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Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / What next wiil we be deprived of?
- - By ssbn727 (*****) Date 12-04-2009 02:50
WWII vet fights homeowners group over Va. flagpole
By ZINIE CHEN SAMPSON, AP

RICHMOND, Va. — One of the nation's oldest Medal of Honor winners was back in the fight Thursday, this time against a neighborhood association that wants him to take down a front-yard flagpole.

Supporters, including a U.S. senator, have been falling in behind 90-year-old retired Army Col. Van T. Barfoot, a World War II veteran awarded the lofty Congressional honor for actions including standing up to three German tanks with a bazooka and stopping their advance.

Barfoot put up the 21-foot flagpole in September in front of his suburban Richmond home. He raises the American flag daily at sunrise and retires it at sunset.

"It's really ridiculous to want to keep the flag from being flown," he said in a telephone interview. "I've heard some terrible excuses out there."

The Sussex Square homeowners' association says the flagpole violates the neighborhood's aesthetic guidelines. It originally ordered him to remove it by 5 p.m. Friday or face a lawsuit, but on Thursday it pushed back the deadline until Dec. 11.

The group has said Barfoot can display the flag, as long as it's in a way that conforms with association rules, such as from a pole mounted on the front of the house.

"This is not about the American flag. This is about a flagpole," the association said in a statement.

Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., is among those offering to help break the impasse, Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said. On Thursday, the homeowners association voted unanimously to ask Warner's office to attempt to reach a compromise in the dispute.

"We intend to get to work right away to try to come up with a solution that's acceptable to both Col. Barfoot and to the homeowner's association," Hall said in an e-mail.

Warner and the war hero became acquainted at veterans' events when Warner was Virginia's governor from 2002-06. Others are backing Barfoot on the Internet, including with a Facebook page.

Barfoot won the Medal of Honor for actions while his platoon was under German assault near Carano, Italy, in May 1944. The award citation says Barfoot, then a 2nd lieutenant, crept up alone on German machine gun nests, killing and capturing enemy troops in three of them, stopped their three-tank advance and helped two seriously wounded comrades back to safety.

He also won the Purple Heart and other decorations, and served in Korea and Vietnam before retiring from the service in 1974. The Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center, a state nursing home for military retirees in Richmond, bears his name.

Barfoot's daughter, Margaret Nicholls, said her father has been moved to tears by the outpouring of support, and hopes the nine-member homeowners' board will use its discretion and let him keep the pole.

"A house-mounted pole? That is not an option," Nicholls said. "The flagpole is definitely what he's fighting for."

All this crap because of a flagpole??? And to do this to a Congressional Medal of Honor winner, purple Heart recipient, WWII , Korean and Vietnam war Veteran??? These people ought to be ashamed of themselves for crying out loud!!!

Respectfully,
Henry
Parent - By Mikeqc1 (****) Date 12-04-2009 02:52
i was just reading that.
Parent - By gndchuck (**) Date 12-04-2009 04:13
those people should be very ashamed at their actions, things like that just pizz me off.  My hat is off to Mr. Barfoot, and he has my support.

Charles Welch
Parent - By Lawrence (*****) Date 12-04-2009 04:31
Every one of his neighbors should be putting a flag up on their lawns in support of that hero.

Maybe they will think of it.
Parent - By FixaLinc (****) Date 12-04-2009 05:38
Sounds like some commies need to be thrown out of his neighborhood.  What they are doing has no class at all and is un-American.  Members of that board and some of his neighbors are apparently unworthy to be his neighbor.   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_T._Barfoot
Parent - - By BryonLewis (****) Date 12-04-2009 06:27
Just hang the flag on the house.  I'm sure he got a copy of the regulations when he bought the house and now he wants to cry over it.  If the HOA wants to amend the regulations then that is one thing.  I've lived in subdivisions with that kind of sh*t before.  Take the trash cans in by a certain time, keep the grass a certain height, what color you can paint the house and all other kinds of crap. 

