A vet and his flag

Discussion in 'Korean War' started by preacherbob50, Oct 28, 2014.

  1. preacherbob50

    preacherbob50 Active Member

    I really do not know if this is the right block to put this post in but I thought it might get a little more notice than somewhere else.

    With Veterans Day (Nov. 11) in mind, an Indiana couple has been ordered to take their flag pole down by some homeowners assn.
    Mr. Willits is an 82 year old Korean War Veteran with parkinsons disease. His wife is his chief supporter in the whole mess. It seems that he put up a flag pole which flies Old Glory and a MIA/POW flag,in the center of a garden spot on his front lawn. The homeowners assn. intends to sue if he doesn't take it down. They say that it is not the flags so much as the pole. It seems that the care takers of the lawn have a hard time mowing around it.

    In my somewhat biased way of looking at things, if the caretakers can tell the Willits how their turning the steering wheel on the lawn mower is so much harder than what Mr. Willits went through in Korea and the loss of his brother in same, then maybe he should take it down. Otherwise, I say send the lawyers to Syria and let them sue ISIS, the homeowners assn. to Liberia to make rules about how an African hut should be kept, and the lawn keepers to Mexico to learn how to use the steering wheel on a lawnmower.
     
  2. thomas pendrake

    thomas pendrake Active Member

    For some reason I thought the thread said "A vet and his dog", but this sounds just as interesting. I personally would never want to live in a community with a homeowners association, but I realize that many people get suckered into this situation. Even though Florida has a state law forbidding homeowner's associations from interfering with flags, the associations continue to show their posteriors in this way, and not all states try to protect their residents from such idiots. I hope for the best for this vet, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Perhaps other vets will come to his defense. In the mean time, turn a bunch of cattle loose in the neighborhood and let them decorate the local lawns. I once read a story about a utopian society that had two laws: don't bother other people, don't let other people bother you. In other words, get over it, folks. Why do you want to live in a row of ticky-tacky little boxes???????
     
  3. preacherbob50

    preacherbob50 Active Member

    So far as other vets coming to the Willits aid, I hope so. I'm curious, this discussion group has members of other countries in it. I wonder if the U.S. might be the only country who's government does not back up it's past warriors to some degree. I mean, it wasn't anything for the Attny. General to go to Fergussen over a racial thing. I guess there just aren't any vets out there burning and ransacking so I guess there's no real reason to help out a man who obviously loves his country and risked his life in a time of war for her.
    ( ya'll can call it a conflict. When American soldiers die on foreign soil, it's a war)
     
  4. Gin0710

    Gin0710 Member

    My God! They're gardeners. Don't they have a freaking weed whacker they can use to trim the grass around the pole? It seems to me they're offended because it isn't their flag. The whole lawn mowing thing is bullshit.
     
  5. Kate

    Kate Active Member

    Update on this story... the Willits have reported that the HOA is allowing the flag pole to stay. They'll just need to remove it if they ever sell the home.

    They, as well as the HOA, have been receiving hate mail and threats. So much darkness in this country... and the worst offenders don't even realize how pathetic they look when they do it. It's discouraging.

    Anyhow, glad to hear that his flag is allowed to fly even with the [insert namecalling of choice here]'s trying to turn us into a communist playground nation. Thank goodness for our military and the sacrifices made to keep us free. When it comes down to squawking about flying a FLAG, it's gotten to a really bad level.
     
  6. preacherbob50

    preacherbob50 Active Member

    Praise God for even the small miracles. The way things sounded, there were all kinds of people out there pro-association. In a way, I have to agree with Tom to the affect that when you put yourself into a situation whereby other people can dictate what you can or cannot do with your own home it's pretty bad. But, in regard to the American flag, unless you are flying her so high as to become an aviation problem it should be allowed to fly. There is a car lot where we live that has one of the largest flags I have ever seen and my eyes tear up everytime I see it.

    The generation of pride is gone. Our flag can be worn on the back of someones pants, burned, torn up and even flown in tatters and very few will step up and say something. I went into a court house about 3 years ago and waited to see someone in charge because their flag was sun faded and the stripes were separated. I offered to buy them a new one, but they changed it the next day on the taxpayer dollar. God bless the Willits for their "will" and stamina, and him for serving his country, her for standing by him. Kind of a challenging last name. Will-its.
     
  7. thomas pendrake

    thomas pendrake Active Member

    Perhaps they are trying to turn us into a fascist playground, or perhaps they just get of on trying to be dictators. Totalitarianism does not really care which economic model is in effect. There have been some very democratic communist groups, and very dictatorial capitalist groups.
     
  8. gmckee1985

    gmckee1985 Member

    Absolutely an absurd situation. These home owners groups are some of the most fascistic and nit picky organization you will ever find. I will never belong to one, personally. They just don't have any benefits to outweigh all of the negatives.
     
