Medal of Honor recipient told to remove flagpole

[jasonk282]

Article http://www.examiner.com/x-26758-Lou...o-remove-flagpole-receives-bipartisan-support

A man in Henrico County, Virginia was told by his homeowner's association that the free-standing flagpole in his yard was not "aesthetically-pleasing" and that it had to be taken down. The man, Retired Col. Van T. Barfoot, has refused, and the homeowner's association has threatened legal action.

The homeowner's association may have the lawyers and jurisdiction, but the Colonel has other tools: popular support, a Constitutional guarantee to his freedom of expression, and the backing of Governor Tim Kaine and Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell, state representatives of both parties, and both Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb. That he won a Medal of Honor in World War II, as well as other distinctions from service in both Korea and Vietnam should not hurt his case, either.

More at the above link.

Here is what Col. Van T. Barfoot did to recieve the MOH.

Second Lieutenant Barfoot's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot (then Tech. Sgt.) moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of pointblank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.[7]

I also just read that the associated today dropped the its request to remove the flagpole. That lasted a whole day.

 

[Hot Mega]

Article http://www.examiner.com/x-26758-Lou...o-remove-flagpole-receives-bipartisan-support

A man in Henrico County, Virginia was told by his homeowner's association that the free-standing flagpole in his yard was not "aesthetically-pleasing" and that it had to be taken down. The man, Retired Col. Van T. Barfoot, has refused, and the homeowner's association has threatened legal action.

The homeowner's association may have the lawyers and jurisdiction, but the Colonel has other tools: popular support, a Constitutional guarantee to his freedom of expression, and the backing of Governor Tim Kaine and Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell, state representatives of both parties, and both Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb. That he won a Medal of Honor in World War II, as well as other distinctions from service in both Korea and Vietnam should not hurt his case, either.

More at the above link.

Here is what Col. Van T. Barfoot did to recieve the MOH.




I also just read that the associated today dropped the its request to remove the flagpole. That lasted a whole day.

It may not sound PC and the only reason they dropped it is because it doesn't appear PC.

The association is well reasoned to have asked him (or anyone else service to the country notwithstanding) to remove a flag pole out of the middle of their lawn as the pole is the problem, not the flag.

It's a question of precedence in that community not patriotism.

Just because in his particular case he is a decorated vet, has a flag pole and (presumably) an Ensign to fly makes this sound particularly sympathetic.

But now since he can do this, why can't someone park flag covered or painted wreck on their lawn or someone else erect a flagpole in the middle of their law and fly a gay pride flag, Mexican flag, I hate America flag, confederate flag, etc.?

If such circumstances became the case it could erode the interests of property owners in that community...the very thing a HOA is in place to prevent. They exist to maintain some uniform standards within a community which protects the property interests of all there.

Presumably when you buy a place and want to do anything you want on your property don't buy into a community and sign contracts to abide by some HOA's rules. Buy acreage and a farm.:2 cents:

 

[Lust]

Presumably when you buy a place and want to do anything you want on your property don't buy into a community and sign contracts to abide by some HOA's rules. Buy acreage and a farm.:2 cents:

or become a part of urban renewal. :thumbsup: i honestly can't see myself living outside of the city. sure we have some rules but no one comes around with a measuring stick to assure our grass is no more than 2" tall. and my property value has gone up exponentially since i've lived here.

I love the noise, bustle and grittiness of the city. master planned communities reek of bourgeois, fall in line, maintain status quo mentality. I'm just not ready for that yet. maybe i'm too young? HOA benefits/drawbacks be damned, i'm staying in the concrete jungle.

 

[Hot Mega]

or become a part of urban renewal. :thumbsup: i honestly can't see myself living outside of the city. sure we have some rules but no one comes around with a measuring stick to assure our grass is no more than 2" tall. and my property value has gone up exponentially since i've lived here.

I love the noise, bustle and grittiness of the city. master planned communities reek of bourgeois, fall in line, maintain status quo mentality. I'm just not ready for that yet. maybe i'm too young? HOA benefits/drawbacks be damned, i'm staying in the concrete jungle.

Point was, why sign to live up to something then complain when you violate the terms of what you signed to live up to?

It's just the reality that when you buy into a HOA community you don't have the right to do anything to or on your property you want.

The HOA is coming of as the bad guy when this guy simply didn't read what he signed....or read it and chose to deliberately defy it.

 

[jasonk282]

or become a part of urban renewal. :thumbsup: i honestly can't see myself living outside of the city. sure we have some rules but no one comes around with a measuring stick to assure our grass is no more than 2" tall. and my property value has gone up exponentially since i've lived here.

I love the noise, bustle and grittiness of the city. master planned communities reek of bourgeois, fall in line, maintain status quo mentality. I'm just not ready for that yet. maybe i'm too young? HOA benefits/drawbacks be damned, i'm staying in the concrete jungle.

He is not talking about planned communitites but about buying acres of property to do what you want. My uncle has 75 acres and we can have bon fires, shoot our guns and do pretty much anything we want without neighbors getting in a hissy about it. I grew up in the city as well but there is much more freedom in the country.

