VA Hospital makes vet take down flag . . . with a twist

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Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
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http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-flag-flap-at-veterans-hospital,0,4525841.story


(Memphis 4/11/2011) Seventy-five year old Perry Thrasher is a veteran in the spinal cord unit at the Memphis VA Hospital.

He is paralyzed, but his family says he wanted a confederate flag for his room.

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"His granddaddy was in the Confederate War and it means a lot to him because he served in it. It's just his heritage," says Diane Boatner, Thrasher's daughter.

She was shocked by what happened Friday.

"He was all upset and crying. The VA Police had come and told him he couldn't have it. He had it right over his bed," says Boatner.

She says a nurse saw the flag and was offended.

Hospital police said the flag had to come down.

The hospital says others were also upset.

"I just went to the ward over there and they said it was offensive and they did not like what it portrayed and they asked we remove it. We had to do what the guidelines say. We are a federal facility," says Willie Logan, Public Information Officer for the VA Hospital.

The only flag allowed inside is the United States flag.

Outside, the hospital also flies the State of Tennessee Flag and the POW Flag.

"People should be able to fly any flag in America. They are taking all our freedom away. People died for that flag just like the American flag today," says Kathy Davis of Ripley.

"If it's that small, I don't see where it would hurt right there for him," says Ulysses Walker of Dyersburg.

"They want their flags; let them fly them in their house, not in public. Only one flag, the U.S. Flag," says Korean War Veteran Roy Rook.

"He's the one laying there can't move, paralyzed. If that makes him happy, he's the one laying there looking at it," says Thrasher's daughter.

The VA Hospital said since Mr. Thrasher has been a long time patient; they will allow him to have the flag in a drawer, in his room.

But if anyone tries to hang it, his family will have to remove it from the hospital completely.
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VA Police? Didn't know there was such a thing. Regardless, I'm conflicted here. Its a facility for Veterans of the United States of America, not the defunct Confederate States of America. The CSA flag is part of history, but would be better served being shown in a museum.

Honestly, I think the patient has more important things to worry about than what flag is hanging over his bed, he's in a VA hospital after all. But the nurse complaining that the flag is offensive? Seriously? Do you complain that level of care in your own facility is dismal, or that pets often get better care than vets? I think her priorities are a little off.
 
Throckmorton

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
16,830
3
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If he wants to fly a Confederate flag, a Nazi flag, a Taliban flag, a North Vietnam flag, or the flag of any one of our enemies, he's free to do it in his own home.

The nurse being "offended" is a red herring. Flying a flag other than the US flag is apparently prohibited by the VA, and it's also extremely distasteful to fly an enemy flag.
 
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wuliheron

wuliheron

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2011
3,536
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It's his room and he can't exactly leave, but it is also a public hospital. No pin-ups of naked women, no Nazi flags, or any other such nonsense that would obviously offend a lot of people. If he's an adult, he'll get over the loss and recognize the need to get along with people in public spaces.
 
D

Double Trouble

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
9,272
103
106
Based on the rules (only the US flag etc), those in charge are being consistent so I don't have an issue with that. What bothers me is that stupid nurse and people who are so easily offended. They should publish the name of the nurse so future employers can avoid hiring that problem.
 
ahenkel

ahenkel

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2009
5,359
3
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people that fly the Confederate flag remind me of people that would wear 2010 Superbowl loser T-shirts and be damn proud to do it
 
Schadenfroh

Schadenfroh

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2003
38,416
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The VA was acting on their set of rules. They should not have mentioned someone was offended, only that it violated written policy, would have avoided a debate over political correctness.

I was not aware that the flag of the United States was the only one allowed to hang inside VAs, seems like people would want the flags from their army division or their state flags hanging up as well. But, I can see how such a strict rule can avoid "issues" like this.
 
T

the DRIZZLE

Platinum Member
Sep 6, 2007
2,956
1
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Only being allowed to fly the US flag seems like a reasonable rule and as long is its uniformly enforced there is no issue here.
 
jonks

jonks

Lifer
Feb 7, 2005
13,918
20
81
reallyscrued said:
Where's the twist?
Click to expand...

Normally these stories are about people being told they can't hang/fly the US flag somewhere.

My heart goes out to the old fella, but sorry pops. Maybe they can miniaturize it and hang it off his hat in front of his eyes or something.
 
C

CycloWizard

Lifer
Sep 10, 2001
12,348
1
81
VA hospitals and related land are federal property, including the side of the surrounding streets nearest the hospital. VA cops are also federal law enforcement officers. It gets complicated at the St. Louis VA when someone steals someone's purse and runs across the street...
 
werepossum

werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
463
126
Pippy said:
Why is that funny?
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If you have to ask, it probably can't be explained. But as wuliheron said, there are no Confederate hospitals because, thankfully, the Confederacy's time long ago passed - just like the Confederate flag's time has long since passed.

I feel for the guy, but hanging the Confederate flag is not appropriate in a VA hospital.
 
Linflas

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
werepossum said:
If you have to ask, it probably can't be explained. But as wuliheron said, there are no Confederate hospitals because, thankfully, the Confederacy's time long ago passed - just like the Confederate flag's time has long since passed.

I feel for the guy, but hanging the Confederate flag is not appropriate in a VA hospital.
Click to expand...

Just common sense, even back when I was in the military we knew that it wouldn't be permitted to fly a Confederate flag on base even though they were everywhere outside almost any base in the south.
 
wuliheron

wuliheron

Diamond Member
Feb 8, 2011
3,536
0
0
jonks said:
My heart goes out to the old fella, but sorry pops. Maybe they can miniaturize it and hang it off his hat in front of his eyes or something.
Click to expand...


For all I know he is a card carrying member of the KKK. All the article says is he's proud of his family serving the confederacy which is something any KKK member would say.
 
Linflas

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
wuliheron said:
For all I know he is a card carrying member of the KKK. All the article says is he's proud of his family serving the confederacy which is something any KKK member would say.
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We know that all southerners that had ancestors that served in the CSA are KKK members. :rolleyes:
 
CPA

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
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Throckmorton said:
If he wants to fly a Confederate flag, a Nazi flag, a Taliban flag, a North Vietnam flag, or the flag of any one of our enemies, he's free to do it in his own home.

The nurse being "offended" is a red herring. Flying a flag other than the US flag is apparently prohibited by the VA, and it's also extremely distasteful to fly an enemy flag.
Click to expand...

Agreed.
 
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