Long may she wave — the right way.
The Lake County Democratic Party in Florida decided it was okay to fly a flag that had the image of President Obama in place of the stars on the stars and stripes.
Well, the Lake County Democratic Party in Florida should know better, because the Flag Code, which was established in 1942 by President Roosevelt, specifically outlaws placing any kind of marking on the flag for any other purpose.
So Jim Bradford, the 71-year-old veteran who discovered the desecrated flag, was right to bring it to the attention of Nancy Hurlburt, chairwoman of the Lake County Democratic Party, and tell her he was outraged by the act.
“It’s absolutely disrespectful. It’s totally ridiculous,” said the septuagenarian, who helped organize the Veterans Memorial at Fountain Park in Leesburg, Fla. “What really upsets me is that the flag had apparently been flying for months, and no one did anything about it.”
Hurlburt relented, but only after receiving a copy of the code from Bradford and his fellow vets — and after much heated discussion — ordered the flag taken down.
Hurlburt explained to FoxNews.com. that the flag had been flying for months and no one had complained about it, so when someone finally did, she guessed their motives were politial.
“It leads me to believe that it’s not about the flag,” she said. “Certain elements cannot accept Barack Obama as president.”
For real? Did she just say that?
The altered flag was in violation of the code. That’s the beginning, the middle, and end of the story. No subversive ulterior motive, no hidden agenda, no Tea Party conspiracy.
When is this nonsense going to end?
It is most certainly about the flag. Especially for our servicemen and women that have put their lives on the line just so that this flag continues to wave free.
Worst of all Hurlburt was non-committal as to whether she would put the flag up again, saying that she would discuss it with an attorney.
“We want to find out what our legal rights are,” she said.
Before she worries about what her rights are, she should visit a veterans’ hospital and talk to the men and women who have lost limbs, stepped on land mines, and suffered traumatic brain injuries in defense of those rights.
Better yet, discuss it with family members of servicemen and women who have had to stand by while their loved ones defended those rights and the unaltered flag.
Not for Nuthin, (and before you all get your knickers in a bunch), I don’t want to see the images of Newt, Mitt, or Rick on the flag either.
Just the stars and stripes will do fine with me.
Joanna DelBuono's column appears every Wednesday on BrooklynDaily.com. She can be reached at jdelbuono@cnglocal.com.
