Dallas man's flags don't fly with veterans: Mexican banner sits above Old Glory to protest Iraq war

Dallas Morning News ^ | February 3, 2006 | ALLEN HOUSTON

[beaversmom]

The U.S. and Mexican flags dancing with the wind in Louis Garza's front yard have brewed up bitter resentment in his East Dallas neighborhood.

Louis Garza initially flew a much larger Mexican flag above the Stars and Stripes outside his Dallas home. A friend begged him to take it down, and he replaced it with a smaller Mexican flag that flies atop his pole in protest of the war in Iraq.

Perched atop a more than 20-foot pole and seen from blocks away, the green, white and red Mexican flag snaps in the brisk breeze. The red, white and blue American flag flies beneath – and there lies the problem.

Sitting on a bar stool surrounded by a few veterans at White Rock VFW Post 6796, Cecil Caddel, a Korean War veteran and Mr. Garza's neighbor, spoke about the U.S. flag being flown below another flag.

"It irritates the hell out of me," Mr. Caddel said. "We didn't go to war to fly a Mexican flag over our flag."

The flag clash has tapped into deep-rooted passions and Mr. Garza's right as a U.S. citizen to use the Stars and Stripes to protest the war in Iraq and support his Mexican heritage.

Mr. Garza, a 71-year-old Brownsville native, recently answered the door to his eclectic home wearing an Alan Jackson T-shirt, mirrored sunglasses and a black cowboy hat.

Two pianos and more than a dozen guitars fill the small house he has lived in for 40 years.

A bust of Abraham Lincoln sits prominently on a bookcase.

His parents came from Jimenez, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville. Mr. Garza said his mother swam the river at Matamoros so she could give birth to him on American soil.

"She wanted the best for me and all this country had to...

[fallujah-nuker]

His parents came from Jimenez, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville. Mr. Garza said his mother swam the river at Matamoros so she could give birth to him on American soil.

Anchor baby. Deport him.

[MadManDan]

Maybe somebody should give this commie a taste of his own brand of medicine and burn the Mexican flag. It could also be a political statement because of the Mexican soldiers that have been messing around on our border lately.

[manwiththehands]

Louis Garza still lives in this country ... and still flies an American flag.

He sounds like a showman just out for publicity.

[peyton randolph]

His parents came from Jimenez, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville. Mr. Garza said his mother swam the river at Matamoros so she could give birth to him on American soil.

Reason 101 why anchor babies are a bad idea.

[SmoothTalker]

He's a jackass but he should be allowed to do what he wants on his property. The ability to tolerate what offends you is what seperates us from those who would riot over a cartoon.

[swmobuffalo]

He's breaking the law and should be treated as a lawbreaker.

[fhlh]

Wouldn't this be considered a 'hate' crime?

[starfish923]

Louis Garza still lives in this country ... and still flies an American flag. He sounds like a showman just out for publicity.

He flies the Mexican flag on top.

Asshole or moron....that's my choice.

[jazusamo]

You are exactly right about everything, especially the jackass part.

[sgtbono2002]

If he likes Mexico so much he should GTF back there.

[kromike]

I tend to agree. This guy is an absolute liberal jerk who apparently gets off on people loathing him.

Since he feeds off of antagonizing people, the best weapon is to completely ignore him. In no time, he'll shrivel up and blow away.

[rlmorel]

He flies it with disrespect, which is worse than not flying it.

I served under it, and my dad was buried under it. As with the Korean War vet, I bitterly resent his DELIBERATE mistreatment of the flag.

I see the point you make, but a showman making a point like this ought to be shown the door or a foot in the ass. Sure, it is his First Amendment right and all. You ever notice the scumbags who make the biggest deal about their first amendment rights are the ones who have never had to fight for it?

Recently, some people were making a fuss about a Canadian military guy who lives in the states flying the Canadian flag. I have no issue really with that, he wasn't trying to disrespect, just didn't understand or doesn't care about protocol. This is different.

[The Worthless Miracle]

If only it were a Cuban flag, he'd be in the clear.

[Melas]

He's an American citizen, he can't be deported.

[Melas]

Well said.

[gop4lyf]

I live in Dallas and Ankarlo had him on the other morning. His explanation for flying a little Mexican flag above the US flag is that Dallas is like a little Mexico to him and he wishes to pay respect to that. //Whatever

[unixfox]

If only it were a Cuban flag, he'd be in the clear.

But if he flew a confederate flag he would have his house torched.

[LeoWindhorse]

long live the CBF

[fallujah-nuker]

Anchor baby, he's a good reason to close the loophole caused by the SCOTUS misinterpretation of the fourteenth amendment.