« Why Not Ask? | Main | Telling a Positive Story About Associations »
May 2, 2005
To the Media: Try Asking a Few Intelligent Questions Before You Go to Print
Once more, a state legislator plays the patriotism card in order to look good in the media, by claiming a condominium association's decision to allow only American flags and not a service flag as a "slap in the face" to Marines. The Michigan Republican state senator stated that "I feel strongly that anyone should be able to express their patriotism in this way and feel compelled to open up the Condominium Act".
A Marine veteran wanted to fly a Marine Corps flag but was turned down by his condominium association (story). He sued, but the local court quickly sided with the association saying that they had the right to make that decision. The veteran took the issue to the media and Marine reserve publications, trying to raise money for an appeal and to paint the association as unpatriotic. He's obviously succeeding and so democracy takes another hit.
This reminds me of another case we had in Michigan last year. A man was flying one of those huge American flags in his front yard and his neighbor filed a complaint that the noise from it flapping all night was keeping his family awake. Of course the flag owner immediately went to the media and claimed he was just being patriotic. No one wrote about the fact that the flag was being flown 24 hours without proper lighting (in violation of flag etiquette), and that it was, in fact noisy. I wonder how the flag owner would have felt if his neighbor had blasted the Star Spangled Banner into his bedroom window at 3:00AM every night. He might have actually realized that it was about the noise, not the flag or patriotism.
The media should have asked the gentleman a few additional questions:
This isn't an HOA, its a condo and the gentleman does not own the outside of his unit. It's owned by all the owners. Where did he think he had the right to ignore their wishes and do whatever he felt like.
A Board of Directors, democratically elected by the owners, decided on a policy, (not unlike our state government). Apparently Marines feel they are not bound by decisions made by elected officials. Is that true?
Taken another way, a decision was made by higher authority. Aren't Marines supposed to obey those in command when given a lawful order?
A court told him that the association did have the right to make rules and that he was supposed to abide them. (See prior question)
When he lost his case to the Board and the court, he took it to the media and other Marine reservists. Since when do Marines whine?
When he bought his unit in the condo, he agreed to abide by the documents and rules and by the decisions of the democratically-elected board. Don't Marines keep their word?
As a Navy veteran, I resent this individual's discriminatory actions by not flying all of the service flags. Does this person have something against the other branches of the service?
And the media should have asked the association:
Does this mean you won't allow scouting flags and banners, university flags and pennants, religious flags symbols or emblems, foreign flags (we're right next door to Canada), sports flags and pennants (hey, the Pistons World Champion banner should be able to fly anywhere, anytime, at least until hockey comes back), NASCAR pennants, golf flags (although they would have to be placed in the lawn), or other obviously patriotic symbols?
This started off as a rant and then I just began laughing. There's really not much you can do when stubborness meets intransigence and even less when a politician sees it as a good way to get his name in the media.
Personally, I think they association should have found a way to accomodate the individual, but it was their right not to. He should have petitioned his neighbors for support and failing that, accepted the decision and found some other way to honor his service. But now its just a mess and with state pols getting involved, it will just get worse. This is the state government that wrote a badly worded amendment allowing American flags to be flown anywhere on the exterior of a condo unit, so that owners could nail flags to walls or roofs if they felt like it. I expect something similar will come out of this.
To the state senator, I feel compelled to call you a "headline hunting" scavenger, but fortunately, I'm able to resist MY compulsions.
To the media, there are always two sides to issues. Try asking better questions before you write.
Posted by joewest at May 2, 2005 4:49 PM