A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
Can someone tell me if the following pictures are ugly, unpatriotic or “obstructive”?
Cpl M adds: I hope Patriot doesn’t mind, but there is something I would like to add in light of a comment or two. To truly understand the question posed as the title of the post, you need to do your homework. It is a quick and easy read. Are you done reading it? Good.
Major arguments from HOAs have one common root. Surprisingly, it isn’t the flag pole, but the flag it self. I do not understand why a lot of HOA board members do not want flags flying in the neighborhood, but I have a feeling it stems from some feeling of of “injustice” perpetrated by the government or one of its agencies. There is no telling if there was actually an injustice or the board member is just bitter at nothing in particular.
For my Canadian friends ;o)
(47) Readers Comments
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![[UPDATE] The “Face” of Military Dating Scams – The Wall of Shame](http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/themes/LondonLive/thumb.php?src=http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2.jpg&w=53&h=41&zc=1&q=100)
Military Dating Scams (More Nigerian Scammers)
LOL imagine that this scammer actually said if you dont know anything
[UPDATE] The "Face" of Military Dating Scams - The Wall of Shame
@ anonn this one was easy to figure out this liar basically tell where
[UPDATE] The "Face" of Military Dating Scams - The Wall of Shame
@ anonn still not sure why you are using my username but anywho great
Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
i would love to see what pics he has sent you.....he has started email
Cpl M
I’m sure they would be if you asked the ACLU.
Chris Rhodes
Will you guys get a clue? Nobody, and I mean nobody objects to the sight of a flag on a pole, if they even notice, which is unlikely.
What drives people NUTS is you BS artists who think its all about the flag.
A flagpole is typically a hollow metal pole. The rope used to hoist the flag often has metal clips and hooks to hold the flag. So guess what Einstiens, when the wind blows the hooks make a constant ding ding ding against the pole all night long. And it is incredibly rude to subject your neighbors to that annoying noise. And then you pretend that it’s the sight of the flag they object to, not the noise. You guys are so full of crap.
—Chris Rhodes, Normal IL
Flag Gazer
Those of us who are smart have flagpoles that telescope and they don’t make noise, so that objection is mute.
I do know someone who had a telescoping pole who ran into CCR restrictions because of the FLAG!
So, Chris, you may have your CRAP back.
Patriot
Where’s Idiot_Basher when you need him? Cuckoo!! While I appreciate the ode my intelligence with the Einstein reference, I can find a lot of things more rude that the nonexistent “ding ding ding” of a flagpole (dogs, music, windchimes, late night sprinklers, and escaped monkeys to name some). Funny, how I’ve NEVER seemed to notice the sounds you speak of on my neighbors’ flagpoles. Perhaps you could come here to Maryland and tell them what they’re doing wrong.
As Flag Gazer (Gosh, I love that name) mentioned, most people have telescoping flags to begin with. Those that don’t that I’ve seen use rubber hooks and rings.
Let’s face it, it’s about the flag. These people aren’t flying super gigantic car dealer flags over their homes. They are raising the Red White and Green of most Islamic nations, though that would probably go over better in the eyes.
Finally, let’s talk about rude, shall we? Is it possible for you come in here and actually respect someone’s “perspective” without resorting to words like “BS artist”, “Einsteins” (again, much appreciated), “full of crap”, etc? Or is being nice not the “normal” thing to do over there in Illinois?
brat
THIS Canadian friend appreciates the pics….ALL of them….and ummmmm the insulting person? I often find that people who need to resort to rude and ignorant hyperbole, don’t reallt have anything to say worth considering….. If that’s “Normal”, who needs ya? Just my 2 cents (Canadian)…;)
Misplaced Texan
So since that is Canadian 2 cents…should you have said “Just my 4 cents?” That way it would be 2 cents in American money! HA HA! I’m just kidding around with you!
Funny how simple things like “To have a pole or not to have a pole” really strikes some people’s nerves. I am all for people flying their flags. I wish I had a flag pole to put up in my front lawn but I think that it’s against Army regulation to do so. So I have my flag mounted on the beam of my house and proudly fly the American colors (I need to be me a Texas flag to fly those too).
