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Apartment residents told to take down U.S. flags

by Melica Johnson KATU News and KATU.com Staff

Originally printed at http://www.katu.com/news/local/64059697.html

ALBANY, Ore. - At the Oaks Apartments in Albany, the management can fly their own flag advertising one and two bedroom apartments - but residents have been told they can't fly any flags at all.

Jim Clausen flies the American flag from the back of his motorcycle. He has a son in the military heading back to Iraq, and the flag - he said - is his way of showing support.

"This flag stands for all those people," said Clausen, an Oaks Apartment resident. "It stands for the people that can no longer stand - who died in wars. That's why I fly this flag."

But to Oaks Apartment management, Clausen said, the American flag symbolizes problems.

He was told to remove the red, white and blue from both of his rides, or face eviction.

"It floored me," he said. "I can't believe she was saying what she was saying."

Even long-time residents like Sharron White, who has flown a flag on her car for eight years, has been told to take it down.

White said management told her that "someone might get offended."

"I just said to her 'They'll just have to get over it,'" White said.

Resident we talked to who had been approached to take down their flags all told us the same thing: that management told them the flags could be offensive because they live in a diverse community.

Attempts to find out for ourselves why management would ban flags were unsuccessful. KATU wanted to talk to management at Oaks Apartments, but no one has returned our calls. The woman we were told had made the decision said she was "not going to answer any questions."

The mother of one soldier fighting in Iraq put up a poster in her son's apartment window when she learned of the ban. Her son's roommate said he'll risk eviction to make sure it stays.

Another Oaks Apartment resident, Judith Sherer, doesn't have a car. Instead she carries an American flag around the complex to protest the ban, and wonders if the flag pin she wears is next to be "singled out." 

"If I put it on and I walk outside, what's going to happen?" Sherer muses. "Am I going to be confronted by a manager about this?"

We're told the ban includes sports flags and even flag stickers on cars.

http://www.katu.com/news/local/64059697.html

If the American Flag offends someone they can just get out of the country!  This is a treasonous act by the Fire Chief.

hmy:

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Chester City firefighter suspended over Flag decal

By Joelle Farrell

Inquirer Staff Writer

A Chester City firefighter was suspended without pay yesterday for refusing to remove an American flag sticker from his locker.

JamesKrapf, an 11-year veteran of the department, could face more days ofsuspension if he does not remove the sticker, Fire Commissioner JamesJohnson said.

Johnson directed the force's 61 members to removeall decorations from the outside of their lockers over the summer aftera firefighter posted a cartoon that others found offensive. Thedrawing, which firefighters said was posted by a black colleague,showed two black men and included a racial slur.

Firefighters canpost personal items inside the lockers, but the outside must remain"free of alteration," according to the directive.

Somefirefighters didn't think the American flag was included in the ban.The flag is stitched on their uniforms, hangs on their trucks, andflies on a pole out front.

"The directive says 'everything,' "said Capt. John Barbato, vice president of the department's union. "Inever would've thought the American flag would be included in that."

Yesterday, almost seven weeks after the order went into effect, 11 firefighters were notified that they were still in violation.

Krapfremoved a union sticker and a picture of a truck, but refused to scrapeoff the flag, a one-inch-square sticker that has adorned his locker fora couple of years, he said.

"Anybody who finds the American flag offensive shouldn't be working there," Krapf said yesterday.

"I said, 'No disrespect, Chief, but I'm not scraping that sticker off my locker.' He said, 'OK. Go home.' "

Banning all materials from locker doors was the simplest way to avoid bickering among the staff, Johnson said.

"How do we know what offends who?" he said. "I have to play Solomon here."

Johnsonsaid Krapf would face a two-day suspension if he did not remove thesticker today. Next would come a three-day suspension, and then thematter would go before the mayor and council and could go toarbitration, officials said.

Walter Miles Jr., the citycouncilman who oversees public safety, said he did not know all thespecifics of the incident. "I strongly back my fire commissioner," hesaid. "A directive is a directive."

The Chester City FireDepartment has worked without a contract since 2007. Johnson said thehandful of firefighters making a fuss over the stickers were trying togain sympathy from the public during contract negotiations, anallegation Krapf denied.

Krapf, 31, said he hoped to speak withthe union and the commissioner today and reach a compromise. He doesn'twant to miss more pay, and he's worried that this will be a negativemark on his record.

"I certainly can't afford to lose a day's pay, but it's something I believe in," he said.

Spense at 12:08PM on Oct 14, 2009

Apartment residents told to take down U.S. flags

by Melica Johnson KATU News and KATU.com Staff

Originally printed at http://www.katu.com/news/local/64059697.html

ALBANY, Ore. - At the Oaks Apartments in Albany, the management can fly their own flag advertising one and two bedroom apartments - but residents have been told they can't fly any flags at all.

Jim Clausen flies the American flag from the back of his motorcycle. He has a son in the military heading back to Iraq, and the flag - he said - is his way of showing support.

"This flag stands for all those people," said Clausen, an Oaks Apartment resident. "It stands for the people that can no longer stand - who died in wars. That's why I fly this flag."

But to Oaks Apartment management, Clausen said, the American flag symbolizes problems.

He was told to remove the red, white and blue from both of his rides, or face eviction.

"It floored me," he said. "I can't believe she was saying what she was saying."

Even long-time residents like Sharron White, who has flown a flag on her car for eight years, has been told to take it down.

White said management told her that "someone might get offended."

"I just said to her 'They'll just have to get over it,'" White said.

Resident we talked to who had been approached to take down their flags all told us the same thing: that management told them the flags could be offensive because they live in a diverse community.

Attempts to find out for ourselves why management would ban flags were unsuccessful. KATU wanted to talk to management at Oaks Apartments, but no one has returned our calls. The woman we were told had made the decision said she was "not going to answer any questions."

The mother of one soldier fighting in Iraq put up a poster in her son's apartment window when she learned of the ban. Her son's roommate said he'll risk eviction to make sure it stays.

 

Another Oaks Apartment resident, Judith Sherer, doesn't have a car. Instead she carries an American flag around the complex to protest the ban, and wonders if the flag pin she wears is next to be "singled out." 

"If I put it on and I walk outside, what's going to happen?" Sherer muses. "Am I going to be confronted by a manager about this?"

We're told the ban includes sports flags and even flag stickers on cars.

http://www.katu.com/news/local/64059697.html

I agree Spense! It seems that the average conservative american has to give up all our rights so others aren't offended. Well, I'm offended.

As a veteran who has served under our flag this kind of stuff TICKS ME OFF  ROYALY!!!  If our nations flag offends anyone inside our borders then maybe it's time for them to get thier sorry butts outside our borders.  I better leave it at this before my temper and language get to hot.  This is one matter I just  can't  tolerate.