Lake Democratic Party head removes Obama flag veterans termed 'desecration'

[The Backlash Cometh]

TAVARES — A flag depicting an image of President Barack Obama was taken down from Lake County Democratic Party headquarters today after several veterans complained it was a "desecration."

A short confrontation at the Democratic office ended when party chairwoman Nancy Hurlbert took down the controversial flag, which had been flying under an American flag on the same flagpole.

"It's a cult of personality to show his face, like Stalin or Mao," said John Masterjohn, a former Marine and retired schoolteacher from Leesburg. "It's despicable. They don't realize how sick they are."

But Hurlbert said it was the first time that anyone had complained about the flag, which was given as a gift and had been flying for several months without any response from the public.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/os-barack-obama-flag-face-20120313,0,7169871.story

[arcane1]

1. If it had been a Bush flag, I admit, I would want it gone

No human's face should be there.

[enough]

2. I've never seen a flag with the President's image in the blue field where the stars usually go.

Is this usual?

[Puzzledtraveller]

14. No it isn't.

There is a common code of respect for display and treatment of the flag. It is extensive and though you see many ways in which it's image and colors are improperly used, boxer shorts, logos, etc. Altering it's image by placing the face of the president, or mickey mouse, anyone, would be incredibly disrespectul. As for me I just find it tacky and embarassing to have my presidents face on it. I'm glad it was taken down.

[Arctic Dave]

3. Being an anti-First Amendment douchebag is despicable too.

Stop being a little baby and go do something meaningful.

[Blue_Tires]

10. +1

He strikes me as someone who wouldn't vote for Obama anyway so WTF does he care??

[earthside]

4. It's not flag desecration ...

... because it is not an 'American' flag.

If the face of someone had been sewn or glued over the stars, then that might be desecration.

As it is, it is just a flag in similarity with the U.S. flag, but with Obama's visage silk screened into the blue field; no different than the peace symbol U.S. flag or the ecology symbol flag.

And the one military jerk in the video was way out of line threatening to take the flag down himself.

However, I have to say that I think the 'Obama flag' is in pretty poor taste and no President should be elevated to that kind of level to become symbolically become 'part of the flag'. So, I'm glad those Democrats decided to take it down.

But I am sick to death of these 'veterans' who think they have some kind of special rights and/or powers to police who is sufficiently patriotic or what is 'patriotically correct' for other people. Just because you've been in the military does not give you superior citizenship ... but those guys sure think they are the patriot police.

[alp227]

8. These veterans are no better than radical Muslims protesting over Muhammad drawings.

The similarities in ideology between American conservatives and radical Muslims is the untold true story in politics!

[Brettongarcia]

16. "Fundamentalists"; they're all the same. Christian or Muslim.

"Can you not see the beam in your own eye."

[GusFring]

5. should have told them to fuck off. nt

[whistler162]

6. Wonder if they objected to the fat old ex-con

who we occasionally see wearing a US flag swimsuit?

G. Gordon something?

[Blue_Tires]

11. Or show him the pic of Bush Jr. autographing someone's flag during a campaign stop

[JHB]

7. You want to see "Cult of personality...like Stalin or Mao", then...

Make a line of those with Reagan's face and sell them at Tea Party rallies, gun shows, CPAC, any Republican town hall meeting or campaign stop....

Now there's your cult.

[backscatter712]

9. I have precious little respect for the flag anymore.

As far as I'm concerned, it's nothing more than a piece of brainwashing cloth.

People who get upset about flags need to find something better to do.

[johncoby2]

12. I will fight for their 1st amendment rights to be stupid

What a bunch of dumbasses. What did they expect?

Geez folks. Have a bit of common sense and think before you think.

[LeftinOH]

13. That rectangular piece of material sure gets people riled up, don't it?

[USArmyParatrooper]

15. I agree with them.

But unlike the teabaggers and the GOP on I'm consistent on this. I don't like it when anyone alters it, and as someone else on here pointed out Conservatives have done it, too.

The only altered American flag that doesn't bother me is the ones I've seen that depict Native Americans. They were here before us.

[tjwash]

17. The US flag, made with fabric manufactured in India...

...shipped over on trucks and container ships fueled by oil from the Middle East to China, where child sweatshop labor stitches them together,and boxed up with cardboard boxes manufactured in Indonesia.

Go USA

[Brickbat]

18. That flag sounds bizarre, and I'm glad they took it down.