But what I am talking about are those who come in here all puffed up and start spitting off insults to something so simple. So this is what I am going to do. I am going to redo “Normal” man’s post in a polite way that everyone can say, “Well that is just HIS perspective. I am glad he didn’t do this with insulting words against MY perspective.” Ahem…
“Will you guys help me get a clue? Nobody, and I mean nobody objects to the sight of a flag on a pole, if they even notice, which is unlikely, except for me. I despise the American flag and all she stands for. Which is why next week I have a flight to some isolated island in the Pacific where I can burn flags all day long.”
“What drives people NUTS is people who think its all about the flag. I say down with the flag folks! A flagpole is typically a hollow metal pole. The rope used to hoist the flag often has metal clips and hooks to hold the flag. It haunts my dreams! I must do as the voices tell me and either chop down all flagpoles or move to that island in the middle of nowhere.”
“So guess what Einstiens (and I so mean that is the best intentions because I really do think you all are Einsteins with all your creative writing and such…you ought to enter it into some sort of contest…really! I’d root for you), when the wind blows the hooks make a constant ding ding ding against the pole all night long. And it is incredibly rude to subject me to that noise because I’ll start to cry like a baby and will end up wetting myself. Then I’d have to rub my nose in my own pee to teach me not to do that again. Then out of nowhere will I whack myself with a rolled up newspaper for peeing. Oh man, I need to make sure I lay newspapers down at night so I pee on that instead of my bed or carpet. It’s not the flag people object to (unless you are me) but the flagpole (which I SOOO hate). I object to them all! I am so full of crap. Oh man, where is that newspaper! I really am full of crap!”
Hope that helps out a bit, folks!
Emily
Well, i’ll just say that i have the most beautiful flagpole while people go and take the time to wipe the pee off their noses, apparently.
Gotta love a Texan.
Chad
By Chris Rhodes own thinking, no one should be allowed to have a dog because they bark and make “annoying noises”. So, I call for the public banning and genocide of all dogs whether they bark or not!!!!
Hey Chris, not all flag poles use those metal clips that make those horribly loud noises you claim!! Mine don’t!! I use a special Boy Scout knot they taught me when I was 13. I would share the knot with you but I promised the Boy Scouts if I shared my secret “noise-less flagpole tying knot” I would have to kill myself (or they would come and kill me).
By the way, don’t forget to pay your Canadian taxes on your 2 cents to pay for socialized medicine.
Man, I am on fire.
brat
hahahaha…ummmm what’s the taxes on 4 cents???? Probably 3..gotta pay for the socialised medicine ya know…….oh and the 2010 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOlympics which now costs NOT $600m but – wait for it – $2.5BILLION and climbing….is that a surprise or what
maybe I needs to find me a flag pole to climb up on? If this darn dog would just stop barking…BIG question of the day: When a Canadian dog barks (with German lineage I might add!) would that be as annoying as an American dog barking? They DO sound different, don’t they? I could send Mr Rhodes (aka “Normal” to pals!) a pair of Canadian made ear plugs.Hockey pucks anyone?
Okay thats enuff ‘noise’ for now. Back to the coffee vat.*splaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay*
Misplaced Texan
Brat – They DO sound differently. American dogs say, “Bark.” Canadian dogs say, “Bark, eh.” LOL!
Anna
My goodness, such a collection of comments here, Patriot!
Personally, I find all the pictures beautiful! I have a small flag hanging in the front window and one outside on a wooden pole. And, you know, if my neighbors had a flagpole and it had metal clips, I wouldn’t care…it’s the sweet sound of freedom!
Chad
I think Canadian dogs say “Bark, you poser!!”
Emily
Ok, how about this?
If an American flagpole makes those annoying little ding ding ding ding in the forest and no one was there to hear it, would it REALLY make a noise and would they still be considered annoying? Would the same answer hold if the flag was Canadian? Would it matter if it were in a Canadian forest as opposed to an American forest? The possibilities are limitless.
Laurie
That ding ding ding of the metal flag pole doesn’t bother me one bit. It’s like the sound of freedom. We have an old metal flagpole, and nobody has ever complained about the flag or the sound.