If he wants to do whatever he wants then move to the country.
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 12-04-2009 08:21 Edited 12-04-2009 08:24
You just say crap like this to yank peoples chains.  Really childish..  Diddn't your mom hug you enough?  Or was it that she hugged you too often?

The guy is old...  Maybe he used to live in the country... Most of the time in the past he live out of country..  Posted in dangerous places to protect you.. Which he did, suffering harm and separation from his loved ones.

Maybe the wounds he recieved protecting you keep him now from living in the country.

Its a telling thing about our society that more and more people are like Bryon and willing to throw Heros under the buss simply to conform with a stupid arbitrary jot or tittle of text interpretation.

He is a man with courage and convictions and is fearless against fools who oppose his wish honor the country he served the lions share of his life.

Cowards hide behind regulations and interpretations in order to harass folks who they are jealous of, pushing and manipulating a real man who is obviously better than themselves, gives them some feeling of value for a brief, deceptive moment.

City or Country, home owners association or *commune*, or township.  All of them would be speaking German or Japaneese today if not for heros the likes of that man.
Parent - - By RioCampo (***) Date 12-04-2009 13:14
There are standards for the height of a flag pole vs. the size of a flag. Most house mounted flags do not meet the regulations for the US flag.
Bryon are you really an American? I have never seen you support anything patriotic.
Parent - By BryonLewis (****) Date 12-04-2009 22:37
Everything I post is patriotic.  You can't change what RIGHT with America.  So why rest on our laurels when there is so much that needs fixed.
Parent - - By BryonLewis (****) Date 12-04-2009 22:49
I'm not trying to yank anybody's chain.  Once again NO ONE HAS PROTECTED ME SINCE THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE, PERIOD.  America wouldn't be speaking Japanese or German for one reason, logistics.  There will never be a major war that would encompass all of American soil.  Now Europe could be speaking German and China could be speaking Japanese without the sacrifices made during WWII, but as for us thousands of miles away, NEVER.  So everybody needs to wake up and realize that fact.

HOA regulations are in place for a reason, to maintain the integrity of the neighborhood.  If it a flag pole or a transmission flower pot, its a regulation.  If it was just the flower pot then no one would give a damn.  But since he's an old vet with a CMH everybody jumps on the bandwagon.  Personally I don't see a problem with the pole, but if its in the regs then its in the regs vet or not.

My HOA has a meeting once a year where the residents get together and talk about things dealing with the subdivision.  If he talked to the neighbors and brought it up at the meeting then I'm sure the regs can be amendend.  I can't change oil in my driveway so I do it in the garage with the door shut, big fu*king deal.  A flag on the house is ok by the regs, so hang the god damn flag on the house and get over it.  PERIOD.  If the neighbors won't stand behind their "hero" neighbor then so be it.  HOAs are somewhat of a democracy.

If someone moved in with an oil leaking truck and had a chicken coop in the backyard would that be ok if he was a vet? 
Parent - By waccobird (****) Date 12-05-2009 00:48
BryonLewis
It wasn't in the regs, If you read all the posts that had been displayed before setting out to yank some chains you might have caught that. LoL
You sure are a potty mouth, I guess Lawrence was more right than wrong. LoL
But since you know best about most everything I will shut up and mind my own business.
Marshall
Parent - - By swsweld (****) Date 12-05-2009 03:46

>HOAs are somewhat of a democracy.


Lynch mobs are somewhat of a democracy too.

Not picking a fight here I just wanted to add that bit of information.

Them Nayhawks are doing pretty good huh Bryon?
Parent - By BryonLewis (****) Date 12-05-2009 04:03
If you're talking about Football...well...I don't want to talk about it.  LOL

But B-Ball, now that's another story.  The Memphis game was a bit close.  But the others have been way too easy so far.

I will have to say that I think the Heels have a harder schedule, at least on paper, than KU does.  We only play 3 ranked teams and NC has 6 or 7 games.
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 12-08-2009 11:52
"the president believes -- I think all of us believe -- that the very least we can do is show our gratitude and thanks to somebody that served our country so admirably."

