THE Land of the Free is not always true to the lyrics in its national anthem.
Take former Sydney woman Louise Hogberg, who wants to fly the Australian flag outside her house in the United States.
She lives in Windermere estate, in Florida, with her 82-year-old husband Clarence, a former World War II US Navy pilot.
Though she has flown the Australian flag in Italy, California and on the US east coast, the estate board refused permission.
But to Mrs Hogberg’s understandable annoyance, it allows a retired marine next door to fly the Marine Corp flag.
In a letter to the estate board, Mrs Hogberg notes that Australia was a staunch ally of the United States in two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and now Iraq – not to mention being jointly attacked in Bali and in New York on September 11, 2001.
By: Arthur - 13th April 2004 at 16:33
Cool… only i don’t know if those areas are self-inflicted kolkhoz, or just posh contra-ghettos…
By: pluto77189 - 13th April 2004 at 14:51
Hey–get used to it. It’s not uncommon in private communities. Most of the time, when this happens, it’s an American Flag that’s not permitted.
These private communities have “homeowners associations”, little groups of the people that own the houses in the community, that meet, and set rules to abide by, because they have nothing better to do.
Actually, the reason is s o the neighborhood has a degree of conformity. Most of these associations have certain guidlines: No chainlink fence, NO bright colors of paint, only certain plants permitted, no trucks allowed(makes the neighborhood seem a bit too “working class”…bunch of elitists), no satillite dishes, no flags, limits on the number of dogs, the colro of the curtains visible from the street, anything you can imagine.
There have been many instances(several in Florida, actually) where men came back from fighting in Afghanistan, and were fined for displaying an American Flag in their yard, either because it was too big, or because flags weren’t allowed.
They don’t usually care WHO the flag is representing, or from what country–I’ve seen people fined for flying a simple, un-political, decorative flag!
People here HAVE freedom, some people tend to go overboard, and use their freedom to infringe on that of others–that’s why we have guns! Let them try to take down MY flag!
If you drive around in just about any area, you’ll see houses with flags of all countries, here, there’s lots of mexicans, so you see lots of mexican flags and american flags. Up north, lots of Italian flags.
The government isn’t too bad when it comes to stuff like that…it’s small local groups, and even local governments , where stuff like this happens….crazy…people have it TOO good, and they have not a thing to do. they have it all, and their only way to improve their lives is by taking away from others…makes them feel better, I guess?
Sign In
April 12, 2004 at 2:39 am