Kat in GA: A Soldiers' Angel
Personally, I LIKE the “ding, ding” sound of a flagpole.
Kinda like a patriotic windchime. 
Dan in Afghanistan
Is the “ding ding”of the flag pole all they got to gripe about? try listening to the muslim call to prayer every morning a 4am! or the daily controlled detonations of landmines found on the base around 5am!
brat
Misplaced Texan…thank you for setting me right on that one….hehehe…guess I better listen more closely to the bratdog (eh!)?
As for the Canadian and American forests? Well, as far as the recent news reports, Canadian forests ARE more American than ever now – or so I hear!!! But then, who believes the main stream media these days???????
Dan in Afghanistan? I’m with you on that one – siiiiiiiiiigh.. never ceases to amaze me how unconnected to reality some people are, how small-minded. And yep. I have been on the phone to Afghanistan and heard some of the noises there. I just KNOW most of you would LOVE to just have the ding ding ding of the flag poles to gripe about……thank YOU for all that you do, and for giving us a reality check.
Misplaced BritBrat and Kat’s synchro flying partner. *swooooooooosh*
American in Canada
Personally, I miss the “ding, ding, ding” of the flag waving on a pole. The Canadian flags don’t hook to the flag poles the same way. And I really miss seeing Old Glory waving in the breeze.
Chris Rhodes
I am sticking to my story on this one. No one I have ever heard of objects to the flag, but you guys are enough to make someone start having second thoughts about it.
Again nobody, but nobody objects to the flag. Here in Normal there is a local realtor who buys thousands of flags on little wooden stakes and every memorial day hires kids to go around sticking them in peoples lawns, without even asking the homeowners. And nobody, and I mean nobody, ever says a word about it. Nobody has a problem with it. We even go around sticking the stakes back in when they fall over.
So the point is, when you say people object to the display of the flag, I know that YOU ARE MAKING THAT UP. It simply does not happen. I refuse to believe it happens. I know it does not happen! Guess what guys, nobody cares! Display all the American flags you want, most people don’t even notice, and nobody is offended if they do.
And if you feel insulted by my comments, it’s because you know you are not being truthful! You are making an issue where one doesn’t exist.
And as for the metal poles making noise, that’s the issue, and they are a nuisance just like barking dogs, and homeowners associations deal with barking dogs also.
If you are smart enough to get telescoping poles and rubber fittings, then you know you don’t get any complaints. You know you don’t get any complaints about the display of the flag!
Now if you leave it out in the rain, and let it get all tattered, sometimes people wonder about that.
If you are active in local govt. or homeowners associations you would know what the deal is.
It’s not the display of the flag, it’s the proper display of the flag in a curteous manner that is the issue. And to imply otherwise is dishonest, and that’s what bothers me.
Chris Rhodes
I simply refuse to believe anyone objects to the proper display of the flag. I simply can not believe you are telling me the truth on this.
You must have some other agenda.
Misplaced Texan
Breathe, “Normal”, breathe!
The point is, some people want to errect QUIET poles to display their flags and they get rejected. Wasn’t there a story about a lady who put up some sort of flag on a pole that mounted to her beam and got in trouble? I have to look it up, so I MAY be wrong on that one.
You talk about us getting all bent out of shape about the flag but it seems as if it’s YOU who is getting all bent out of shape about US saying how we disagree about the whole situation, “Normal.”
No one seems to have as big of a problem as you do, “Normal.” Last I remembered, this is a free country and if we want to voice our opinions, then so be it. If they get turned down, that is the right of whomever turns it down. But you coming in here and being rude because we express what we find is unpatriotic…I can’t even think of the word. We don’t mind people NOT having the same feeling as us, but you could try it with a little respect. No one came on here and started bad mouthing YOU until after YOU came in here and bad mouthed us.
In all honesty, you could have said this, “Hey guys, it’s my understanding that it’s the flagpoles that are being rejected and not the flags. Have you checked into them being able to display the flag on a post that is mounted to their home? Some people feel that the flagpoles make too much noise especially if they use metal loops and chains.” My goodness, “Normal,” that would have been much more polite and no one would have argued with you about it! We may all have sat back and said, “You know MAYBE just MAYBE “Normal” has a point.” But when you come in and attack as the first thing you say, of course people are going to be on the defensive.
