Veteran, 90, Told He Has One Week To Remove American Flag or Face Consequenses,2933,579338,00.html

Myabe they’d be happier if he flew this one:

Or maybe this one:

As the story plainly states, the dispute is not with the flag, but with the flagpole in the front yard, which evidently violates the restrictive covenants of the homeowners’ association.* “This is not about the American flag. This is about a flagpole,” the association said in a statement, insisting that Barfoot directly violated its board’s July ruling. “Col. Barfoot is free to display the American flag in conformity with the neighborhood rules and restrictions. We are hopeful that Col. Barfoot will comply.”*

He is perfectly free to fly the flag on a pole attached to his house, as many people in the neighborhood do. We have the same restrictions in our neighborhood, and fly the flag on a pole attached to the front of the house, as does everyone else.

The last ones I heard of who argued about flagpole lenghts were the North Koreans during the Panmunjom peace talks. It strikes me as petty and ridiculous.

I want to know what the hoa’s issue is with a simple flag pole that you see everywhere else in the country?

Many HOA’s restrict flagpoles to those attached to the house; it is extremely common. Each of the neighborhoods we have lived in has had such a restriction. It has to do with “aesthetics”. We will occasionally see a small flagpole in someone’s yard out in rural areas, but rarely in neighborhoods. Everyone has them attached to the front of the house, instead.

I believe that the flagpole in question in this story is 21 feet high, which seems suitable for a business, but large for a yard.

It is a matter of what was signed and agreed to (now, if it could be shown that there isn’t actually anything in the covenants about structures in the yard, that is something else entirely…)

Probably cause they are morons who like telling other people what to do.

Which is why I will never buy a house in one.

[size=5]HOOAH! :thumbsup:[/size]

Here, Here!

But Col. Barfoot did. I’ll take his side in this fight out of respect for his service. Also, I have a healthy disregard for the rules myself.:rolleyes:


I will never understand why anyone would want to live under the thumb of a HOA. Having a group of fat cat businessmen tell me what I can and cannot do with my own private property doesn’t sit well with me.

:thumbsup: Exactly why we live in a rural area. Absolutely no restrictions out here. We can but up a building without having to check the local codes. The only thing we have to check for is pipe lines and underground cables. :smiley:

I side with the vet on this issue.

HOA’s are run by all types.

Valid point. But that doesn’t make them good things.

“Fat cat businessmen”? Our HOA is simply made up of all the homeowners in the neighborhood, with an elected board, as was our previous HOA.

Why not?

Our HOA makes sure that the common areas are well maintained, pays for grasscutting and planting and care of shrubbery, requires permission to cut down certain trees, etc., and generally tries to assure that no one does anything that adversely affects the property value of others (cars on blocks in the front yard, etc.)

Yes, and our restrictive covenants say that we can’t have livestock and that we must have a decently manicured yard as well. Yes, roaming livestock and a grown-up yard can be an eyesore and cause property value to potentially go down, but come on…a flagpole with the American flag on it??? There is nothing wrong with it. Personally, I rather like seeing our nation’s flag flown on a free standing pole than on a house, it looks more dignified as it should be. A free standing flag pole is not going to deplete the value of property. If the home is sold, it can be removed rather painlessly whereas a yard that is unkempt for a time cannot ever regain the best appearance just as a yard where livestock have been cannot either. I don’t see why anyone who is an American would complain about someone flying an American flag in their yard.

I have a tendency to agree.

Requires permission= giving up your freedom.

I cut my own grass and trim my own shrubs, probably a lot cheaper then paying someone to do it.

And if someone is working on their car and puts it on blocks, what do you do to them?

I’m sorry, but i’ve heard of HOA’s doing things like not letting people put up clothslines…a battle they lost in federal court (you can’t legally force someone to use a non-renewable energy source (natural gas) when they are using a renewable energy source (solar)).

I mean, there are some valid points, I’m sure…but I will not knowingly move into an area where I’m giving up some of my freedoms.

Those who give up freedom for security deserve neither.

He was not only a World War II veteran but a man given a medal of honor citation for bravery during the war.

He is now a 90 years old Colonel, a man who served in 3 wars and this flagpole gives him some joy so why even bother him?

News clip I saw had the homenowner reading out of the HOA by-laws with the camera over his shoulder so you could see the writing: I don’t recall it saying anything about flagpole in the frontyard vs attached to the house.

