Homeowner’s Fight Involves Flag Tied to Tea Party

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

LAVEEN, Ariz. — Don’t tread on Andy C. McDonel.

This year, Mr. McDonel began flying a yellow “Don’t Tread on Me” flag on his roof in this unincorporated area just outside Phoenix. The historic banner — which dates to 1775, when it was hoisted aboard ships during the initial days of the Revolutionary War — has been adopted by the Tea Party movement. But Mr. McDonel said that he had unfurled the flag for its historical significance and nothing else.

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This month, he received a letter from the homeowners’ association ordering him to remove “the debris” from his roof. It threatened fines if the debris (i.e., the flag) did not go within 10 days. But Mr. McDonel, 32, a logistics operation manager, has vowed to fight the order.

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The Avalon Village Community Association, which sent the letter, takes a strict interpretation of the state statute that allows Arizonans the right to fly a variety of flags — the Stars and Stripes, the state flag, flags representing Indian nations as well as the official flags of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/us/politics/31flag.html?hp

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Andy C. McDonel, who was told to remove the Gadsden flag from his roof in Arizona, says the flag is not a political statement.

I hate how the tea partiers have co-opted the Gadsden, but it's not a hateful flag - I say let him fly it since they allow other flags. It does have historical significance.

Love that the ACLU is jumping in to aid him. And IMHO stupid item for the HOA to get their shorts in a twist about.

[TygrBright]

1. HOA should be sentenced to line up, one by one, and kiss his, um...

...feet, yeah, that's it.

I am SO tired of HOAs pecksniffing and diddlepicking stuff that's none of their effing business.

Good on the ACLU!

Gadsden flag is a legitimate historical artifact with significance way beyond the latter-day goons and fools trying to misappropriate it.

irritatedly,
Bright

[realisticphish]

2. I think it kicks our current flag's ass

it really is too bad that it's been co-opted by the militia movement, and now the tea partiers.

[Lightning Count]

21. I always loved that flag.

Wish that was the one we used instead of the stars and stripes. Stupid Betsy Ross. :)

[RamboLiberal]

3. A Colorado HOA caved to another Gadsden

Eric Smith now has a second letter to go with the one he originally received from the East York Villas Homeowners association on Aug. 9. That letter ordered him to remove his "Tea Party flag." The second letter, dated Aug. 19, said the opposite.

"We got a letter from the attorney that was e-mailed to us that said we would be allowed to fly our flag," said Smith, who lives in Thornton.

He added that he hasn't received a complete explanation for why he was told originally to take the flag down.



Read more: Thornton HOA relents on "Tea Party flag" - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15940507#ixzz0y9sH4YCg

[deacon_sephiroth]

4. What's the problem?

Are they concerned that the flag has come to represent hate?
But.... you can still fly the Arizone state flag right?
What's the dif?

[Arctic Dave]

5. You move into an HOA because you like the neighborhood then you bitch about it.

If you want to live in a place without any regs then move to BFE.

[ScarletFyre]

8. I live in BFE

You can pretty much do anything you want as long as it's legal, and sometimes even if it's borderline. Building codes are seriously not enforced where I live...thankfully, because I know my shack would flunk!

[theHandpuppet]

12. Bingo!

:thumbsup:

[Hoopla Phil]

6. "Right to free speech" and all that. It's such a bitch sometimes.

Good for him. "While I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it?"

[provis99]

7. well, it has always been a right-wing flag,

but I don't think that is enough to condemn it. sort of a confederate flag-lite.

[tsuki]

9. Don't tread on me: tread on blacks, gays, women, Muslims,

Hispanics, Native Americans, and the hate group du jour.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

11. Wait, no, tread on smokers, celebrity airheads, driving texters

Some favorite groups to tread on in DU.

Well, favorite after Wasillites and Becksters.

:hi:

[tsuki]

13. Let's change the flag. Tread on Everyone But Me.

:rofl:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. Ok, now the flag is "Don't Tread on tsuki"

And, don't tread on my blue suede shoes.

THe king said that.

:hi:

[Pholus]

10. Don't like HOA interference? Don't MOVE there. Duh!!!!

We stayed in our older neighborhood in Tucson -- no rules, kind of relaxed. Of course no
mcmansions but then again that was good too....

[bowens43]

15. another jackass who agrees to the rules

and then thinks that he can violate teem.

where do they get these ass-hats?

what a moran

[depakid]

16. Talk about hoisted on one's own petard!

Libertarian teabagging fools- this sort of corporate control and private interest is what you're out in the streets promoting!

:rofl:

[Gman]

17. So in this case the ACLU is a wonderful organization

and not destroying the Divinely inspired constitution.