It has nothing to do with us making things up! If I walked up to you and said, “Hey “Normal” I hear that you wet yourself when you hear the ding ding ding of flagpoles…” I am sure that you would get defensive as well! Grow up “Normal” and make your comments politely. Not everyone in here agrees with everything the authors write about, but at least they have the respect to be respectful to others. Didn’t you mama ever teach you to play nice? Or maybe in Normal, IL, the NORMAL thing to do is to automatically attack others verbally. I have a NORMAL suggestion, if you don’t like what you read and can’t respond nicely or at least respectfully, then don’t read what is in here.
Misplaced Texan
Ok, so some of the things I wrote I KNOW what I was thinking about in my head, but it didn’t come out NORMAL on here…LOL! But I am sure all y’all got my point (hopefully)!
Yes “Normal” we have another agenda. It’s to fool YOU into thinking that people reject the flag! If you think no one rejects the flag, you are in for a rude awakening! Wake up, “Normal”, and watch the news. Yes, there are people who are AMERICANS who do NOT respect the flag! But don’t you dare tell me or those who are in here that we do not. You may find yourself in a not-so-NORMAL situation!
Chris Rhodes
I just find it so absurd that anyone would object to the proper display of the flag that it is impossible to believe. Okay, almost impossible. I guess anythings possible, but you got to admit, that objecting to the proper display of the flag is waaaaaay out there. So maybe I overeacted. But you must admit, it’s hard to believe.
Cpl M
Well said, Texan.
Miriam
Hey, Dan in Afghanistan, have you been through Eid-ur-Fitr yet? (End of month of Ramadan. Not sure when Ramadan is this year. I’d have to check.) Do they do the “indoctrination by sleep depravation” or it could be described as the 72 hour round-the-clock sing-along there?
My parents actually taped it one time when they couldn’t sleep. As for me, I learned to sleep through it, so if any one should happen to try sleep depravation by loud noises with me, they will be in for a surprise.
brat
Misplaced Tex…just one question for YOU: WHAT is ‘normal’? define then maybe we can continue the debate. Is a flag that ding ding ding dings oh I dunno – 20 times a minute ‘normal? What is the ‘normal’ behaviour of a flag? lol……Let’s get to the nitty gritty here…
And ummmm “Mr” Normal? I am shocked to the tip of my Angel wings that you would think ‘we’ would make this stuff up. Have you not heard the expression ‘truth is stranger than fiction”? BREATHE..breathe…….
And American in Canada? I never knew the flags flew differently. Watch closely. I may just by shimmying up a flag pole near you to check this out…..that IS normal behaviour for misplaced brits I think……rofl
And the dog barking at me from the bottom of the flag pole..Probably Canadian eh?
onearmsurfer
BTW there was a direct link to an AOL feature story on the movie “The Ground Truth” which then gave a list of popular user blogs, of which this was the first one listed. Then the first thing on this site was a question as to whether the flag was “ugly and unpatriotic”.
It seems that this blog is inviting controversy.
That could lead to some rude comments by people led to believe this is some kind of a public site about controversial subjects, which could explain some of the posts on here.
Cpl M
I found The Ground Truth’s AOL Pages (Beta) site and do see a link to ASP on there. Was that the site you were talking about, onearmsurfer?
Misplaced Texan
Brat – I guess NORMAL would be where you live. I cannot tell you what normal wind conditions are where you live. Heck, I can’t even tell you what normal wind conditions are here! LOL! Here’s a link to what Merriam-Webster defines normal as: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/normal
Now, as for Mr. Normal above – Google “American flags banned from flying” and you’ll find pages upon pages of stories. These range from a mother being banned from flying the American flag because it had the Marines emblem on it (she is now able to fly it because people voiced their opinions) to a man who was asked several times to take the flag down (never mentioned the flagpole, but only the flag), with a threat of a lien put on his property if he didn’t comply to the notice. He “won” his battle as well because he voiced his opinion. There are schools now banning the American flag because people find it offensive. It’s sad really. Most of the stories I looked up never said one thing about the flagpole…it was all about the flag. Take it as you will, Mr. Normal, but if people DON’T voice their opinions about issues such as this, then rights are being tread upon.