  9. thomas pendrake

    thomas pendrake Active Member

    What I have trouble understanding is why most HOAs seem to be run by people who cannot possibly represent the average homeowner. Most seem to be run by people with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. I spent several years trying to play music with someone with that problem and have come to really hate being around people with OCPD, and it goes against my religious principles to be intolerant, even though my beliefs also include being plain-spoken.
     
  10. preacherbob50

    preacherbob50 Active Member

    It's all about control. In this case, a board member who has never controled anything in his/ her life, finding an infraction according to the HO rules and without thought, levied said [stupid] rule against a Korean War vet. Telling a patriot, especially a patriotic veteran to not fly his nations banner as high as he can is akin to starting another war.

    I have no proof, but I am willing to wager that the instigator of this action was a retired nobody with a few bucks who never served a day in our military. Otherwise, the instigator would have buried that rule under a stack of old gym socks. They both stink.
     
  11. Gin0710

    Gin0710 Member

    I think gated communities like this one are what happens when Hall Monitors grow up and suddenly take charge of everything.
     
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  12. mkCampbell

    mkCampbell New Member

    I remember this topic from last year, possibly the year before. Did this happen again? I find it incredible that an neighborhood association, or any organization, would have the lack of foresight to not realize this would cause an uproar. HOA are often set up to protect the resale value of the properties. If I was coming into a new neighbor hood to look at some houses and I saw an eldery veteran raising the colors I would be more inclined to consider the neighborhood. I would also pull over and salute the flag with him at least once to let him know I appreciated his efforts.
     
  13. preacherbob50

    preacherbob50 Active Member

    28 Oct. 2014
    Yes sir, MK. It did indeed happen again, but as Kate wrote in her reply it has been resolved. Why anything had to be resolved to start with was what set my alarms off.

    It is beginning to be a type of rant with me anymore. It seems like the flag, the warriors who fought for it, and the nation that each has stood for has so little meaning in today's U.S. I could just move to Tahiti or somewhere without the politics and ungrateful people but I still love my country too much. Salute whenever you can MK.....it's still our flag and our country.
     
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  14. Kate

    Kate Active Member

    This to me (in my slightly disjointed way of thinking) isn't a whole lot different from the stink recently about saying Merry Christmas. I mean, it's *CHRISTMAS* so why wouldn't people say Merry Christmas? It's totally bizarre!

    To get me back on track here, it's AMERICA so why couldn't someone hang an American flag? Again, bizarre.
     
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  15. thomas pendrake

    thomas pendrake Active Member

    There's always going to be someone who objects to almost anything. I suppose some Jewish people might object (to Merry Christmas), but I have never known one who did. But there are some self-styled pseudo-intellectuals who call their selves Atheists when they are really agnostics (but that doesn't sound so good when trying to pick up other pseudo-intellectuals) who are going to object because they think it might offend someone else. Many Muslims celebrate Christmas, most Hindus I have known love any good religious holiday, and you can always add "and happy holidays". I celebrate Christmas. It may be a little soon, But Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays (there is Thanksgiving and New Year's whatever ahead too, as well as many other seasonal holidays).
    And mkCampbell, it did happen again here in Florida, even after the legislature passed a law forbidding it. The homeowner's association broke the law!!!!!
     
    Kate likes this.
  16. Kate

    Kate Active Member

    Same here, Thomas... my Jewish friends have *never* objected to hearing Merry Christmas. In fact, they think it's silly that it even came up. :) Christmas is, always has been, and always will be a holiday... telling people not to say Merry Christmas is like telling our Jewish friends they're not allowed to say Happy Hanukkah/Chanukah, and we all know what a stink THAT would cause. But it's fine and dandy, all is candy when it's Christians being persecuted? Good gracious, do the PC trendsetters not see how ludicrous it is?!

    There are some organizations in the U.S. (including the military if I'm not mistaken) that allow their Muslim employees to celebrate Ramadan and another observation or two throughout the year without being docked for pay or reprimanded in any way... do we need to even wonder what would happen if they'd not be allowed to do that suddenly? Or if MLKJr. Day was suddenly under fire like Christmas is now?

    Let's just say that my collar starts getting a tad warm when "they" (whoever they are) start messing with the flag, religious groups of any persuasion, and Christmas.
     
