Marine forced to take down 'American' Flag. With a twist!

[Bateluer]

http://www.fox4now.com/global/story.asp?s=12550566

Fort Myers, FL - A local marine says he's being fined for his patriotism.

He's flying what he calls an American flag in his yard, but his Homeowner's Association says it's not American, and it needs to come down.

Scott Wilburn says it represents his gay pride and patriotism, but the HOA says only American flags can be displayed.

"The stripes may be a little different, but it's still stars and stripes, and by all means that's still an American flag."

According to the HOA - it's a banner, not a flag, and it still has got to go.

"They threatened me with attorneys, and I said you can bring all the attorneys, but you better bring a sheriff or a cop with a gun to take my flag down."

We called the head of the HOA and left a message, but never got a call back.

In the meantime, we wanted to know how neighbors feel about this.

"I like the flag. I saw it when he first put it up and I told him he needed to keep it up," said neighbor Darlene Fordham.

She says especially now when Congress is debating the "don't ask don't tell policy" for gays and lesbians in the military.

Scott's friend and co-worker Dave Levine says sexual preference shouldn't matter.

"If someone is saving you, you are not going to think, oh my God it's a homosexual pulling me out of here, just leave me. Who's going to do that? Really? Come on!" said Levine.

When Scott looks back on his young marine days, pride and honor come to mind. He's not going to let anyone take his representation of that down.

Normally, I oppose nearly everything that HOAs do, but in this instance, I have to agree with them. If you alter the colors of the American Flag, it is no longer the American Flag. While I fully support equal rights for everyone, regardless of race, gender, orientation, religion, etc, altering the colors of the Flag is a corruption. The Stars and Stripes represent the best ideals of the United States, changing them and displaying the result as if it were the real thing is, frankly, insulting.

I would thank Scott Wilburn for his service to our country, but he needs to take down his banner, put up a real American Flag and get a bumper sticker for his vehicle.

 

[Throckmorton]

The real lesson here is not to agree to HOA rules that you aren't going to follow

 

[Danube]

"Look at me! Look at me - I'm thelebwating my thexuality!"

 

[Double Trouble]

"Look at me! Look at me - I'm thelebwating my thexuality!"

My thoughts exactly. I don't fly a flag that says "hetero!" outside my house.

Anyway, that's besides the point. I'm all for American flags being flown, and a marine most definitely should be able to fly the US flag. When you change the colors it's no longer an American flag, it's something else, and the rules say you are not allowed to fly other flags or banners. Take it down or get fined makes perfect sense.

 

[Infohawk]

The real lesson here is not to agree to HOA rules that you aren't going to follow

True.

 

[CycloWizard]

Why does anyone sign on to an HOA? Might as well move to Saudi Arabia if you want to have some organization apply its arbitrary rules to everything you do in the privacy of your own home. Not only that, but most HOA members pay for the privilege. Localized socialism fail.

 

[Throckmorton]

Why does anyone sign on to an HOA? Might as well move to Saudi Arabia if you want to have some organization apply its arbitrary rules to everything you do in the privacy of your own home. Not only that, but most HOA members pay for the privilege. Localized socialism fail.

I would call it localized fascism...

 

[TruePaige]

Home owners associations...who would put up with that crap.

 

[EagleKeeper]

The real lesson here is not to agree to HOA rules that you aren't going to follow

True.

Why does anyone sign on to an HOA? Might as well move to Saudi Arabia if you want to have some organization apply its arbitrary rules to everything you do in the privacy of your own home. Not only that, but most HOA members pay for the privilege. Localized socialism fail.

One can not choose which HOA rules to obey. You either have to get them changed or live with them. They come with the property itself.

Can not stand HOA - do not buy in an HOA.

 

[CycloWizard]

I would call it localized fascism...

That's only because you can't see the nature of your ideology for what it is. Otherwise, you'd see that the two are very similar. The political spectrum is actually circular rather than linear. It's difficult to see from any point on the circle, but I'm standing at the origin so it's very apparent to me.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Why does anyone sign on to an HOA? Might as well move to Saudi Arabia if you want to have some organization apply its arbitrary rules to everything you do in the privacy of your own home.

HOA covenants keep crap like portable buildings, improvised buildings, 7 cars parked in the drive-way and/or front lawn, dogs roaming about ripping up garbage cans, ugly paint jobs, etc. from ruining a nice neighborhood.