We are in America. I don’t care who is offended by the American flag…if you’re in America, you’re going to see the flag! If you don’t like it…MOVE! Most of the stories I mentioned above were resolved and ammended because people voiced their opinions and were heard. It was made public and there were people protesting it. How come it’s ok for people to burn the flag? To disgrace the flag? But when we argue the point of actually flying the flag and respecting the flag, we get haters?
We are free because of people who fought for those colors. We earned those colors and became our own nation. We ought to be proud of the flag and those who hate it, GET THE HELL OUT!
I used to live in Germany for about 3 years. I saw the German flag flying there. Did I make a big stink because I was offending by it? No, simply because I wasn’t offended! I was in Germany! I expect to see the German flag displayed! When I come to America, or when anyone comes to America, they ought to expect to see the American flag displayed!
I can see your point Mr. Normal (if you say it nicely) about the reservations of flagpoles being errected, because, yes, they can be noisy, especially during a wind storm. However, why can’t there be an amendment saying that they have to use those “silent” poles so no one hears the ding ding dings all night long. But read some of those stories from Google. I haven’t found one yet that mentioned flagpoles anywhere…just the flag. It is unbelievable, Mr. Normal, that we have to fight to have our flag displayed! But, believe it or not, it is an issue that is going on throughout our country. And if that makes you upset, then voice your opinion on it and let people know you feel we ought to fly our flag!
onearmsurfer
http://www.aimpages.com/thegroundtruth/profile.html
Yeah, that’s probably the same one. There was a direct link to it from an AOL main page yesterday.
BTW, check out the “today in Iraq” blog link that’s next to your link. Maybe that link was put there as a direct counterpoint to yours. Hard to tell.
onearmsurfer
Yeah, that is the one.
"normal"
Good point. When you post a very prominent link on a very highly used portal – AOL – you should expect a lot of traffic to your blog. Thats the only way I ever would have seen it.
And to answer your question, is the American Flag ugly and unpatriotic? The answer is no. It’s not. And just who in the hell ever said it was?
To invite people from all over the net and then ask them that kind if question, you should not expect courtesy. You are being irresponsible and insulting anyone who clicks on it. You are deliberately trying to incite an angry response. And it’s obviously a big audience you’re seeking, by posting that kind of a link.
Yes it is the soldiers who are fighting for this country who gave me the freedom of speech to say this. And you invite me in here to ask me if the flag is ugly?
Patriot
“normal”, perhaps you should read a little further into the site. you don’t have to go far…THE NEXT POST. You’ll see where the title of this post comes from. For the record I AM A SOLDIER!! I find it hard to believe someone loves the flag as much as I do.
Secondly, I haven’t “placed” my link anywhere. I can’t control where my links go because I don’t pay for advertising. Your message is the first I’ve heard about it being on the AOL page. Before judging me as “irresponsible” and “insulting”, how about reading a few more of my posts? Yes, I’m trying to incite an angry response. There are people in this country trying to prevent pictures like the above ones from being taken ever again.
Don’t look at everything from its face value and try to visualize what I, the author, am trying to say with these images.
Normal
Apparently I am a bit naive. Never in my life had I heard of anyone objecting to the presence of the flag based on what it represents.
I would probably be locked away in a gulag somewhere if not for the freedoms, and the military, that the flag represents.
I figured you must be exaggerating about anyone objecting to the flag.
And I have had elderly people complain to me about being kept awake at night by noisy flagpoles. Nothing worse than a cranky, sleep deprived 80 year old. Sounds ridiculous I know. But these people were WW2 era veterans/wives, and believe me, the last thing they had a problem with was the flag and what it stands for.
Miriam
Perhaps a helpful note for anyone new to this blog who is really confused by now:
If you see a star next to the post title, the blogger is an active Soldier in the US Army (except for “haystack”, he seems to be an honorary Soldier
) Cpl M is a Marine and so uses the Marine emblem. All the others haven’t posted for a while.
Just trying to be helpful.
