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Col. Van T. Barfoot won his fight to fly the American flag on the flagpole in front of his house. The HOA backed down. I hate HOA's!!
Here is the story:
Virginia Veteran Wins Battle to Keep His Flagpole in Yard - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com
Did I mention that I hate HOA's?
can i hear an AMEN, thanks for the update...i had heard last week they were trying to stop him...considering he is a congressional medal of honor winner, i think he has more than earned the right to fly the flag anywhere he damn well pleases......:yand as far as the HOA..";"
Sad sad people that are so bored minding their own business that they start rallying against someone else's flagpole.
Mark,Quote:
Originally Posted by JMS
I think you forgot to mention what you think of HOAs!
I hate HOAs with the blaze of a thousand suns, luckily they are not common *just yet* over here.
Your arch-nemesis ;)
Michael
Well that's definitely one for common sense.
This is another of those areas which seems so incongruous in the USA. The land of the free, where collective legislation (be it state or societal) which restricts the individual is frowned upon.
When I pass through various estates in the US where all the houses are painted a uniform grey (gray) and no adornments are permitted, the whole thing looks like a scene from the Truman Show. I'm assuming it's these HOA's which prevent anyone from painting their house a different colour or changing the landscape.
It's something you'd expect to see in 'lefty, socialist' Europe. But I could not imagine being prevented from painting my house the colour I want. Indeed, an Englishman's home is his castle (as they say).
Having said that, I suppose it's a question of degrees. I live in a 'protected' area which means I cannot chop a tree down in my own garden, or install a satellite dish on the front of my house.
[EDIT] Case in point: imagine how much worse this scene would look if Copenhagen decided every house had to be the same shade of grey!
Okay, but what do you do about the whack-job that wants to fly 17 different flags on their lawn, including the official flag of Disneyland, or something similar?
Let them! If it's their property, let them put 17 different flags up. The neighbours might 'persuade' him not to. But we all know that people can and do use legislation to take it to the Nth degree. So what starts out as a method to prevent multiple nut-job flags ends up preventing you from painting your house slate-grey instead of blue-grey. :)
I hate HOAs, but you can't fault them when people sign the paperwork. It's the resident's fault for buying a house there in the first place.
That said, if you are awarded the Medal of Honor, do whatever the hell you want. This particular association should have known better than to even bother fighting this.
You don't mess with this man and you darn sure don't tell him he can't do something. You honor him, express your gratitude, and buy him a drink.Quote:
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Carthage, Miss. Birth: Edinburg, Miss. G.O. No.: 79, 4 October 1944.
Citation: 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.
EDIT: After all that, he decided to serve again in both the Korean and Vietnam wars, earning a purple heart.
OH NO, i am gonna really catch hell for this...i completely agree with you on this subject..we don't agree on anything else so far...but this is a no brainer...he deserves to do just about anything he wants, where he wants, when he wants...he has paid the price to do so....Quote:
Originally Posted by commiecat
Could someone inform this Aussie what are HOA's ? I reckon whatever they are we may have an infestation of them down under. What do you eradicate them with?Quote:
Originally Posted by JMS
Cheers
Home owners associations.
Rich people who get their rocks off telling other rich people what to do.
Not just rich people.Quote:
Originally Posted by IanS
Most subdivisions built nowadays are built are considered "site condominiums" and the roads are quite often private. This happens because of a deal the developer makes with the community, where the community gets the taxes but doesn't have to provide services like trash pick-up, snow removal or sometimes school buses.
This is how a tiny community of a couple hundred people can get a 1000 house subdivision built in it and not have its resources overwhelmed. It also makes the developer a ton of money by opening up land they wouldn't be allowed to build on.
Anyway in order to provide these services the homeowners have essentially an agreement they have to sign the says they will pay a share of these expenses. You don't sign you can't move in. Someone had the bright idea of attaching rules onto these things, and the rules actually can be a selling point for some people. Rules like no brightly colored house paint, no dogs, no fences are quite common. Some associations have more limiting rules such as no parking on the streets, no flags flown, even no children, or no residents under a certain age.
I would find these things more acceptable if it was easier to find a new house that didn't have to be a part of an association, or there was some way to opt out of them. Also some of them have rather loose rules of order and it can be easy for a minority sometimes a tiny minority to add rules that effect the entire community.
medal of honor or not, tell me i cant fly my nations flag and see what happens. now no doubt this guy is an exceptional american i still dont understand how a hoa would prohibit someone from having a flag pole in there yard it is just baffeling
-dan-
One of the things that has always impressed me on my trips to the states is the sense of national pride displayed by most Americans, be it the singing of the national anthem at sporting occasions or the flying of the stars and stripes in a front yard. I am very surprised and disappointed to hear this story. I would expect it here in the UK, you have to look very hard in this country to find a Union Jack let a lone the flag of St George.
Personally I am of the opinion that once you sign the paperwork, you mustn't complain afterwards. That said, in this case they should have relented. He tried to work with them to get permission, and he apparently served his country in an outstanding manner. Even if they would normally not do this, they could have made it a special exception on the basis of his MOH.
And even apart from that, Even I know that Americans take the flag and related symbolism very seriously. Combine that with his MOH and they should have known they would get hammered in public over this, even if they didn't agree. They should know how to pick their fights. This was one they couldn't have won in the first place and it was stupid of them even to try.
The story is relevant because it relates to a gentleman living in a subdivision, you choose to live there and know the rules before you move in. But I must stress outside of a subdivision you are pretty much free to paint your house any color you please and fly what flag you want. This remains the land of the free up to a point and that is one of the major reasons I live here. I believe in our constitutional rights.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7om
That said I am delighted that this American hero won the right to fly theflag and shame on the HOA for trying to stop him.
How right you are, a small minority of homeowners in our HOA are lobbying for much more restrictive rules, luckily a few of us have taken up arms and look like we will defeat them. When I eventually move I will NEVER EVER live in a HOA controlled subdivision again. Once bitten twice shy and all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wildtim
Very. In case anyone didn't know the congressional medal of honor is extremely rare, there are currently less than a hundred people alive who hold one. In the entire history of the country there are fewer than 3500 people who have ever been awarded one. Frankly he should have the rights to a brass band playing revelry at 5:00 every morning if he wanted one. instead he lives in a completely undistinguished little house in a subdivision like many millions of other people.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
This is the problem with them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Englishgent