Nebraska Retiree Fights to Hang American Flag
Every morning since 9/11, Donald Lamp has hung his American flag from his apartment balcony. Managers of his retirement community want it gone, citing policy on building appearances.
Yeah! You should know better then to be patriotic! Dont you watch CNN?
The case makes Lamp one of many Americans who, because of housing covenants, are discouraged from flying their flags this Memorial Day weekend. But Lamp is different from the rest. He is the father-in-law of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Donald and Marjorie Lamp, whose daughter Virginia is married to Thomas, said they donât want to use the connection to influence anybody. "We donât go around saying my son-in-law is Clarence Thomas," Donald Lamp said. "You donât do that. He wouldnât like to have us do that."
I think it is the author of this article who is making a big deal of the relationship..
The coupleâs daughter, who works for the Heritage Foundation, a think tank in Washington, also said she is keeping her husband out of the fray. "Iâm just his crazy, activist wife," she said. "Itâs just me and my dad pushing this." Still, Lamp is holding his ground on flying the flag. "Iâm not about to take it down," the 89-year-old World War II veteran said. Cathy McGrath, the communityâs general manager, said Lampâs stature makes no difference to her. "We have a lot of important people here," she said.
Then why don't you treat them like they're important? | She said the Arboretumâs board set the policy forbidding outdoor hangings such as windsocks, wind chimes, planters and flags when the community opened in 1998. "The board didnât want this very expensive property to end up looking like a frat house," she said.
Worry about that when Mr. Lamp puts a couple beer kegs on his balcony... | In the end, she concedes, thereâs not much she can do if Lamp persists. "Weâre not going to go and remove him physically," she said. The Lampsâ next-door neighbor, Grace Hansen, said she supports the coupleâs display of their flag. "I can see it out my window, and I look forward to seeing it out there every morning. It means everythingâs right in the world," she said.
Great quote!
Another neighbor, Hazel Smith, said she hangs a U.S. flag from her balcony on national holidays.
Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-05-29 |