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True Story: A Neighbor Saw My New “Make America Great Again” Flag–And Cried
This little story definitely falls under the heading of “you can’t make this stuff up!”
I am very proud of my flagpole in my front yard and have proudly flown “Old Glory” for many years. I try hard to keep it replaced when our frequent South Louisiana storms “have their way with” them and I try hard to observe all the rules with regard to the proper care of the American flag.
I was very happy recently to see an ad for a beautiful red flag with large white lettering reading “Make America Great Again” and immediately ordered it to fly with my brand new American flag, without ever giving a thought to the fact that someone might be so offended by the mere sight of the flag that they would voice loud complaints about it. Therefore, I was delighted when the flag came in and I immediately ran it up the flagpole to take its place of honor right below my spanking new American flag.
Shortly thereafter, I got a call from a neighbor and long-time friend, who explained that he was simply doing his duty as grievance Chair of the Homeowners’ Association in conveying to me a complaint he had received from a neighbor, who told him that as they were from Mexico the mere sight of the flag so upset them that they cried for quite some time after seeing it. My friend made it clear that he was doing his duty, but not necessarily in an enthusiastic way, and in the course of the conversation, he said words to the effect “I must tell you, I really like that flag!”
He asked for my response and I asked whether he wanted the dignified response or the one I would really like to give, and he said as he had known me for many years he could probably guess what the “undignified” response would be! So, I responded that it would take a final order of a Court of competent jurisdiction ordering me to take down the flag before it would move one inch; I have had no further complaints. As a matter of fact, another neighbor called me asking for information as to where he could get one for his own flagpole.
If someone tries to tell me there is no such thing as “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” I have a true story ready for them. It is real and it is really quite chilling to actually know someone to whom the mere sight of his campaign slogan on a piece of cloth causes them physical upset.
Although if I were truly fair about it, I would have to admit that when I saw a pink knit cap recently at a soccer match, commonly identified by a feline reference and which has become something of an icon for women in The Resistance, if that’s what it’s called this week, I did feel some kind of emotion, mostly sadness for the rather pathetic specimen who was wearing it.
But I did not cry. And if I had, I would never, ever, ever admit it to one living soul!
Published in General
Hmm… Presumably, the neighbor to the OP is someone who has a job, and is living in a home in a neighborhood that has a HOA. My own experience with the welfare system – which is actually somewhat extensive – shows that the problem with welfare is not immigration, but welfare itself. If you took away every immigrant on welfare, we’d not dent the problem. So while there is nothing inherently wrong with “fighting the battle,” there is something less useful about jousting with straw-men and windmills. Talking conservative ideals will be more productive than that.
Well, I certainly did not intend to impugn your mom. I hope she did not serve in the Sugarland Run area of Sterling, Va. ;-)
Putting this as neutrally as I can, I see HOAs as falling victim to the same sort of mission creep we see in our civil law. I agree that some community standards are useful, essential even. The difficulty is that when you codify something and then give a small group the power of enforcement you run into the same problems you see with more formal types of government. The busybody’s like the ones John Hanson mentioned above sooner or later elbow their way into positions of authority, then some simple and rather benign rules get re-interpreted into a means to control everyone else. Did anyone ever think that Congress’ power to tax would allow the federal government to control the health insurance for the entire country?
I can’t remember who said it, but I think there is a lot of truth in the statement that “Any organization not explicitly conservative will become liberal (in the “progressive” sense) over time”.
I understand, I got a little wadded up there for a while, sorry. :-)
Really, the worst part for mom was people would get tight on money for whatever reason, and stop paying their HOA dues. The Contract said they could lose their condo for non-payment, and that particular clause was in the contract from the beginning, long before my mom even moved there. Now, my mother certainly didn’t want to take anyone’s home, for goodness’ sake. But if she didn’t at least start the legal process to enforce the contract, everyone would immediately stop paying their dues, also. It was an ugly thing she was forced to do, and it made her cry every time.
On a side note, nobody ever lost their condo – they always came up with the money when push came to shove. It was still ugly, though.
I was on the Board of Directors in our HOA for 3 years. I took the position very soon after moving into my home. I thought it was going to be a “nothing” job. WRONG!
I found out how petty neighbors can be to each other and how they use the HOA to provoke. Ugh! A neighbor bought a camper trailer and parked it in the driveway beside his house. Another neighbor immediately complained that it wasn’t allowed because he had to build a huge garage for his 45′ motor coach because of HOA rules. Our rules state that a camper/trailer/motor coach over 12′ tall must be garaged. I measured the camper. 11′ 6″ not counting the auto-type radio antenna on top. I and another member of the 3 person board allowed it to pass. No garage required. The complaining neighbor pitched a fit because of the antenna. Petty. The camper owner compromised. He moved the antenna to the side of the camper where he can fold it down.
I’ve got other equally silly stories of equally petty and vindictive neighbors. My next home will not be governed by an HOA.
On this whole HOA note, something interesting happened to me the other day.
I checked the mail at our centralized mail box (it’s a big metal thing stuck in the middle of the block) and there was a postcard, addressed to my wife and I by name, which read (this is from memory):
“hello, please move your basketball hoop off of the public sidewalk. Your driveway would be a much more appropriate place.”
I think there were a few more lines than that, but I don’t remember. The tenor was very condescending.
I was most insulted by the fact that someone went through the bother to figure out the names of the people living at the house, but that person didn’t have the decency to simply walk up to the door and have a conversation with me in person. Nevermind the fact that I don’t own a basketball hoop… there is one that has been partially on the sidewalk for the past 3 years, in front of my neighbor’s house. Of course, the writer of the note did not leave a name or return address.
So I wrote a sticky note that said “Dear passive-aggressive anonymous neighbor. Wrong House!!” and taped it to the mail box. The next day, the mailman put it back in my box.
My thought is that anonymity, like the internet, brings out the absolute worst in people. I’d think that an enforcement body does the same.
Ugh. Bullseye. Living in a community in coastal NC with lots of retired Yankees from NY etc who are “formerly important persons”. Drawn to the board like flies to …. uh not honey. I had one come up to me one day because my car was pulled up on my lawn, and one tire was about 2 inches on the lawn. Endless stream of emails about petty nonsense. I get it rules are important in a community. So is common sense and a healthy dose of leave people the hell alone….
Exactly. Kind of like the Constitution – you are elected to enforce it – not make up laws. God bless your mom.
Leave the flag and don’t say a word. It’s a strange time in our country when you get flack for flying a flag with the words “Make America Great Again” but it is what it is. Speaking out won’t do anything and would allow them to complain yet again. Last year I had to explain to my 16 year old daughter that she wasn’t allowed to wear her “Make America Great Again” hat to the Santa Monica Pier. It was really sad conversation. I had to explain that some people are so ugly and intolerant that they would harass a 16 year old girl because she dared to hold a differing political view.
Do you mean you wouldn’t allow her to? Or that there was a rule on the pier?
If it had been my 16 year old, we might have worn the hats together!
It used to be, and still should be. It would prevent a lot of trouble escalating. The idea that the law is the first instinct is troubling to me. The biggest advertisers on tv these days seem to be lawyers.