How patriotic are you?

[BobcatJH]

Now, it could just be the after-effects of the myraid cold, flu, sore throat and stuffy nose medicines I'm presently using, but stories like this make me very, very cranky. It seems that Pat O'Brien, owner of a local Chevrolet dealership, has a problem with the city of Westlake's patriotism. Or, more specifically, the city's obvious hate-America-first attitude in the face of O'Brien's unwavering defense of liberty. Or, even more specifically, O'Brien wants to be able to break the law to hang a giant American flag. Could O'Brien hang any number of smaller flags and stay within the law? Sure, but small flags do not a patriot - or a good salesman - make.

O'Brien's plan is simple: Hang a 600-square-foot flag from an 80-foot pole at his west-side dealership. The oversized banner, he suspects, would draw the attention of motorists traveling along nearby Interstate 90 - and possibly bring them to his dealership, which is in the midst of a $5 million expansion. One problem, however. The city of Westlake has a law limiting flagpole size to 35 feet. When O'Brien took his plan to the local zoning board, he lost by a vote of 4-1. Due, said Westlake Law Director John Wheeler, to the fact that O'Brien couldn't prove an unnecessary hardship brought about by the 35-foot regulation. "The nature of someone's patriotism is not measured by the size of the flag pole," Wheeler said. Tell that to O'Brien.

"It's not right, what these people are trying to do," said O'Brien. "The American flag stands for what this country is." Added the dealer, "I would never think I'd need an attorney to put an American flag up. It's something I believe in, and we should have the right to do it." Less sympathetic was city director of planning and economic development Bob Parry, who said, "There's nobody against having a flag on your property, but there's a regulation relative to free-standing structures." Not enough, says O'Brien, who has hired a lawyer and is planning on placing ads in area newspapers about his plight. "Just because they had a law, someone made them," he said. "They can change them."

Needless to say, O'Brien's struggle - comparable, no doubt, to those faced by fellow trailblazers Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. - has been taken up by the local media. Two stations, one a FOX affiliate and the other little more than a televised tabloid, framed the conflict as one patriot having his freedoms trampled upon by nefarious city leaders. The latter station's anchors, after the story aired, even editorialized that they thought O'Brien should get his 80-foot flagpole. Somewhere, Edward R. Murrow shook his head in disgust.

Stories like this, to be sure, go a long way to showing me why so many in this country - especially the media - can excuse the administration's lawbreaking behavior. From warrantless wiretapping to detainee torture, there's quite a bit of lawlessness the Bush White House has excused in the name of keeping Americans safe. O'Brien's wishes, of course, are nowhere near as reprehensible as those two violations. That said, his attitude in the face of the law is indicative of an atmosphere this administration and the Republican Party has allowed to fester in America.

Don't like a law? Break it. Need an excuse? Question your adversary's patriotism. Lose your appeal? Take it to the media. We've gone from a nation of doers to a nation of complainers. The Greatest Generation has given way to the Nuisance Generation. O'Brien could have stayed within the law and erected dozens of flags. But he didn't and is now painting his opponents as unpatriotic. Bush, accordingly, could have spied upon alleged terrorists and stayed within he law. But he didn't and both he and his surrogates painted their opponents as on the side of the enemy. Said Parry, "You're only patriotic if you have a flag at 80 feet and 600 square feet in size? I guess that's what he's saying."

Better watch out, Mr. Parry. Wouldn't want people thinking you're an al Qaeda sympathizer.

[niyad]

1. "patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels"-- dr. johnson. too bad this little bushbot

reichwinger does not understand this.

quite apart from any other consideration, just how much of an eyesore and a distraction is that 600 square foot flag going to be? what is it going to be like flapping in a breeze?

[liberal N proud]

2. Patriotism is what the elite use to get the poor to fight their wars

[not_a_robot]

3. The appropriate response

Is to change the law/ordinance, then block all view of his dealership and signs with gigantic flags.

[atreides1]

4. I have an Idea

The zoning board can allow him a special waiver, he can fly his flag as long as 50% of his profit from car sales goes directly to the USO, or any other organization that provides assistance and support to the military.

That way he can put his money where his "patriotism" is.

[sarge43]

5. My answer has always been ....

patriotism is like sex, money and religious faith. Those who have it don't have to flaunt it.