 

[jasonk282]

Point was, why sign to live up to something then complain when you violate the terms of what you signed to live up to?

It's just the reality that when you buy into a HOA community you don't have the right to do anything to or on your property you want.

The HOA is coming of as the bad guy when this guy simply didn't read what he signed....or read it and chose to deliberately defy it.

Or he is 90 and did not understand it:dunno: Or the HOA could have simply say either you all sign this or you have to move. I am sure this guy was at his house longer then the HOA was around.

 

[Lust]

oh yeah i'm with ya, mega. i was just giving another alternative to the acerage and farm idea you mentioned

but yeah, i agree and think a lot of people when buying a home don't read everything they sign then act all surprised when they find out limitations. actually i think a lot of people sign too many things in general they don't read through and have similar results. read the contract, thats what its there for. but that'd make too much sense wouldnt it?

anyway, wasnt contradicting you as i think we are both on the same page, just taking the opportunity to promote urban renewal and try and cut down on sprawl

 

[Hot Mega]

or he is 90 and did not understand it:dunno: Or the hoa could have simply say either you all sign this or you have to move. I am sure this guy was at his house longer then the hoa was around.

fyi

the association has attempted deflection by saying the issue is not about "the flag, it's about a flagpole." this petty mindset, combined with the fact that they are threatening a 90 year old medal of honor recipient with legal action for expressing his first amendment right, is a troubling matter.

It is important to understand that barfoot had requested the hoa to allow him to erect the flagpole and fly the flag, and his request was subsequently rejected. He ignored the ruling.

 

[Legzman]

This guy will stand his ground till the end!

 

[jasonk282]

fyi

Also FYI

It is also important to note, however, that his ruling, whatever its intent, is a violation of the Colonel's first amendment right to freedom of expression. Given this fact, combined with the facts that it is his own property and the flagpole in and of itself does not hamper any other individual's life, liberty, or property, such a ruling has no firm basis. If this decision is somehow not found to be a direct violation of these principles, it is likely that public opinion will force the HOA to cave.

Which they did, apprently the HOA does not have the Balls of a 90 year old.

 

[abejarano12]

Let the man have his flag pole. He more than earned it.

 

[Hot Mega]

Also FYI


Which they did, apprently the HOA does not have the Balls of a 90 year old.

No....they didn't have the balls to stand up against political correctness. After all, what is he going to do?

The man is 90 years old...let him have it would probably be their position. They'll likely re-write the rules and make sure they are adhered to the next time (after he dies).

 

[Lust]

Or he is 90 and did not understand it:dunno: Or the HOA could have simply say either you all sign this or you have to move. I am sure this guy was at his house longer then the HOA was around.

well when buying a house, if you're not sure or uncertain about things then its well worth the money to retain a lawyer who will watch out for your interests. if signing a contract, deed, mortgage or whatever for a huge sum of money and you're not sure exactly whats going on, then maybe you shouldnt sign on the dotted line.

but at the same time, i think HOA's can be hit or miss. Some are run by professional folks who do a good job and some are run by people who have no business being in there. pretty much like any other industry really. the HOA's that are mismanaged do act as ebeneezer scrooge with roid rage when it comes to enforcing rules. I read one article last month about a lady who got the wrong permit and ended up with fines from both the city and the hoa that added up to more than what her home was worth. a $32 dollar permit resulted in a 225,000 dollar fine.

fuck me but thats just ridiculous. a bit of common sense on both sides can save a lot of litigation, heartache and anguish. the problem with that is that arguments today seem to be more geared towards all out victory for one side rather than compromise. thus litigation becomes necessary, legal fees mount up, fines mount up and the next thing you know, your paying the gnp value of a third world country cos you let the wood stain on your fence fade.

best to avoid that right at the beginning and either understand the contract or hire someone who understands the contract and is looking out for your best interest so as to avoid future litigious recess. i believe the scientific term is CYA, cover your ass.

i guess the thing that gets me about master planned communities and HOA's is that it feels too cookie cutter, uniform, bland and mind numbingly dull. i just don't want to be a part of anything like that really. maybe when i'm older, way older, but fuck no, not right now. when we visit our friends in the suburbs, within an hour the gf and i are like...ok lets get the fuck outta here! each house looks the same, the street looks the same, the children playing look the same, the fucking dogs look the same...i mean its like children of the corn or something....creeps the shit out of us.

if you ever saw the movie "Broken Flowers" there's a scene where Bill Murray visits one of his ex gf's and she and her husband are in this suburban sterile nightmare. its like American Gothic updated to modern walmart/best buy meets century 21. its the scene where he stacks the perfectly arranged carrot slices on the fork. my god if i lived in that environment i'd bludgen myself to death with a blunt instrument and make sure i suffered for putting myself in that situation. but then again, i tend to over react sometimes :rofl:

anyway, sorry for getting off topic and i didnt mean to ramble so long, sorry bout that.

