Firefighters Ordered to Remove American Flags From Their Trucks

Originally posted by LiberalSceptic

Originally posted by CrimsonKapital

If thats true then the American flag is certainly not unique, aren't all Western countries flags have the same premise?

I do consider the American flag a bit more representable for all people in the country. Since it does not have any religious symbols on it, which allot of other flags have.

As Britguy says, the flag does not represent the government, military or people in charge (at least it should not), it represents the people in the country. All the workers, families, homeless and all people whom have loving ideals and whom care for other people.

edit on 17-7-2012 by LiberalSceptic because: (no reason given)

Fair enough.

reply to post by LiberalSceptic


Brit didnt say that- the poster he was replying to did.

=)

reply to post by Common Good


Oh ok my bad, thanks for the correction.

reply to post by LiberalSceptic


No prob =)

Im always here to help-

reply to post by Common Good


And for that I salute you Sir

If anything, I believe the flag should be hung upside down as it is stated in the flag code when you feel the government is failing (at least that's what I keep hearing). I'm for what America used to stand for, and what it should be. I'm not for the corruption and greed that took over the politicians and having them change how America works. I'm not anti-american, I'm anti-neoamerica if that's such a thing. The US used to be the most free and expressive country in the world, and now look at it!

But I will have to strongly disagree with the decision of removing the flags. This is OUR country and this is OUR flag. It may not be the prettiest but by god it represents the best things in life. I agree with everyone that wants all anti-americans to get out. If you don't like where this country has gone, that's one thing -- but to flat-out not like what America stands for, then get out and don't let the border guards hit your butt on the way out.

Originally posted by LiberalSceptic
reply to post by Common Good

 

And for that I salute you Sir

For sure- we are all here for each other =)

I would put the pic in the post but this was easiest for me hah

reply to post by Common Good


Ha ha good pic even though it is not in the post itself.
You can never go wrong with a bit of ST

Awe, you Brits still mad about that revolution thing,huh? Well I see our flag as a REMINDER of the sacrifices made for my freedom and liberty, not as an emotional financing of what some jacka$$ in DC wants to connect it with. While were making generalizations about us stupid redneck Americans, whats up with your de-facto monarchy.



God save the queen!

lol @ all these people freaking out over a flag

But then again all Americans are forced to worship and pledge allegiance to the flag every school day from ages as young as 5. There's no easier way to control a population if you brainwash blind patriotism into them while their brains are still growing. A lil bit too North Korean style for me.

How on earth is this a thread?

What a load of complete and utter nonsense. While the sheep are up in arms about Americans not being able to fly a bloody coloured bit of material in the air, REAL CRIMINALS are stealing the Earth out from under us.

But, by all means, continue fighting about patriotic duty, American machoism, nationalism and how big each others penises are......

Originally posted by Kryties
How on earth is this a thread?

What a load of complete and utter nonsense. While the sheep are up in arms about Americans not being able to fly a bloody coloured bit of material in the air, REAL CRIMINALS are stealing the Earth out from under us.

But, by all means, continue fighting about patriotic duty, American machoism, nationalism and how big each others penises are......

You have to keep the sheep occupied with nonsense. That's why FOX is so popular people are too simpleminded to look for the real reasons why things are done.

Originally posted by phantomjack

The City is being "Sensitive" to those who have anti-American feelings.

So those that are anti-American can now expect to be labelled by the government as terrorists yet be treated with the utmost sensitivity by the city.

reply to post by article

The flag is a standard used since the beginning of time to, I'm guessing, help soldiers on either side understand who they're fighting...

Exactly my point. It is used by TPTB to indoctrinate you when you are young to put aside your reason and kill then later to identify the "enemy". In the end it is used to drape your coffin.

I got a reply from the fire chief which should clear everything up.

Blake,

Not only are Americans allowed to fly flags but we are encouraged to do so. I am extremely familiar with the First Amendment. As you research it a little bit further however, you will find the First Amendment does not provide blanket freedom. None the less, this issue, as you read below is a US Code issue. Since you indicated you support the Constitution, I assume you support the US Code.

Our city’s desire has remained to see American flags flown from our fire apparatus as long as it meets the US Code. The issue was that a single flag was removed from one of our fire apparatus because the flag was displayed in a manner not in accordance with the US Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Section 175, paragraph b. Employees were previously advised in writing on the language in the US Code regarding the proper way to display a flag on a vehicle. This was done as a result of employees previously displaying a US flag improperly on one of our vehicles. An employee committee has been working on a plan to fly flags on all our apparatus that would comply with the US Code for the past three months.