~~President Obamas Press Seceratary, Robert Gibbs.

Robert Gibbs said Monday that it is "silly" to think that a 90-year-old Medal of Honor winner is being asked to remove a flagpole from his front yard.
Parent - By Mikeqc1 (****) Date 12-08-2009 21:53
good for them...a small sign of respect
Parent - - By Revjsnizzle (**) Date 12-04-2009 15:03
Damn I hate to do this just cause I know I am going to catch hell, but I agree with Bryon.  HOA's are punk arse beaches, but when you move into one you sign a legal document that staes that you will conform to the rules and regulations of the HOA.  I'm dealing with a similar situation now, I built a shed in my back yard visible to noone and the HOA is saying I have to take it down cause the brick doesn't match the brick on my house.  There are ways around every obsticle though, if the house was built before it was in an HOA and the flag pole was up then it can be "grandfathered" in, if it was put up after wards then he can file an amendment, which is what itsounds like he is doing.  He is going about it the right way, get as many people involved as he can, but until the issue is resolved he will have to conform or move, as crappy as that sounds that is what he signed when he moved in.  It sucks I know, but it's not a matter of the HOA picking on Mr. Barfoot, It's the HOA trying to make sure that people like me don't put transmission bird baths in our front yard cause the neighbor has a huge flag pole.
Parent - - By waccobird (****) Date 12-04-2009 15:35
Revjsnizzle
I too was going to talk about H.O.A's and don't buy in if they are not what you want.
But I noticed in the wikipedia link Fixalinc posted that it wasn't part of their rules, they just didn't like the looks it made.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_T._Barfoot
In December 2009, the homeowners' association (HOA) of the Sussex Square, where 90-year-old Col. Barfoot lives in Henrico County, Virginia, ordered him to remove the flagpole from which he flies the American flag. The HOA retained a lawyer to help enforce their order. The association's bylaws do not forbid flagpoles, but the HOA ruled Col. Barfoot would not be allowed to use his "for aesthetic reasons". Col. Barfoot is contesting the order
So I would leave it and let my lawyers handle it.
Marshall
Parent - - By ssbn727 (*****) Date 12-04-2009 16:01 Edited 12-04-2009 16:36
Marshall!

You hit the proverbial head of that nail when you said: "So I would leave it and let my lawyers handle it." Too many laws are left to be handled only by the armies of lawyers around htis country which is why we're so much deep excrement as nation IMHO!!! :) :) :) Too much power is taken away from the citizens and instead handled by the lawyers which is also why they have sold this country out to the highest bidder as well...

I know this is a nation of laws, but it is also a nation of people as well and when there are too many restrictive laws, then the people turn out to be the biggest losers, and I seriously do not think that was the intention of our founding fathers when they decided to start this great experiment which has turned into a real mess from what was supposed to be a work in progress! ;) In any event, I hope you have wonderful weekend Marshall... One day at a time. ;)

