Mar 14, 2012
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A Florida Democratic Party outpost has taken down an American flag depicting an image of President Obama after a group of veterans complained that the flag had been desecrated.
The flag was flying underneath an American flag outside the Lake County Democratic Party headquarters. Instead of stars, the blue field featured an image of President Obama’s face.
http://ak.podcast.foxnewsradio.com/talk/FNCTS/newscomment-3p0314.mp3
That infuriated local veterans like Jim Bradford, the office manager at the Veterans Memorial at Fountain Park in nearby Leesburg.
“I couldn’t believe that anybody in their right mind would desecrate the American flag that way,” he told Fox News. “It was disrespectful.”
“It’s a cult of personality to show his face, like Stalin or Mao,” said former Marine John Masterjohn in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s despicable. They don’t realize how sick they are.”
Nancy Hurlbert, the chairwoman of the local Democratic Party, removed the flag after a group of veterans staged a protest outside her office.
“We’re proud of our president and we didn’t realize it was in violation,” she told the Orlando Sentinel. “I am the chair and I will take responsibility for this.”
Don Van Beck, executive director of the Veterans Memorial at Fountain Park, quoted from the federal flag code – which in part reads: “The flag should never have placed upon it or any part of it, any marks, insignia, letters, words, figures, designs, picture or drawings of any nature.”
The protesters offered to give the Democrats a POW flag as a replacement. However, Hurlbert refused to accept the flag.
Van Beck said he was glad the flag was removed.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this,” he told the Daily Commercial newspaper. “You don’t desecrate the flag, especially for the veterans who fought the wars and died for it. In dictatorships, they have a picture of their dictator on some of the flags, but we haven’t arrived at having a dictator, yet.”
Bradford agreed and said friends who live in the area will make periodic inspections just in case they try to repost the Obama flag.
“I just wonder how many other Democrats are flying the flag at their offices,” Bradford said.
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This is the most disrespectful thing I have ever seen. Where are these people coming from? If it is supposed to be humor it is sick, if it is a serious move on their part it is still sick. God bless those who have and are protecting this country and it's flag and hopefully the politicians will do something to do the same.
Well said girlfriend, some idiots still like him, such morons.
@ Kelly Calder, dictators are molded into being by a society that is too weak or too tolerant, they do not just appear. Obama is like any other dictator from history; it begins with "doing what is best for country," and progresses to "I know what is best", ending in "ONLY I know what is best, and all who disagree will be punished". Power without wisdom can easily spin out of control. Let us open our eyes to see the big picture and take back control as a People united. The people mentioned in "By the people, for the people".
@James Brewster – How is being a dictator? Tell me that. Especially with the flag. No one has a response except "oh well it was a HQ for the Dem party so it has to be his fault." He's not the leader of the Dems. He's their most prominent member but I do believe he is not their "leader." The topic here is this flag – which he had no affiliation with.
So if someone put your face on a flag are you responsible for that action? Or if you're an actor in a movie, you're really famous, someone copies what you do, is that your fault? No.
Kelly Calder That was kind of my point; it is not his fault. A dictatorship is built from a movement. Fidel Castro did not start by trying to be a dictator, he was trying to help oust Batista, who was thought of as a dictator. The movement to rid Cuba of the dictator was driven by a society with a very weak structure and they merely wanted change. What they got was Castro. Who's face then appeared on Cuba's flag. He did not put it there. Hussein did not put his image on the Iraqi flag, Mao, same, Stalin…etc. My point is that our society is too weak and too tolerant to not be very careful about who we elect as our leaders. They need to be leaders, not idols.
James Brewster Yeah but they pretty much ordered it on the flags. He has nothing to do with this. Do I disagree with some of his policies? Sure. But regardless I do not think he is "Hitler," he is not a "dictator" and all that.
Oh, and the short answer to the question of how is he being a dictator falls to stage 2, being "I know what's best", where Obama has tried to force policies w/o jurisprudence. Checks and balnces- elementary government- the system uses the legislature to balance the executive, and vice versa. Also, he is the democrat leader, and the republican leader, too, at this point in time. He is head of this great nation.
James Brewster Oh every President has tried to force policies. For goodness sake, go look at what FDR did to get us into WWII. You wanna talk about someone usurping his authority as POTUS? AND people call him one of our greatest presidents!! Obama is no different than anyone else who gets in that office. He was all young and idealistic and "I can change things" and then he got his first briefing and probably thought "Wtf did I just get into?"
