Bush Frees Up Flag Displays

AP ^ | 7/24/6

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Monday signed a bill that would bar condominium and homeowner associations from restricting how the American flag can be displayed.

Sponsored by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., the resolution would prohibit those groups from preventing residents from displaying an American flag on their own property.

It was passed unanimously by both the House and the Senate.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

ROFL!

[WhiteGuy]

You have a problem with this? I certainly don't.


Good question....................

Should I have a problem with apandering, election-year distraction, while there are far more more important issues to be addressed?

[dayglored]

> This one's for all the clueless left leanin', America hatin' members of homeowner associations who attempt to impose their "values" (or lack of them) on others...

Leftist Political Correctness stops at the outer edge of my property line. It's yet another reason why I live in the country. Rural America (even here in Upstate NY) is where the American spirit still reigns. "This area is zoned for Patriotism!" ;-)

Not fly Old Glory on my own property??!? Are they MAD?!?!?

[Wormwood]

Should I have a problem with apandering, election-year distraction, while there are far more more important issues to be addressed?

Gay Marriage. Stem Cells. Flag Burning.

Gonna be a long year.

[JerseyHighlander]

Those people in San Diego should plaec a flag on top of that cross that's part of the lawsuit, then declare the cross a flagpole.

[Cobra64]

Every 4th of July I suspend a 5' x 9' American Flag on the edge of our lake, and it is backlit with two 250 watt flood lights. We gett a lot of cheers from the passing boats.

Our homeowner's association has strict rules about these matters, but we have not had any pushback. Now, with the passage of this bill, I am considering puting up a 30' aluminum flagpole and fly Old Glory full time.

[WhiteGuy]

Gonna be a long year.


Here's my secret - I keep the TV tuned to the comedy channel or the food network - in the car I listen to the ball game or CD's (ramones a good option)

[jazusamo]

Actually, the President only signs or vetoes bills, he doesn't legislate them.

[dayglored]

> Should I have a problem with a pandering, election-year distraction, while there are far more more important issues to be addressed?

Okay, right, this was a feel-good measure passed unanimously. Nevertheless, it:

- addressed a real, if not earth-shattering, problem
- in the right way
- and solved it

Compare to banning flag-burning, which is (sadly) probably protected; banning gay marriage, which threatens to be the first time in our history that a Constitutional Amendment -removed- people's rights; banning stem cell research, which is arguably a valuable scientific tool for saving thousands or millions of lives. They're all a lot more difficult, and some may not pass.

Whereas every American -should- have the right to display the Flag on their own property, and these homeowners' associations and their stupid restrictions can kiss my a$$. I'm glad this bill was done, even if it -was- a pandering distraction.

[Arkinsaw]

Why read what you agree to, Uncle Sam will make it all right.

Homeowner's Associations walk like a local government and quack like a local government, they just aren't considered a local government. Local governments are bound by the Bill of Rights in regulating your free speech, pseudo-governments are not.

My fear with Homeowner's Associations are that they will, over time, expand to cover nearly all the livable space so that you pretty much will get one wherever you go. They then become a non-government government restricting you outside the Bill of Rights.

Imagine if all the neighborhoods in the nation were under a Homeowner's Association....and all of them restricted firearms to live there. Yes, the governments would have no ability to make you give up your weapon, but in order to live in a house anywhere you would have to sign that right away.

They should be treated as pseudo-governments since they are citizens of an area voting to tell other citizens in the area how to live. They should be bound by the Bill of Rights just like any other.

[WhiteGuy]

I'm glad this bill was done, even if it -was- a pandering distraction

Oh, no question.

The time and place for this type of legislation, if brought forward by an honest and sincere body of representatives, is certainly not during "wartime" and during "an election year"

cynical?

[dayglored]

> Every 4th of July I suspend a 5' x 9' American Flag on the edge of our lake, and it is backlit with two 250 watt flood lights. We get a lot of cheers from the passing boats.

YEAAAY! I'll bet you do! That's terrific.

> Our homeowner's association has strict rules about these matters, but we have not had any pushback.

Maybe they have some sense in spite of themselves.

> Now, with the passage of this bill, I am considering puting up a 30' aluminum flagpole and fly Old Glory full time.

GO FOR IT!

I have a 6-foot Old Glory hung on the front porch year-round (protected from rain and such of course) and my daughter has been bugging my to put up a flagpole. We are out in the boonies so we're not formally restricted.

We live a few miles outside of Ithaca, NY, which for all that it's the City of Evil, has a marvelous HUGE American Flag flying over the city from South Hill. No doubt, on private property -- the City of Ithaca probably wouldn't do it. I'm gonna try to find a picture and post it (too late tonight to get out and take one, sorry).

[prairiebreeze]

You prefer Americans being restricted from flying the flag? Seems to me you're fussing at Bush when you ought to be ranting at the ACLU.

[Mark was here]

Homeowner's Associations walk like a local government and quack like a local government, they just aren't considered a local government.

Probably because they are not one. If someone signs a contract they should read it. If the government goes about changing privately agreed to contracts, the contracts will become as valuable as a land Title in Zimbabwe.

[Finny]

Mark wrote:
Why read what you agree to, Uncle Sam will make it all right.

What's happened is that in some areas, the ONLY HOMES YOU CAN AFFORD are part of a homeowner's association, which may or may not be dominated by left-leaners, as Jan suggests, but which certainly are dominated by control freaks who have nothing better to do than to play power trips on their neighbors.

It was only by the grace of God what my husband and I managed to avoid being forced to buy in a homeowners ass'n neighborhood, otherwise my husband and likely me, too, would no doubt be in jail for manslaughter or at least aggravated assault!! Here in So. Cal., a huge majority of single family homes (especially ones built within the last 10 years) and virtually all condos require that residents belong to, pay dues for, and adhere to often ridiculous rules of homeowners associations. It's not that people willingly agree to it, it's that for all practical purposes, they don't have a choice. I DESPISE homeowner's associations. They squelch originality and creativity and foster absurdly arrogant levels of intolerance and nosiness.

[jan in Colorado]

Thanks for the ping!

A few months ago there were a few schools here in Colorado that banned the display of the American flag by students.Students were suspended, there were protests...I better stop, my blood is starting to boil again!

Dayglored...Old Glory flies at my home every day as well. ;o)

>WELCOME BACK USF---It's great to see you! ;o)

[JOE43270]

Your right. I guess I need to learn how to read. Thank you for catching my mistake and straighting me out.

[DustyMoment]

HOAs are dictatorial, tyranical fiefdoms. I refuse to live anywhere that has one. Good for Bush - I'm tired of reading stories about homeowners being fined or evicted from their home by their HOA.