 

[whoremaker]

Just heard about this last night when the White House weighed in, calling the HOA "silly." What a bunch of scumbags. This guy is truly an actual hero, and they treat him like he owes them. Utterly pathetic, and every single person on that board who supported this fight against him deserves for their asshole to shrivel up and fall off.

 

[Ace Boobtoucher]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/AMERICAN-HERO-Col-Van-T-Barfoot/190082714460?ref=nf

 

[ChefChiTown]

A man in Henrico County, Virginia was told by his homeowner's association that the free-standing flagpole in his yard was not "aesthetically-pleasing" and that it had to be taken down.

The homeowner's association may have the lawyers and jurisdiction, but the Colonel has other tools:

Hopefully one of the Colonel's tools is a wrench, so he can disassemble that flag pole. ZOING!!!

No, but he belongs to a HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION. Like it or not, they make the rules and, as the article says, they have the jurisdiction to enforce those rules, like it or not. If this guy doesn't take down his flag pole, the homeowner's association can tell him to leave.

Is this a stupid thing to get upset over? Yes, absolutely. But, don't you think that it's hilariously ironic that a Colonel from the Army has a problem with following orders? :dunno: I'm just sayin'...

Also, who gives a fuck if this guy has a Medal Of Honor or not? Rules are rules, no matter who you are or what you've done. If a gay guy sucks a thousand dicks in a 6 week span and gets a Gold Medal in the Gay Cock Sucking Olympics, does that mean he's allowed to hang a rainbow flag in his yard, even if his homeowner's association has rules against it? Once again, I'm just sayin'...

 

[Hot Mega]

Hopefully one of the Colonel's tools is a wrench, so he can disassemble that flag pole. ZOING!!!

No, but he belongs to a HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION. Like it or not, they make the rules and, as the article says, they have the jurisdiction to enforce those rules, like it or not. If this guy doesn't take down his flag pole, the homeowner's association can tell him to leave.

Is this a stupid thing to get upset over? Yes, absolutely. But, don't you think that it's hilariously ironic that a Colonel from the Army has a problem with following orders? :dunno: I'm just sayin'...

Also, who gives a fuck if this guy has a Medal Of Honor or not? Rules are rules, no matter who you are or what you've done. If a gay guy sucks a thousand dicks in a 6 week span and gets a Gold Medal in the Gay Cock Sucking Olympics, does that mean he's allowed to hang a rainbow flag in his yard, even if his homeowner's association has rules against it? Once again, I'm just sayin'...

Highly doubtful they can kick him out of the home he's buying or purchased. He would just be court ordered to take it down by some date and if he didn't he'd face court sanction.

 

[~~whimsy~~]

There are countless flagpoles where I live at. Down the street is a former Marine with three of them in the middle of his garden bed which is in the middle of his lawn. He has the American flag in the middle. Marine Corps flag on the left. State flag on the right with a POW flag on the bottom of the state flag.

Another guy has a flagpole in his lawn with the state flag on top and a huge NASCAR flag on the bottom. On his house is a pole sticking out at an angle with his favorite NASCAR driver and number.

I love them. Tells you something about the people. Maybe people should bedazzle their flagpoles some if anything... :tongue:

 

[Hot Mega]

There are countless flagpoles where I live at. Down the street is a former Marine with three of them in the middle of his garden bed which is in the middle of his lawn. He has the American flag in the middle. Marine Corps flag on the left. State flag on the right with a POW flag on the bottom of the state flag.

Another guy has a flagpole in his lawn with the state flag on top and a huge NASCAR flag on the bottom. On his house is a pole sticking out at an angle with his favorite NASCAR driver and number.

I love them. Tells you something about the people. Maybe people should bedazzle their flagpoles some if anything... :tongue:

I've seen places where people have parking lots in front of and around their homes too....which tells you something about the people who owns those homes as well. But I know I wouldn't want my property value deflated because someone looked like they were running a "cars for clunkers" program out of their home.

Those are the types of things HOAs try to prevent.

They're in all likelihood not against him flying a US flag...but they just don't want everyone in the neighborhood erecting giant flag poles flying whatever they wanted.

 

[~~whimsy~~]

Junking up a yard and a driveway with a bunch of cars (especially if they are junkers and look like they are fresh off a junkyard line) is different than a flagpole in a lawn.

Besides, you are allowed to have as many cars as you see fit on your property as long as they are not sitting for a long time and able to run and if you can accommodate the space. Now if it starts to look like a junkyard and the cars are sitting there (or on top of each other, god forbid) doing nothing at all for 2-4 weeks, then call the city and let them know what's going on. However, if the person owns a license and dealers permit for vehicles, well, then all is fair game and neighbors can just shut the hell up about it. And the HOA can go harass someone else with their stupid rules.

A car cannot sit on the street for so long either. Or else, if the city is diligent, they will come out and post a warning.

A flagpole is on personal property. I don't like looking across the street and looking at the piss yellow paint they have on their house with their nasty ass gray-blue door, but I'm not going to call up the HOA and have them make threats.

I think the numbers on the house next to us are not aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but oh well, not my house.

People just want to buy a house and be left the hell alone.