I hope you are right, but here is some food for thought;
Obama has stated that he wants to convert the stock the US govt. now ownsin the nation's banks from preferred stock to common stock. This means the fed. govt. will have controlling interest in the currently publicly traded major banks which are currently in the hands of indiviual shareholders.
Obama ignored the US bankruptcy code by seizing the majority (89% in the case of GM) of all "asset value" of the automakers taking direct control or giving to the unions.
The whole debacle of passing the healthcare plan.
And to shorten this up a bit, he has:
Handicapped American multinationals by denying them tax deferrals.
Launced entitlement programs which punish innovation and dry up funds for entreprneurial start ups.
Stated "we have to spread the wealth around, we have to redistribute the wealth of this country through taxation," – in The Communist Manifesto, Kar Marx staed that "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need"
There is much more, but really I just want to urge us all to be informed and cautious.
BTW- I am not a republican. I am not wealthy. I'm just worried about our direction as a nation.
Thanks, Kelly for the dialogue, I will vex you no more.
I admit it. I'm not a fan of this President. Frankly, there haven't been too many I've liked since President Kennedy either! I'm also a believer in term limits for Congress. Congress no longer represents "us". They may identify themselves as a "House of Representatives", but they're not – at least, they don't give a darn about "us". They're in it for themselves. As a veteran, I totally agree, you should never alter our flag. Far too many men and women have died for it.
What baffles me is these flags are for sale on the Internet. Could I control the urge to keep from tearing it down if I saw one? Would I want to control myself?
Hmmmm…..but these flags are acceptable? While I fully agree that what these people in Fla did to the flag was completely wrong, if I remember correctly, there was little to no noise being made over these particular Tea Party flags. Just as reprehensnible as the Obama flag, imho. Where were all the complaints from the Right when these TP flags appeared?
And to say that the Fla flag was endorsed or some way approved by Obama is laugable at best. Those of you who think we are headed for a dictatorship and that Obama wants to make himself King of America need to double up on their tin foil hats.
http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/morristown-tea-party-1.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LD_Ah5tLKV8/SjPV8IWHXRI/AAAAAAAACEQ/AYlm4AXN7Ws/s400/American_TEA_Party_Flag_25.jpg
I love this sight. I have never seen so much empty-headed blather in one place.
Mr Zito, remember for those of you who love communism, ingnorance is bliss. So you'll fit right in.
I saw that flag and immediately got this picture of Chairman Mao's face plastered all over every flag, every wall, every statue….yikes! This man's ego is ginormous.
He didn't make the flag, endorse the flag, approve the flag, or fly the flag. What does this have to do with his ego?
Elliot Brady he claimed his father served in WW2,claimed the USA invented the auto,said he went to 57 states,etc.His Father never served,the USA has 50 states,but yo ucant tell with his face i nthe place of the stars,and Karl benz in Germany invented the Auto.Learn sometime.
David Burleson He did say his father BUT he wasn't "lying." The constant male father figure in his life was his maternal grandfather who did serve in WWII. So you don't think he considered his grandfather a father? I'm sure he knows his father and step-father weren't old enough to be in the military in WWII and weren't in the US.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/service.asp
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/57states.asp
Oh I'm sorry are you perfect? I'm not a fan of his but I believe George W made WAAAAYY more gaffes than Obama did. I thought Bush was an okay guy and he just spoke like a regular person but he said a lot of stupid stuff. Did he mean everything he said? No he just misspoke. Does Obama think there are 57 states? Doubtful.
Got anything else that's "fact" there David?
I see this forum needs some focus…
Dictator as defined by Webster.
a: a person granted absolute emergency power; especially: one appointed by the senate of ancient Rome b: one holding complete autocratic control c: one ruling absolutely and often oppressively.
SO Has Obama been granted emergency power to take over the country NOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Does Obama have singular control of our country to the exlusion of anyone else? NOOOOOOOOOOOO
Is Obama ruling ABSOLUTELY and OPPRESSIVELY? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Dictator? Go back to school.