Respectfully,
Henry
Parent - By waccobird (****) Date 12-04-2009 17:41
Brother Henry
I agree at the sad state created by some people like some lawyers and some politicians and let us not leave out some doctors and some clergy just to name a few.
Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va. is going to try to help with the Col.'s cause and I pray with the people behind them that Col. Barfoot will be allowed to honor his flag now as He valiantly did years ago in Europe. It is people with patriotism like his that movies are made about and more important to us gave us a more secure country to grow up in. Thank God for all those men both Living and Dead.
In any event I hope you have a wonderful weekend also and enjoy life one day at a time.
I will not get into the sad state of affairs recently seen in New York I believe where if you want to build something that the City/State feels will generate revenue they can take it from the individuals and sell it to the corporations.
Thanks Henry
Marshall
Parent - - By ronnie taylor (**) Date 12-05-2009 04:18 Edited 12-05-2009 04:34
Seems to me The H.O.A is being very disrespectful to col. Barfoot, seeing how he did fight for their freedom to form a H.O.A!!! RESPECT the ones that came before you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You give some people a little power next thing you know their an electric company! communist pigs!!!! Thats my 2 pennys
Parent - - By BryonLewis (****) Date 12-05-2009 05:08
I'm going to have to go back through the writings of Karl Marx to see if I can find the place where Communism bans flagpoles.  I must have missed that or I might assume that no one here know anything about Communism than what has been shoved down Americans throats since Joe McCarthy.  So perhaps this will help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH5atzhoyQ4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRRVz14K1w&feature=fvw
Parent - By ronnie taylor (**) Date 12-05-2009 06:11 Edited 12-05-2009 15:45
telling someone what they can or can not have in their yard that they paid for with their money is Communism in my book! But i'm not the intellectual that you are eather, just a simple farm boy from tennessee.
Parent - By swsweld (****) Date 12-07-2009 02:16
Very well done videos Bryon. Did David Axelrod do these for Obama or did Obama do them himself?

>only under communism does the individual become himself and lead his own life.


Johann Most

> communism is a society where each one works according to his ability and gets according to his needs.


Pierre Joseph Proudhon

> the employer, even though he does not contribute in the production process, claims the biggest part of the wealth, which was all produced by the workers labour, and gives him very little in return.


I like the "the employer, even though he does not contribute to the production process" bit, that's funny stuff.

Do you actually believe this garbage or is it just to get a rise from the non communist forum members here? Which is, as far as I know every one here except you.
I could address some of the content but why bother.

http://www.digitalsurvivors.com/archives/communistbodycount.php
http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/COM.ART.HTM

>In order to destroy capitalism, the working class will have to overthrow all existing states and establish the dictatorship of the proletariat >on a world scale:


>Communism requires the conscious abolition by the working class of capitalist social relations: wage labour, commodity production, >national frontiers. It means the creation of a world community in which all activity is oriented towards the full satisfaction of human >needs.


Perhaps these will help you Bryon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gIxuOabGBE&feature=related
Please listen to the 3:55 story of the Little Red Hen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p31-xQ2Rrz4&feature=related
Friedman "schools" Donahue on Capitalism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=angbZB2WeMQ&feature=related
Reagan simplifies it for you Bryon. More pushups = more candy.

Incentive is what communism and socialism lacks and people need incentive. It's really quite simple.
Parent - - By Revjsnizzle (**) Date 12-04-2009 16:02
Agreed.  I hope he wins, wife is getting tired of looking at the transmission bird bath in our bathroom....LOL
Parent - - By RANDER (***) Date 12-09-2009 05:53
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579773,00.html

Looks like he won
Parent - By ssbn727 (*****) Date 12-09-2009 14:24
There is another fine example that justice is still alive and well... I salute you Col. Barfoot for standing your ground!!!
Now that's a PATRIOT OF THE HIGHEST CLASS!!! ;)

Respectfully,
Henry
Parent - - By Superflux (****) Date 12-09-2009 18:42
Yes, but at what price though?
Now that precedence has been established, any dingbat (with a grudge for HOA) will be able to errect a pole and fly any flag of choice.........
Parent - By RANDER (***) Date 12-09-2009 19:35
Yes many people have grudges against their HOA and some rightfully so...Members can have power trips whether real or perceived.  I wont live in a community like that and that is my choice.  I dont think this sets a precedent for all HOA complaints however.....The association can write and enforce their own bylaws.  This one decided not to take on this fight.  It never made it court, they simply dropped the complaint.  As for people flying whatever flag they want....I dont believe this particular association barred that, they just barred the use of a flagpole in the yard.  Personally I feel this Man should have taken down the pole..........and installed a bigger one one his house to fly that flag even higher.
Up Topic Chit-Chat & Non-Welding Discussion / Off-Topic Bar and Grill / What next wiil we be deprived of?

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