[verity]

The issue was about the flagpole and not about the flag.

[hardhead]

Simply amazing! You can spit on it, burn it, piss on it, use it to wipe yourself, make clothing or a pillow from it, but DON'T EVER fly it with pride!

[VermiciousKnid]

Wild horses couldn't get me to purchase a home built within the confines of one of these "Homeowners' Associations."

Disgraceful...and BTW, I'd like to meet the dimwit who actually complained about the flag.

Regards,

[lavaroise]

There ain't no way. How could this be true to have truth remove the very standard of truth?

The flag and the truths which it defends should know no barrier nor hostile grounds in America. We have to draw the lines folkes. Either they are for or against the terrorists

[dark_lord]

I can tell you from personal experience (with a condo association) that these HOA and CA get taken over by people who have nothing else to do but try and run everyone elses lives. Plus, you get these old biddies who come and attend the meetings and want to stand up and make speeches and rant about stuff.

In self defense, you have to find a small group of people and run one of your own for the board. Do it yourself. Get on the board and you can then block anything really stupid. Even when the board is dominated by idiots, as long as you can bring the voice of reason, you can block them. You may need to start a CA or HOA "newsletter" (at your own expense). Get someone else to act as the editor, and you can expose all the stupidities. A key thing is that lots of decisions get made without the community knowing about it. Expose them in the newsletter.

For example, in this case, if there had been a HOA newsletter (and website) this idiocy could have been publicized in advance before HOA took these people to court. The other residents could have been notified. The usual stupid stuff gets turned down when a bunch of people who don't normally show up do show up and stare at the board. Suddenly the board votes to "table the issue" or people who show up say they like the flag, and the flagpole doesn't bother them, etc. So....it is possible to "manage" a HOA so that the nazis don't get away with stuff. But you have to participate or bad stuff happens. That is the sacrifice you must be willing to make to live in a HOA or condo association.

Finally, one point I haven't seen addressed by this thread. Some big flagpoles are "silent". Others have these metal clips that bang loudly against the metal flagpole in even a modest wind. That would stir up the immediate neighbors. I don't know if that was a factor here or not, but it could be why there were no defenders of these folks.

[HamiltonJay]

Well, that's what the idiot gets for buying a home in a place and signing up for the "homeowners association" and bylaws that came with it... got no one to blame but himself.

[discostu]

Somebody remind me again: why shouldn't we consider home owners associations inherrently evil?

[stuartcr]

I bet they now wish that they had obeyed the rules that they signed on for.

[Destructor]

"I have a friend in the property management business and he tells me all of these places are the same. You always get a group that minds everyone else's business and wants to control everyone else's business. My first thought, Destructor, was "this place is run by commissars." All of the biddies have far left bumper stickers on their cars of course."

Thanks for the warning. Now I know for sure that I'll avoid living in any neghborhood/development that has a Neighborhood association!

[CyberAnt]

Hmmmm? Somebody needs to send this info to Hannity.

And ... send the info that there was a similar case here in San Diego - KUSI TV did the story - and the court said the "association" didn't have the authority to demand that the homeowner remove the flag pole in their yard. As far as I know - the homeowner WON - BIG TIME!!

The TV interest can keep the courts accountable for stupid judgments.