SK
Re Chris Rhodes: You may not believe that folks are against flying the US flag but I can guarantee you are wrong. You see, I live in AZ not far from where our flag was removed from a flagpole at a public school, and replaced by the Mexican flag. The Mexican flag was then removed, thrown on the ground and lit on fire as I recall. The straight A student who did that, was formally charged and does still face court proceedings. You see, the Mexican flag was private property, and he destroyed it. (I would have provided lighter fluid and gotten arrested with him.) If you think that’s the only place around here that this has happened, guess again. People have started taking their flags down at night, even though properly lit, because they don’t want them ripped down, stolen, or vandalized. In CA and AZ this has happened MUCH more frequently than our news reflects. So please don’t try to tell me that no one objects to our flag. This situation gets worse daily as the influx of illegal aliens increases and they replace the US flag with their own.
concretebob
for the misguided and misinformed Chris Rhodes
Going to Jail for Flying “Old Glory”?
Developer considers Old Glory “Visual Nuisance”
Some people living in homeowners’ associations tend to have an unhealthy preoccupation with their neighbors and feel compelled to keep close tabs on them. Their justification for their officiousness and intrusion is to protect property values by ensuring conformity and uniformity. And so, having wrapped themselves in self righteousness, they proceed to turn these artificially uniform enclaves into mini war zones.
One such battlefield is Wyndham, an upscale development in the Richmond, Virginia suburbs. The object currently in the Wyndham association crosshairs happens to be the flagpole from which the Oultons fly an American flag, a flag meant to honor the 604 men in Richard’s battalion who were killed in action during the Viet Nam war. And because of the high casualties they sustained in combat, the battalion earned the nickname of “The Walking Dead�. The recipient of a Purple Heart and a Combat Action Ribbon, Richard was awarded a Congressional Veteran Commendation this past November for the honorable service he performed while a member of the Armed Forces.
But alas, homeowners’ associations are not known for their tolerance of patriots or flags, although the politically correct ones insist it is not the flag they object to per se, and omit any specific language relating to the flag.
Wyndham is no different.
As Richard tells it, being an attorney, he read all 250 pages of The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions prior to buying their house. Nothing he read caused him to rethink the purchase he was about to make. Nowhere in the “book of restrictions� were the words flag or flagpole to be found. “I took the CC&Rs at their word�, he said.
This outraged and upset many people, including members of the legislature who responded by unanimously voting in The Wyndham Flag Bill. This statute basically provides that no homeowners association can prohibit a homeowner from flying a flag unless they disclose it at the time of sale. Despite the fact that the new law was enacted specifically for the Wyndham flag case and was called the Wyndham Flag Law, the judge ruled that the law did not apply to the Oultons’ case. He ignored the
law. He also dismissed the Oultons’ arguments claiming their defenses “complicated the case�. And, just for good measure, Judge Harris changed his mind at the last minute and denied them a trial by a jury of their peers. With no laws to protect them, no jury to decide the facts in their case, and with none of the facts “complicating the case�, the Oultons, predictably, lost.
After their attempts to appeal to both the Virginia and United States Supreme courts failed, they found themselves back in Judge Harris’ court room. With no higher authority left to turn to, the Oultons ultimately lost their battle. Judge Harris ordered them to remove their flagpole and the flag by March 1, 2003 or to be prepared to face the consequences.
Should the “consequences� include a stay in the county jail, as Richard suspects, they’ll have to make arrangements for their two small children. With no family in the area, they face some pretty tough decisions. They also face the possibility of losing the 6 month infant they are in the process of adopting.
At the base of the flagpole is an inscribed bronze plaque that starts with a promise,� I will always fly these flags, as “I owe it to my boys�, to my “Walking Dead Marines’�. Many of the men in Richard’s battalion died in his arms, and by taking down the flag he believes he would be betraying his men and betraying the ultimate price they paid to protect our right to fly the flag.
While their fellow homeowners in Wyndham do not object to the flagpole or the flag, and have signed petitions in support of the Oultons, once the board started beating the drums of war, and the attorneys got involved, the will of the members themselves seems to matter not a whit.
CJ
Bob, that was a GREAT story. Sad, but great. Thanks for sharing that. I think everyone reading will get an idea of where we’re coming from in this “debate”. I think it’s pathetic that there is actually debate about flying our flag.