[Javaman]

18. What I wrote on MSNBC.COM regarding this story...

While this guy is clearly a cement head tea partying idiot, and I don't agree with his brand of corporate sponsored politics, he can fly anything he wants up what ever pole he wants.

However, that said, he is also a member of a HOA. While I seethe with hatred for HOA's, this idiot did join it and signed on the dotted line to agree to all it's various half witted rules. God forbid this tea partying fool actually read the rules, but that's the breaks.

He's just a rebel without a clue. Is he sticking to "the man"? or is he just creating a "non-trovecy"? I think he's doing a little of both. While we the middle class and poor of this nation continue to feel marginalized by the power in this nation aka the rich, people are striking out in the most ridiculous ways. Ways that don't matter to anyone. All while under the false and very delusional belief that they are standing up for their rights.

If this fool actually gave a damn about his rights and how they are being taken away, he should be protesting against our phones being tapped and our 4th amendment rights being taken away, but alas, that would require critical thinking skills. So instead, with his very limited thinking ability, he believes flying a symbol on fabric from his home equates, somehow, to protecting our rights.

The tea party morons, put a fine point on the concept of "misplaced priorities".

[Jokerman]

19. The HOA allows some flags, but not others.

A policy of no flag poles, flags or banners of any kind might be defensible as long as it is enforced equally.

This is a pretty clear case of political censorship - go ACLU!

[depakid]

22. They allow some colors and not others!

As long as states allow encourage arbitrary actions by these sorts of entities, pretty much anything can and does go.

[Dappleganger]

23. Our HOA allows flags

they allow the standard flagpole attached to your home at an angle, as well as the small garden flag and a small flag attached to the mailbox. It must be in good condition (not faded or torn), and "in good taste". Of course that last part is quite subjective. They do allow a couple of political yard signs as long as they are not faded or torn and in good taste (not signs which slam the other side). They also allow temporary signs such as "Happy 40th Birthday, Mom!" or welcoming a soldier home, as long as they are not up for more than 7 days in a row.

As for the "Don't Tread on Me!" flag, our oldest son has one hanging in his room, next to his giant marijuana plant flag. His argument is that this flag belongs to HIM too, and hates that teabaggers want to claim it as their own.

[Evasporque]

20. Selfish ass-hat teabaggers....

We'll leave you alone when you leave the rest of us alone.

How about you all just go away. Somewhere where you all can create your own little crazy hate-world with perfect yards, perfect hair, white faces, no-taxes and plenty of TV and Cheap Gasoline....

Piss-Off and take your TV Sitcom dream world with you.

[snooper2]

24. I will never live where there is a HOA, nothing but bullshit

Let a small group of self important tools dictate "standards" and a means to fuck with people. No thanks...

You think this flag issue is bad- check this story out from a while back...

Guy got in trouble because his NEW truck wasn't "fancy" enough :eyes:


"Jim Greenwood said he never dreamed his HOA would have a problem with his new Ford F-150 pickup. Then he received the first of three notices threatening him with fines.

"Mr. Greenwood, you're violating a subdivision rule that prohibits pickup trucks in your driveway," the notice reads.

Stonebriar HOA rules allow several luxury trucks on driveways, including the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Avalanche, Honda Ridgeline and Lincoln Mark LT.

But most Ford, Dodge or Chevy pickups are restricted.

"It's very frustrating and confusing. It's hard to imagine how an HOA would try to dictate what type of vehicle you can drive and park in your driveway," Mr. Greenwood said."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-friscopickups_17met.ART0.West.Edition1.4d8a269.html

[superconnected]

25. He should live in an area without a home owners association if he wants to do that

Really, I've read where many people have fought the home owners associations - won - and still told people it was too costly and too long, don't bother.

This guys going to do it on principal but honestly it would be better if he moved out of the home owners association areas. I sure wouldn't live in one of those. I've had friends who had too many nightmares with them.

[alp227]

26. And then he turns around and cheers on Rand Paul's pushing of the "right to discriminate"

Homeowners' assocs. are private orgs aren't they? But to guys like McDonel, apparently businesses need only discriminate against...oh those unpatriotic pinko leftist spooks! Right?

What does he think about the 2000 US Supreme Court case Boy Scouts of America v. Dale that ruled that the Boy Scouts were free to exclude the gay scoutmaster James Dale?

If he as a conservative wants private orgs/businesses to have freedom of association and right not to serve everyone, then he should either take down his flag or move to a non-HOA 'hood in the rural desert of his big big state.

[0rganism]

27. what irks me most is how the media GAVE the Gadsden to the tea-baggers

When anti-war protesters carried the Gadsden, we didn't get automatic ownership. Perhaps because we were less likely to have weapons on-hand?

[ManiacJoe]

28. The saddest part of the whole thing

is that joining the HOA was a requirement in purchasing the house.
:mad: