and women in uniform. We support them 100 percent."
"But to ask us to stand and have the Confederate flag there, that was kind of insulting," he said.
"You don't expect to be asked to rise and salute the flag when the Confederate flag is in the same spot as the U.S. flag,” Argueta said. “You don't get asked that, especially by an event where the city sponsors it."
The city has sponsored the annual demolition derby — a popular event that often sells out the 4,500-seat West Jordan Arena — for several years without issues, said West Jordan spokeswoman Kim Wells.
The city contracts with a company called Stirrin' Dirt Racing to organize the event.
"From a city's perspective, we're very disappointed," Wells said. "We didn't know that was a part of the show."
Calling the appearance of the Confederate flag “in very poor taste,” Wells offered an apology to spectators.
“We’re very surprised and we apologize,” she said. “We certainly didn’t mean to make people feel uncomfortable.”
Jim Simko, one of the owners of Stirrin' Dirt Racing, said the driver of the truck — a “helper” with the company — added the Confederate flag to the back of his truck without alerting organizers.
"When he pulled out, we looked at the back of the truck and there were two American flags, a military flag of some sort and a Confederate flag," Simko said. "At that point, it was too late. It was already in the arena. Next thing we know we got a phone call saying somebody got offended by the flag."
Simko said the company asked the driver to remove the flag.
"I honestly think that this is blown way out of proportion," he said.
"It wasn't politically correct, I'm sure, for some people. But there's some people who look at that flag and say this is the land of the free."
"It shouldn't have happened, but I can't, unfortunately, watch what everybody does at every minute," Simko added.
Simko offered to have the driver apologize to attendees who were offended and said he, as the owner, would apologize as well. Simko also offered free tickets to the next show to spectators who were offended.
"We're not here to offend, we're here to entertain," Simko said.
Argueta said the problem is deeper than one event and that he wishes city officials and the demolition derby company had been more careful.
He contends that the flag was flying on the back of the truck for about an hour before the salute was called and said that the truck was driven around the arena as well.
"It wasn't until we were leaving and we actually said something to one of the representatives here that they actually took the flag down," Argueta said.
He and his family decided not to stand for the salute.
"What's awkward is our kids understood what it meant," Argueta said. "My son asked me, 'Dad, are we really going to stand with the Confederate flag there?' And as a father, it's a hard decision, especially in the spur of the moment, but the right thing to do was protest."
Asked whether West Jordan would continue contracting with Stirrin’ Dirt for future events, Wells said the city will "be having a conversation with them to determine why this happened and who decided that it was an appropriate part of a city event."