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  17. thomas pendrake

    thomas pendrake Active Member

    Those who think religious persecution is "PC" don't have any clue as to what is "PC". Reich-wingers will try to claim that anyone who doesn't follow their right-think is anti-Christian (when it is they who defy all of the teachings of Jesus). There are probably some districts on the West Coast where a politician can openly avow to be anti-Christian and get elected. And any reich-wing district claims to be pro-Christian, but in name only (they love the Bible, but hate it's teachings). That's how my home state elected the biggest thief in American history as mis-governor. I'm sure the above mentioned home-owner's associations think being American means conforming to their cow-pasture lawns and Platonic geometry designed rows of ticky-tacky little boxes. If you like orderly rows of ticky-tacky little boxes, enjoy them, just keep your OCPD to yourself and let the rest of us be Real Americans, following our own vision while not strepping on other peoples toes, unless they insist on putting their feet in the way while trying to trip the rest of us up.
    Now I have to rewrite that for my blog.
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2014
  18. preacherbob50

    preacherbob50 Active Member

    Dunno Tom. I am pretty much conservative and I do not necessarily love the anthology (most folks refer to the Bible as a book) called the Bible. I am, however, very much in love with He who inspired each author to do his part. Check out Psalms 119:11 No book, just heart. Does that make me a "Reich-winger?"

    That being out of the way, I truely believe that there are those entities who know without a doubt that Christians are pretty easy going and extremely easy to step on. The majority of Christians will moan and groan about some of the stuff coming down the pike but do very little about it. I, for one do not care about the beliefs of another individual just as long as you do not use your personal beliefs to try to squelch mine and my way of life.
    I am a free man/veteran who will fly my flag, voice my belief in Christ, and vote for whoever I wish to vote for. I really do not care either, what the personal beliefs (in regard to divinity) are of a potential in. If it looks like a person has the U.S. in his best interests and wants to lead based on the constitution and has 2 huevos that work (sans Clinton) I might be inclined to think hard about him/her for office.

    It only takes one person with a twist in their drawers to start a whole lot of "crap." One person can always find followers, because there are always a lot of followers looking for someone with something that "sounds" like it might have a shread of validity. Even a Home owners Assn. A bunch of retired people with nothing to do following another retired person with a bigger mouth and more money than they have. I can't bunch all of them togeather, but I can say that the leader is probably a low down dirty dog and the rest are just puppies.
     
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  19. thomas pendrake

    thomas pendrake Active Member

    Reich-wingers would be the Me party coke brothers' lap-dogs who cried out at the 2010 Republican primary debate "let him die" when asked what to do with a critically ill person in an emergency room with no insurance (the person with no insurance is Jesus). I do not hide Matthew 25:31ff in my heart, I shout it out.(Psalm 119:11 I memorized in VBS, about 1963). Reich-wingers would be those who think that freedom of speech means freedom to say what they tell us to say. People who think only people who look and think as they do should vote.
    I leave the actual judgment of people to God, He's the One whose judgment counts. But I can express my opinion of ideas.
    Ever hear of "Logan's Run", book or movie? Home-owner's association!!!!
     
  20. Kate

    Kate Active Member

    Hmmmm. Proving once again that when people can't get others to see their [often erroneous] "logic" aka talking out of both sides of their mouth and not really hearing themselves, they will stoop to anything to get people to listen by pounding others over the head.

    Were you teasing here, Pendrake? Jesus in an ER without insurance?! If this is actually true, please tell me it wasn't an adult who said it?! :rolleyes: If one wishes to be respected for their views, they probably should act in such a way that "invites" respect... don'tcha think? (Again, no idea who said it, so I'm going in blind here.)

    See, when people start "playing dirty" (Jesus in an ER without insurance... still shaking my head at that one but I guess that's more juvenile and silly and ridiculous than dirty!) and especially when it's something said in desperation, I and most other intelligent adults, will start tuning out... meaning the ludicrous statements have the exact opposite affect than what was intended.

    Oh, and for your information, should your liberal mouthpieces have forgotten to send you the memo, hospitals truly don't say "let him die"... there may be a problem with collecting payment, but get real. Actually, if that was the Obamacare camp putting such pathetic propaganda into the public, most people who fell for that garbage are suffering GREATLY now because of the "affordable" care that's actually robbing their families of... oh, little things, like say food and heat. But fair is fair, and they WERE warned now weren't they, Mister Pendrake?

    Oh wait, you're going to say I'm a racist because I dared speak against Obamacare, aren't you? Hmmm.... how to react, how to react? I guess I could give you phone numbers of people I know who have been burned by the "affordable care" nightmare. How 'bout it? Oh, and guess what? A lot of the people who are now suffering and weren't before, are people of color. Yep, 'tis true, my fine feathered Floridian friend. But you'll just have a counter argument, won't you? :confused: My mama would say "Why do you bother, girl?!"

    If you have a respectable argument that doesn't sound like it was retribution of an 8 year old stomping his or her lil' foot, I'll be glad to listen. ;) Oh, and I'm pretty sure they didn't have ER's 2000 years ago... ya think?

    I'm going to leave the room now and try to get my elevated blood pressure down. Oy! Happy Thanksgiving, Thomas.
     

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