This most recent instance an employee placed a flag on one of the fire apparatus without city approval and again not in accordance with the US Code. While I do not believe the act of one of our employees to display a flag was meant to be disrespectful, that is exactly what happened and the flag was rightfully ordered removed. This issue was never about sensitivity by a single complainant, it was about respecting our flag and our responsibility to make sure all flags are always respectfully displayed. I encourage all Americans to read and understand the US Code, specifically Title 36.



I am proud to report that our department will not wait for the employee committee to make a recommendation on how to properly display the American flag on our vehicles. Our maintenance division is fabricating stainless steel flag poles that will be mounted to the right front bumper (Fire engines don’t have fenders) of all our fire apparatus and flown with a flag made in the United States by the end of the week.




UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 36, CHAPTER 10
§175. Position and manner of display

The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag's own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.

· (a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i) of this section.

· (b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.

Thank you for your email.

George Bessler, Fire Chief

reply to post by phantomjack


@phantom jack
i do not believe the poster said the flag was silly just the idea of having it on every vehicle.

ALSO..

IMO A person should be free to display the flag of any country or indeed any symbol providing it would not course offence on a large scale or be a rallying point for hatred ie the swatstika

Maybe America has become such a diverse country it's time for a flag update.... And before anyone takes offence to this it has been done in the past more than once including the addition of the 2 stars quite recently. Change can be a good thing.

Speaking as a Uk citizen i wonder if any of my brothers or sisters across the ocean could tell me if people still fly the confederate flag in the US even though it has negative connotations???

Just seen the post above. That's a nice end to this one. Hoped it would be something like that. Wouldnt mind having my question answered if anyone gets the chane though still

I heard this on the radio this morning and it infuriated me! Really?!? Take the flags off the fire trucks? Do we not live in America? Are these firemen and firetrucks not fighting fires in America? How about telling all the people out there who are flying their countries flags on their cars to take them down! Oh no! Couldn't do that! It would offend them! And to the poster who said because this is such a diverse country now, maybe we should change the flag? WHAT!?!?! The American flag represents this country and all the people who want to come here from other countries for LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS! If your from another country living in American and the American flag offends you, then GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM! By the way, I don't have any problem with anyone flying their countries flag, but you SHOULD be flying the American flag right next to it and NOT under it either!!!! OK, I'm done ranting for now.

Originally posted by The Sword
Your classification of those who don't like to be blinded by excess patriotism as "anti-americans" is a load of rubbish.

Having a flag on a fire truck isn't 'excess patriotism'.
This is AMERICA. It's traditional to have our first responders with American flags.
.
If people don't like it ... they can get the hell out of our country

If the problem was specifically with the American flag, maybe they should replace it with a different flag. If the American flag is not ok, my first question would be to ask for a list of flags that ARE ok. Would a Mexican, Israeli, Chinese, Nazi, Confederate, or Canadian flag be better? In fact, if the order was only to "remove the American flag" then I wouldn't even ask. I would put up the above mentioned flags, a different one for each truck, until I was asked to remove each specific flag with a specific reason for each one. I would do that just to make a point. Someone will be offended no matter what flag you put up.

But the fact is, these are firefighters in the united stated of America. It's American tax dollars that are paying for these guys to save you when you dial 911. It's American tax.dollars that pay for a cop to come shoot you when you dial 911.

The flag should be there to show who is responsible for the successes and failures of our endeavors together as American people. It's a way of helping to change things when they go wrong. People won't say "oh that's just those crazy LA or NY firefighters or policeman who made this mistakes so its not my problem." When the flag is present, it helps people realize, "hey, this or that is happening to my American brothers and sisters! We gotta do something about this!"

Well, ok maybe its just a bunch of hogwash, but for a minute there, in my mind, there was a glimmer of something that made sense... Some flashback from the past... When things mattered and people cared.

Originally posted by Kryties
How on earth is this a thread?

What a load of complete and utter nonsense. While the sheep are up in arms about Americans not being able to fly a bloody coloured bit of material in the air, REAL CRIMINALS are stealing the Earth out from under us.

But, by all means, continue fighting about patriotic duty, American machoism, nationalism and how big each others penises are......

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Having a flag on a fire truck isn't 'excess patriotism'.
This is AMERICA. It's traditional to have our first responders with American flags.
.

If people don't like it ... they can get the hell out of our country