“The American flag means something to them and is a symbol they strongly believe in—part of their identity.”
A community in Georgia is upset over an e-mail they received from their homeowners’ association. The e-mail outlines information that effectively imposes limitations on flying the American flag. Residents are now being told the American flag can only be flown 23 days out of the year, many of those days falling on holidays. One gentleman who gave an interview stressed that he should not have to equate his American flag to Christmas ornaments—brought out for holidays and then stored away, hidden. Other veterans agreed that they should be allowed to fly their flags every day. The homeowners’ association has said the decision was made in the interest of maintaining an aesthetic and architectural appearance within the community.
The veterans who spoke with the media said they will not be removing their American flags. “I don’t think I would be able to look at myself in the mirror,” said one individual. The demands made by homeowners’ associations can sometimes be ridiculous and nonsensical. There’s no way I could subject myself to an HOA, especially in light of the stories that have been coming out lately. A couple months back, an HOA told a Florida woman to remove her Blue Lives Matter flag—which she flew in support of law enforcement. The reason she was given for the request for its removal? A neighbor was offended and felt the flag was racist. Even in that case, at least the American flag was allowed to be flown.
For many citizens of the United States, displaying the flag of our nation is something that invokes memories of childhood houses and celebrations. Even before 9/11, it wasn’t uncommon to find American flags waving proudly in front of homes. After 9/11, many more citizens began displaying the flag, not only in solidarity as a nation, but in renewed patriotism.
Many old-school veterans have a sense of pride that seems to be fading in the United States. The American flag means something to them and is a symbol they strongly believe in—part of their identity. I also see this sense of pride in many veterans of my generation who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
I’m pretty sure the neighborhood wouldn’t be less aesthetically appealing if American flags were allowed to remain on display. This is a pretty dumb move on the part of that community’s homeowners’ association. I can only imagine the fight they’d have on their hands if they didn’t reverse their policy.
The decision comes amid the controversial removing of Confederate monuments in New Orleans that has sparked outrage among southerners who claim that history itself has been destroyed. Hopefully this HOA takes the veterans and their wishes into consideration when it comes to the American flag.