 

[Perknose]

HOA covenants keep crap like portable buildings, improvised buildings, 7 cars parked in the drive-way and/or front lawn, dogs roaming about ripping up garbage cans, ugly paint jobs, etc. from ruining a nice neighborhood.

Yeah, for the discriminating homeowner who craves enforced conformity and loves layers and layers of intrusive regulations, an HOA is, indeed, the final solution! :sneaky:

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Did he offend the delicate Americans?

 

[CycloWizard]

HOA covenants keep crap like portable buildings, improvised buildings, 7 cars parked in the drive-way and/or front lawn, dogs roaming about ripping up garbage cans, ugly paint jobs, etc. from ruining a nice neighborhood.

How would any of those things ruin a neighborhood?

 

[Throckmorton]

How would any of those things ruin a neighborhood?

Same way black people ruin a neighborhood. HOAs would prevent that too if it weren't for the Civil Rights Act.

 

[CycloWizard]

Same way black people ruin a neighborhood. HOAs would prevent that too if it weren't for the Civil Rights Act.

The sooner you realize that government is just a really, really big HOA, the sooner we will be on the same page.

 

[Bateluer]

How would any of those things ruin a neighborhood?

They don't. They merely ruin someone's idealized version of what their 'perfect' neighborhood is. If I want to paint my house purple with green polka dots, it doesn't affect my neighbor in any way.

 

[Double Trouble]

They don't. They merely ruin someone's idealized version of what their 'perfect' neighborhood is. If I want to paint my house purple with green polka dots, it doesn't affect my neighbor in any way.

Uh, it does. It brings down his property value and makes it harder for him to sell his home if he chooses.

Look, I hate HOA's, they tend to be populated by people with a government mentality that they know better than you do what's good for you, and that they should rule your life. Still, they came about and exist for a reason. People don't want to see their life savings and all the hard work they put into their house ruined by some idiot who won't take care of his house or who otherwise detracts from the enjoyability of the neighborhood.

Around here, it is just about impossible to buy or build a house within a reasonable distance of the cities that isn't governed by a HOA. The option of not buying a home where there is a HOA is simply extremely limited. The key is to make sure your HOA board is not made up of busy-body government mentality types, but normal people who don't feel the need to control everyone else.

 

[MotF Bane]

Not an American flag.

 

[Pepsei]

http://www.fox4now.com/global/story.asp?s=12550566



Normally, I oppose nearly everything that HOAs do, but in this instance, I have to agree with them.

that sounds like a contradiction. would you oppose a HOA that bans regular american flag too?

what makes you agree with them this time?

i agree with HOA most of the time because people should know what they're getting into when they moved into an HOA. the only exception would be if they change the rules after you moved in or they didn't provide you with the 'by-laws' when you moved in.

and yeah, that's not a flag.....

also, you should be able to change some of the rules if you know what you're doing. heck i got flagged for having a dish on the roof. i went to the meetings and got the rule changed.

 

[Cogman]

guys an idiot for more then one reason.

Does he honestly believe a multicolored flag with a different bars count could be argued as an American flag? That, and he moved into an HOA that doesn't allow it.

"The stripes may be a little different, but it's still stars and stripes, and by all means that's still an American flag."

Would he consider Liberia, Greece, or Malaysia to be US flags, after all, they look kindof like the US flag, just a different star count.

 

[trenchfoot]

That's definetely not an "American flag" that I would salute to while in uniform or pledge allegiance to when out of one.

I'd like to see that guy raise one of those at an NFL football game and have the fans sing The Star Spangled Banner to it.

 

[sao123]

Uh, it does. It brings down his property value and makes it harder for him to sell his home if he chooses.

Look, I hate HOA's, they tend to be populated by people with a government mentality that they know better than you do what's good for you, and that they should rule your life. Still, they came about and exist for a reason. People don't want to see their life savings and all the hard work they put into their house ruined by some idiot who won't take care of his house or who otherwise detracts from the enjoyability of the neighborhood.

Around here, it is just about impossible to buy or build a house within a reasonable distance of the cities that isn't governed by a HOA. The option of not buying a home where there is a HOA is simply extremely limited. The key is to make sure your HOA board is not made up of busy-body government mentality types, but normal people who don't feel the need to control everyone else.

HOA property values are overinflated anyways. Its another bubble that really needs to burst, and burst hard.

 

[Modelworks]

The HOA is in the right here, as much as I hate to admit it. That looks nothing like an American flag.

 

[alkemyst]

gay pride and your own thought <> to the US Flag.

He is making a statement and trying to use his service to push it.