Flag Flap Raises National Ire - North Beach patriot's fine garners bad press, hate mail

sfgate.com/San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Wednesday, July 24, 2002 | Ilene Lelchuk, Chronicle Staff Writer

[American Preservative]

San Franciscan Ed Yee's fight with city officials over the paper American flags he slapped on light poles has brought negative publicity and hateful letters to Mayor Willie Brown and his staff from around the country.

As Yee continues to flirt with the talk show circuit, San Francisco officials are doing damage control and trying to explain how they define vandalism versus free speech.

[American Preservative]

Click the "link" above and scroll down to "Related Articles" for a few more interesting articles related to this.

[Rebelbase]

Had the stickers been rainbows instead of the Flag, Mr. Yee would have been given an award for his one man "Diversity Awareness Campaign".

[wimpycat]

From one of the related articles:

You spend public money to put Italian flags in North Beach but not the flag of my country. What is going on?" said Yee, 49, who was born and raised in North Beach.

Yee comes across initially as an average guy who jumps from job to job and now is a furniture salesman with a family, kids ages 14, 18 and 20 who want to go to medical school. He talks swiftly and repeats what he told you an hour ago. Mostly, what he talks about is his love for the American flag and what it represents.

"I feel lucky to be here, for one thing," he said, pointing to the education and business opportunities. "My father wanted to be here so bad that he walked over (illegally) from Mexico in the 1930s."

He sounds a bit flaky, but his heart is certainly in the right place. A real patriotic American!

[Shermy]

July 17 story:

San Francisco Man's Flags Anger City

[egarvue]

Man, but I love this country. Every time you think that the forces of liberalism/socialism/political correctness are winning, along comes the quintessential American spirit that tells the oppressive authorities where to stick it. Buck up, Mr. Yee - there are millions upon millions of us out here just like you!

[American Preservative]

Ping.

[Consort]

You owe 3¢ for postage.

[AmericanCompatriot]

damayor@sfgov.org

Let the mayor know how you feel!!!!

[American Preservative]

LOL! : ) (I know. : ) [I was mainly going for the sentiment, not the postage rate.])

OK, here's my make-up stamp -

[GSWarrior]

Department of Public Works Director Ed Lee, who instructed his staff to fine Yee about $5,000 to repay city costs for stripping the pasted flags off utility polls in North Beach.

Oh, please! Every advocacy group imaginable--GayShame, PETA, Free Mumia, ActUp, etc--continually defaces San Francisco with their propaganda that is sprayed on sidewalks, utility poles, and so on. And the city government chooses to go after this guy? Give me a break.