Posted on 12/03/2009 10:28:33 AM PST by mkboyce
90 year-old Colonel Van Barfoot has until Friday to remove the flagpole from his yard.
Since this saga began, it's been played out on the radio from Washington D.C. to Boston, but many believe what is happening to this true American hero is tarnishing the image of Richmond.
Barfoot lives in the Sussex Square community in western Henrico County. He moved there in July, and was ordered to remove the flagpole from his front lawn when he flew the flag on Labor Day, and again on Veterans Day.
The homeowner's association doesn't explicitly forbid flagpoles but they must be "aesthetically appropriate". Short flags are allowed on porches, but Barfoot says that's not the way he was raised to respect the flag.
"First of all, it's not dignified, and it shows you got it in the half mast position... you can walk around here and I'll bet you the American flag is hanging out in the rain, nobody ever checks it", says Barfoot.
Family members say he's the most decorated American combat veteran alive. Barfoot has been awared more than 20 medals, including the Medal of Honor, The Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, The Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts.
Wounded in combat three times, Barfoot fought in World War II and in Vietnam.
And he has the support of a lot of people, including Senator Mark Warner. Warner says he's outraged Barfoot's neighborhood association wants him to remove the flagpole from his yard.
Barfoot says he will take it to court.
The homeowner's association also says Barfoot knew from the beginning that he wasn't supposed to have a flagpole without permission.
(Excerpt) Read more at wtvr.com ...
Take that falg off the flagpone.
(Some here will understand)
Unless I’m mistaken, flying the flag in the rain is not an issue. The only no-fly situation is at night if the flag is not illuminated.
They’re probably afraid it will lower the property value to illegal aliens.
FMCDH(BITS)
This guy is just a few blocks from my house. Looks like I’ll be sending him a Christmas card thanking him this year.
The guy buys in an HOA regulated community. He signs a statement saying he will abide by the CC&R's. We're assuming he read them before he signed, if he didn't it's nobodies fault but his own.
After he moves in he decides he wants a flagpole and then constructs it without getting architectural approval, something else to which he agreed before purchasing.
Now he is using “patriotism” to defend what amounts to his violation of a written contract, one he was aware of and agreed to when he bought the house.
Of course many FReepers will pounce on this as a free speech issue waving their own flags in support and denouncing the HOA and it's members as commies when it is nothing more than a simple tort violation.
I'll say it again as I always do on these HOA threads, I wonder what the reaction here would be if it was an Obama, Hezbollah or “Allah Akbar” flag on the flagpole.
This isn't about patriotism, it's about an HOA’s right to regulate the appearance of their community and honoring ones contracts, agreements and word.
Those that exploit it to make a point other than that are being disingenuous.
Are you a lawyer?
I really have a hard time mustering sympathy for people who buy in HMO neighborhoods. Have dealt with too many of them ... people who buy in these neighborhoods and then complain about having to follow their own idiotic rules are blanking idiots. There really is not much more to it than that.
I’m sorry Mr Barfoot did not have the sense to realize what he was doing when he signed up to live there. That is unfortunate. I thank him for his service, but being a veteran does not excuse his lack of good sense.
Just about every newly design subdivision these days are governed by HOA’s. This is due to the fact that most are sprawled away from population centers and local governments (typically the county) do not have sufficient funding to maintain the streets and open space areas without direct help from the homeowners. Problem is, these quasi-socialist theocracies do not appreciate individuality. Its all about conformity and in my opinion, utter banality. Yes home values do stay stable, but for that you lose your soul, or in this case, the ability to make a statement about your beliefs.
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