Posted on 09/09/2014 3:51:45 PM PDT by dontreadthis
The city of Ocala, Florida, is going after a local small-business man, threatening to fine him $250 to $500 per day if he doesn’t remove a Gadsden flag from the front of his knife business.
GadsdenFlag
Gear Barrel owner Keith Greenberg told The Blaze, “This is a shock. Honestly, I feel like this is Russia. I’ve been around the world … this is what you expect in really closed countries where there is no freedom of expression. Not here — so it’s shocking.”
Greenberg said he was told by city officials that he could fly an American flag in front of his business, but nothing else.
“We find ourselves in a sad place where local municipalities are stepping all over people’s freedom with the signing of a pen,” he said.
Wonder who they could have learned that from?
Anyway, the city’s rule is a bit confusing, Greenberg feels, because he sees other businesses flying flags other than the American flag, including a pub that flies the Irish flag and a car dealership flying the Mexican flag.
In fairness, it’s unknown if those businesses have received similar notices to Greenberg’s.
Probably not, though. Remember, in these days of unbiased media coverage and fair government, a Gadsden flag is deemed racist because it links you to the Tea Party, which opposes the man in the Oval Office, who is black (his white half having been rejected and arrested), which means any criticism of his politics must be racially motivated.
Greenberg said if he is fined under the city’s statutes, it could destroy his business, which opened earlier this year.
He said that he plans to talk to the city council about this situation. If you would like to help, this link will take you to the city’s council page, which has email links for every member of the city council.
The Gadsden flag was America’s flag before there was an American flag. It’s slogan is “Don’t Tread on Me.” Why not help a fellow American preserve his rights, which those early American patriots fought to secure?
More examples of our loss of freedom of political speech.
In many places flying the American flag is deemed to be ‘offensive’ to the illegal Mexican population and city councils have done the same thing this one has done in fining individuals into oblivion and compliance.
We are at the time where the attitude of Americans has to be “Come and take it”.
And then do what must be done.
So is anyplace flying a homo flag? Not a peep about that I’d bet.
Get one for every window, door, a pole outside, your house and your vehicle.
He needs to sue the city for millions
I was just going to say it would make a great looking wall mural.
About eight feet tall.
.
The City council needs to learn the U.S. flag’s history and linage.
A high power attny needs to come forward and help this guy...
I suppose their community has a sign ordinance that limits use of commercial displays in front of a business, and that they consider a national flag to be non-commercial. If so, he can either try to convince them the Glasden Flag is excepted, or go find a flag from some obscure nation that looks like the Glasden flag and fly that.
The conflict here comes from the community’s desire to avoid having every business flying dozens of flags with the company logo in front of their business and claiming they’re really flags, not signs. He really doesn’t have a first amendment issue, but he might be able to accomplish a resolution through a well presented argument about why the ordinance doesn’t apply to him.
I can two responses:
1. I would EVERYTHING to communicate in the papers, the blogs, calling the radio stations, etc., to get these fools out of office, within the realm of a voter.
2. I would endorse the ‘house-moving’ tactics employed by our Colonial ancestors, in the populace-decided relocation of “The FORMER Royal Governor of New Jersey”, who by chance, happened to be the bastard son of THE Benjamin Franklin.
He should put up a Culpepper Minutemen flag that Patrick Henry used for his Via. Regiment of the Continental Army or a Navy Jack that we fly on ships in combat theaters. That would satisfy their demand for the removal of the Gadsden flag while giving them the middle finger. If they pass an ordinance against those, start legal action.
I suppose he needs to drive around town and take photos of all the stupid bullshit flags flying and then turn those photos over to an attny,quick.
The conflict comes from power hungry liberal A-wholes on most town councils and time will prove that
Might be time to fight for the flag.
“City of Ocala, Florida” . . . “Section 110-3 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Ocala, Florida, is hereby amended” . . . “Sec. 110-6. - Exemptions.”
“The following signs are exempt from the permit, area and location requirements of this chapter, but must still meet applicable construction standards and obtain electrical permits if required by the city’s building code” . . .
“(7) Governmental or religious flags or insignia and holiday decorations incidental to the business and customarily associated with any national, religious or local holiday.”
____________________________________________________________
The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag, which makes it arguably a “governmental flag”. It is certainly an insignia decoration customarily associated with the national holiday, Independence Day (4th of July for liberals who only think of it as a picnic day), and thus exempt from the ordinance in question. That’s if they care about the rule of law, which is a rare concern among petty bureaucrats.
Hmmmm, what if the Tea Party folks displayed the 48 star flag? Would they still be considered racists and terrorists? From what I can see, most of the tea Party spokesmen are black conservatives who are well educated too. There lies the real problem with the left, blacks are seeing the light.
These are the people who actually support ISIS.
“We are at the time where the attitude of Americans has to be “Come and take it”. And then do what must be done.”
Yup, I think we’re about there.
Call it a “Political Statement, and then sue for violation of his first amendment rights.
ALL political speech is protected speech.
He should call the ACLU. Tell them he plans to burn the flag on Samhain
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