The fact that so many people in positions of authority and power are complete morons baggles the mind. Republicans and Democrats are equally guilty in this regard. I'm really geginning to wonder if there is anyone in politics that does not have their head up their ass…
problem is…. on both sides… that morons keep voting morons into office… morons that dont know what the definition of a dictator is<guess they dont watch news about anything outside of their little bubble> and morons that deface the american flag….
Remember when Stalin and Mao Tu Sung had their pictures all over their country's flag?
Remember when Stalin and Mao Tu Sung had their pictures all over their country's flag?
I understand there were approximately 50 of these Obama flags sold; some company ordered them from China. Anybody out there better off that 3 years ago? Go Vote in November. ABO
Our flag is the most important highest Symbol of our country. For everyone who claims to be an American should honor it and never do anything to put it down. Why would President Obama Want his picture on our flag, When he won't even salute it?
@Jill Noland – Who said he "wanted" his picture on the flag? And civilians don't salute the flag. Hand over the heart is what happens. But technically I suppose that is also a type of salute. But it's sad that people just assume he ordered the flags or something. I don't see evidence of that. Where's snopes.com when you need them to debunk something…
Such a sad sign of how some people think today!
Here are three facts all should consider when asking if Obama is trying to be a dictator.
It doesn’t mater what your party affiliation is. You should ask yourselves if these facts give you any reason to believe his wanting to be a dictator might be true.
1. Derrick Bell, who is a racist who wrote radical book and has radical beliefs. He wrote a book about all white people, not just some, selling all blacks with at least 65% melanoma to the Aliens for billions in gold, a clean environment. This series implies that every Americans, who are white, agreed to sell them. But we are asked by Obama to open our minds to his teachings.
2. The Reverend Wright, Who in many of his sermons called white people (White Devils) with much of his sermons saying down with all white people and to hell with America.
3. Bill Ayers, Who is a longtime friend, who has met Obama's children. Would you allow a leader of a radical organization who bombed people in the 70's meet your children if you didn’t condone these radical beliefs? The communist believe in taking power by deadly force if necessary.
For all the idiots out there, I'm not saying he's racist. I don’t know if he is, but I do know he wishes to associate with them and asked us to open our minds to the teachings of Derrick Bell who is the most racist of all. Read his book or watch is miniseries that was put out in the 80's and you'll see what I mean.
yeah I can just see obama not taking calls from Putin just so he can discuss his image on some flag in podunk…. where are you people from? Not the farm… farmers are smart…. not the city…. people in the city are sharp….. what's left? its so sad… its laughable….
Isn't it though? UGH!
I'm sorry, but that just isn't right.
I guess Abraham Lincoln was a dictator too…….I guess he was not on his "right mind" either "Desecrating the flag" You people have issues with reality.
http://www.foodworldnews.com/articles/2254/20120921/obama-new-flag-resembles-lincoln-banner-150-years-ago.htm
OMG OMG OMG The American Taliban.. I mean.. the Tea Party… desecrating the flag.. what a bunch of dictators… blah blah blah.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LD_Ah5tLKV8/SjPV8IWHXRI/AAAAAAAACEQ/AYlm4AXN7Ws/s400/American_TEA_Party_Flag_25.jpg
OMG OMG OMG The American Taliban.. I mean.. the Tea Party… desecrating the flag.. what a bunch of dictators… blah blah blah.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LD_Ah5tLKV8/SjPV8IWHXRI/AAAAAAAACEQ/AYlm4AXN7Ws/s400/American_TEA_Party_Flag_25.jpg
whomever put his face on the flag is moronic.. Its not a sign of things to come any more than Dick Cheney shooting his friend with a shotgun meant Cheney was on a shooting rampage on capitol hill.. Stop the irrational paranoia! sheeesh
Most of you who comment on this story don't know the truth. You want to invent some conspiracy because you are paraoid or racist. I live near this place (this happened MONTHS ago) and was done by one overzealous supporter. If you reallly think this means a dictatorship or worse, then you're a complete idiot who's been watching Fox News far too long. Get a life.
Your right Bob, sad that crap like that even makes it on any news outlet.
Glad we can agree on this Kenneth. And, you're right. Sad that any news outlet thinks this is newsworthy. This is the kind of bull that just starts trouble for no reason.
seriously they didn't realize it was a violation are they kidding now that is sad…. UNINFORMED FOOLS like them have no place casting a vote I'm just surprised they didn't blame the mistake on bush!