They are all around you. Best not to reveal yourself.
Posted on 08/28/2018 7:57:30 AM PDT by MountainWalker
Background: I work in the communist epicenter of Virginia. There's a bike trail that goes from my house all the way practically to the front door of my office, so I ride my bike in to work every day.
I had a late start in to the office this morning due to a doctor's appointment, so I was the only one on the trail at the time I crossed the part that goes over I-66 into the swamp. I happened to notice a large upside down flying American flag zip tied to the safety fencing above the walkway, so I pulled my EDC knife out of my bag and cut it down and put it in my pack. It took me all of about 3 minutes to pull it down.
About another 50 yards down the trail, it was closed for construction, so I followed the detour. At the first intersection there was a large fire truck engine that flashed its lights on as I approached. The guy in the front passenger seat yelled down to me:
"Hey, did you take down that flag?" "Yeah" "Why'd you take it down?" "Because it was flying upside down." "Well, then give it to me." "F**k you"
I then zipped off along the detour, and, unbelievably, they actually tried to chase me in a freaking fire truck! The detour zipped back and forth between small side streets, so they didn't stand a chance of catching me. They honked at me as they finally bugged out after about 3 turns.
I always thought that firemen were pretty normal conservative guys, but maybe they're loony leftists even in Arlington county. Or, maybe they just saw me taking it down and didn't believe me or understand what an upside down flag meant? I was just amazed and still don't understand how they spotted me and got there so quickly.
The station is up the street. Do you think that I should report this to their fire chief or just let it go? For all I know, he might be as deranged as the rest of them.
call a reporter at the newspaper/TV station and have him/her go with you when you talk to the chief.
Are they union? I would report it. Time. Vehicle ID. Exact location would be paramount. However, you did remove the “property.” Not yours. So your call....
Report it——definitely !
.
“Flying an American flag upside down is not necessarily meant as political protest.
The practice has its origin in a distress signal; displaying a flag in this manner is “a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property”;[111]
It can also be viewed as an act of desecration.[112]
It has been used by extension to make a statement about distress in civic, political, or other areas.
On the 13 April 1996 episode of Saturday Night Live, musical guests Rage Against the Machine made a statement about the host, billionaire Steve Forbes, by hanging two upside-down American flags from their amplifiers.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_desecration
my buddy Is a retired fire chief in Ohio and cries for Obama every day. I thought he was a conservative normal person due to his occupation, but boy was i wrong.
Good for you!
If you call it in, or go to report it, be sure to mention that you were concerned about physcial violence.
“Many will tell you that an upside down American flag means “the country is in distress.” The US Flag Code allows this use of the flag in situations of “dire distress,” but the intention was distress as in immediate danger to life and limb, such as your ship is sinking at sea, an SoS signal.
It does not explicitly sanction use of the flag in this way at political rallies, where no person or property is in any real immediate distress or danger. This is a political extension of the meaning and therefore not in accordance with the flag code. It is just gratuitous abuse of the flag, in order to express a political message.”
https://patriot-fire.net/2013/12/31/inverting-the-us-flag-what-does-it-mean/
You should have reported the upside-down flag to the chief. But you should not have touched it, as it does not belong to you.
You made a poor - yet understandable - choice. Then the firemen made a poor - and dangerous - choice by trying to follow you. I say at this point it’s a draw. Let it be.
Just ordinary conservative working class men at this firehouse:
https://nypost.com/2018/08/25/i-was-sexually-assaulted-by-fdny-firefighters-on-my-first-day/
Physical, for goodness’ sake
You should also call Rush, call your local conservative talk show guy, and also the local FOX NEWS affiliate.
Get some publicity around you or the Leftists will come after you hard.
They are all around you. Best not to reveal yourself.
Problem is, I had no idea who the flag belonged to when I took it down, and I’m not even sure it was theirs anyway. It wasn’t hanging near the fire house or anything that would give me any reason to believe that they hung it up there (not that I would have ever suspected them anyway). He didn’t indicate that it was his when he demanded it.
No thanks. No way in hell I’m revealing my identity around here. The only way I’d report it to the fire chief is if I could do so anonymously. I wouldn’t even want to leave a note on the door to the fire house in case they have friends in the PD would would run my prints. I have a CCW permit, so my prints are in the system.
> I had no idea who the flag belonged to when I took it down, and I’m not even sure it was theirs anyway <
Oh, I see. I do sympathize with you. What you saw there was (probably) disrespect to the flag. It’s the kind of thing that - on a larger scale - can tear country apart.
But you did technically commit a crime. You could return the flag. But I wouldn’t give those bums the satisfaction. If I were you, I’d do nothing further. Just stay alert on that trail!
If you press the issue further, this thing has the potential to boomerang on you.
I wouldn’t argue with that, either.
I thought you were planning on taking it in.
Hats off to you, Mister.
Had a retire “Admiral” neighbor who flew their house flag upside down and hollered at people who dared stop by to help. He was retired military but never achieved Admiral status but he told everyone he did.
His wife was just as nuts. She, at 50, had just bought her first whole chicken at the store and asked my grandpa what to do with it. He told her to draw and quarter it and he’d be over later. When he arrived, she’d done exactly what he’d told her to do. She had a nice drawing of it with lines dividing it into four parts. Grandpa was a gentleman so studied the drawing and cut it up for her and told her how to cook it.
Google your city news and see if anything is going on that might be related to the FD like contract negotiations or planned marches or protests.
You also might want to think about changing your route or routing, bike color, usual clothing, helmet, etc. Just in case they decide to make an example of you.
Rural volunteer fire departments are full of conservatives, unionized paid city departments, not so much.
Google your city news and see if anything is going on that might be related to the FD like contract negotiations or planned marches or protests.
You also might want to think about changing your route or routing, bike color, usual clothing, helmet, etc. Just in case they decide to make an example of you.
Rural volunteer fire departments are full of conservatives, unionized paid city departments, not so much.
Maybe they saw you in the process of taking it down, and didn’t know that it had been upside down.
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