Bad Sussex Square Homeowner’s Association, Bad! BAD!!

This really has my knickers in a twist:

In a suburb of Richmond, VA, retired Army Colonel Van T. Barfoot, 90 year old WWII Congressional Medal of Honor winner (!) put up a 21 foot flagpole in his front yard. You know, to fly our nation’s flag. During wartime.

His homeowner’s association then threatened him with legal action if he hasn’t removed it by 5pm tomorrow (a deadline they have since extended to next Friday … mighty big of them) because it “violates the neighborhood's aesthetic guidelines”.

Really.

Well, shame on you, Sussex Square Homeowners Association!

And the attempt to qualify your argument by clarifying, “This is not about the American flag. This is about a flagpole” is just plain lame. Yep, lame. You (nine) people are lame; you Lamey McLamensteins, you.

The man is 90! He is a distinguished veteran! It is the American flag! Our flag! And you insult him by advising him to hang one off his house instead. Not that there’s anything wrong with the kind that hang off the house (I have one, but only because I don’t have a real flagpole).

But if a grown man who’s defended the rights and privileges of this great nation (he won that medal in 1944 in Italy, when he single-handedly went up against three German machine gun nests [through a minefield!], captured 17 German soldiers, stopped a tank advance, and rescued a couple injured Allied soldiers … in a single day!) wants to proudly fly the flag for which he fought, then by all means he deserves to be able to do so without his idiot homeowner's association and, by default, neighbors, giving him even a modicum of guff. And that medal he won? Because he’s a man’s man (and more man than any member of his homeowner’s association, apparently), he had it presented to him in the field (instead of back in the U.S.) so his soldiers could share in the ceremony. Cool. Just … cool.

Yes, I understand he first sought permission (and was refused?!?! WHAT? have you never heard of a ‘special dispensation’?), then proceded to put it up anyway (oooh! he must be punished because he defied you!) and has been flying the flag since Veteran’s Day. That’s because you were stupid enough to refuse him in the first place. We already know Mr. Barfoot can accomplish more in a single day than most people do in a year. Howsabout you join the rest of us in honoring him for that?

What is wrong with you, Sussex Square Homeowner’s Association? Knock it off; he's not going to be around for you to insult ... er, honor ... forever, you know.

EDIT: Good news! Great news! Col. Barfoot gets to keep his flagpole!! So suck on those 'aesthetics', Sussex Square Homeowner's Association!