On America's Side
Reply to Normal in Illinois:
S.N.A.F.U.
kbug
I fly the American flag on a pole attached to the top of a radio tower beside our house. Beneath the American flag fly an Army flag and an Air Force flag for our two boys who are active-duty military…one currently serving in Iraq. When our windows are open at night, we listen to the ding, ding, ding of the flags flying proudly over our house and it’s like a lullaby. There’s no way in hell that I’d ever take those flags down…..
Normal
Unfortunately I had an elderly relative for whom the ding noise was not a lullaby. She never objected to the flags, the poor old broad just wanted to get some sleep. Hard to know what her late husband, a WW2 combat vet would have said about it.
Cpl M
I really find it hard to believe that the ding would have kept her from sleeping. What I really thing is you’re just trying to stir up trouble.
sue
Bob thanks so much for sharing that incredibly moving story, and providing those who simply don’t get it, with some basis for understanding the issue.
To SK, my God, if that was an American Flag that had been taken down and burned, we all know that the ACLU would have been there screaming about the burners rights to have done so, and there would be no consequence. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!!!!
I was sooo heartened the other day when I was driving through my town, where there is a new site being developed. The land had been cleared and a driveway curb had been cut, and I had wondered what was going to be built there as there is usually a sign stating “Coming soon.” and there wasn’t one this time. Today as I went past there, in the middle of the clearing that had been made, was a large cobblestone square, and a very large flagpole with our Flag so proudly waving in the breeze. It brought tears to my eyes as I know what it means to my guys, and men like CJ, Cpl M, and Patriot who give so much so that that very beautiful flag may wave so freely in the breeze.
To Chris Rhodes, buddy you need a reality check. Our flag, our nation, our way of life are all under attack and by denying it, you are part of the problem and you are perpetuating what is so wrong with the prevailing liberal left leaning garbage being spewed by the ACLU and their ilk. Please, go do some research and you will see what is really going on here. If you back track a few pages here I’m sure that you can find the post that I believe was done by Patriot about the removal of the American Flag to fly the Mexican Flag with the American Flag then hoisted upside down as a captured nation, in distress. THAT my friend is the reality of the situation.
And to “Normal”, my suggestion to you is to close the window and buy a small fan for the cranky butt!! The static noise of the fan will drown out the ding ding ding and allow her to sleep. I happen to be with the others here who love that noise and think it a symbol of our freedom. I also happen to love standing under our Flag when it is a beautiful sunny day, with a good stiff breeze blowing and watching it wave so proudly, and hearing that crisp “SNAP” sound it makes as the wind whips it to attention. Kind of like a Soldier in full dress when he clicks those heels and snaps to attention. That Flag waves proudly today to honor the spilled blood of all our fathers, grandfathers, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters, who have given all they could possibly give for us. We should honor them always, and make sure that our Flag is assured its rightful place at the top of every Flagpole in America.
sue
Cpl M, if that caveat had anything to do with my post, let me give my answer to the question posed by Patriot. NO NO NO NO There is nothing ugly or unpatriotic about those pictures. Just for the record, in my humble opinion.
Lauren
Some might take this a little off topic here but I can’t believe there are people out there who have issues with the noise that clips make against the flag pole. Some people need to get their priorities straight.
I had the honor today to ride with the PGR to a funeral for a 21 year old Marine who was killed in Iraq. He was there 7 days. As long as Soldiers and Marines are fighting and fought for our freedoms the flag will be hung from any and all flag poles.
I agree with Sue, either shut the windows and put a fan on or sleep with cotton in your ears.
RIP PFC VMF
Paul
Out of all the rights every person is entitled to, I don’t think the right to making your neighbors live the way you want to them is one of them, and I find the concept of HOA’s quite disturbing.
When the time comes to purchase, I’ll be making it a point to say no homeowners association. That might limit my choices, but living under someone else’s unchecked (and often petty) rule in your own home is no choice at all.
Paul
Also, in before “BUT THEY SIGNED A CONTRACT!”
I understand that, but given that for many there may be no alternative, that’s not really a choice in the first place.