Veterans Call 'Obama' Flag 'Disrespectful,' Demand Removal From Democrat HQ
A veteran who saw what resembled a U.S. flag with President Obama's image where the stars were supposed to be demanded that the Lake County, Fla., Democratic Party remove the flag which flew outside their headquarters.
"It's absolutely disrespectful," 71-year-old veteran Jim Bradford told Fox News. "It's totally ridiculous. To put somebody's picture there, to me, it's a disgrace to do that."
The flag with the president's image was spotted flying under the American flag outside of the Democrat Party office. Bradford took pictures of the flag in front of the headquarters and after researching the issue and finding it was in violation of U.S. law.
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Since the property is in Florida, Statute 256.05 of the state's code says: "No person shall, in any manner, for exhibition or display:
"(1) Place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing or advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, color, ensign or shield of the United States or of this state, or authorized by any law of the United States or this state; or
"(2) Expose to public view any such flag, standard, color, ensign or shield upon which shall have been printed, painted or otherwise produced, or to which shall have been attached, appended, affixed or annexed any such word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing or advertisement."
Soon after Bradford circulated a picture of the flag, a group of veterans showed up at the Democratic Party office and delivered the chairwoman of the Lake County Democratic Party, Nancy Hurlbert, a copy of the federal code governing the U.S. flag.
"We read that to her, but she would not accept that," Bradford told Fox News. "The discussion finally got a little heated."
Bradford and his group offered to take the flag down, instead replacing it with the POW/MIA flag the group offered as a gift, but Hurlbert declined their offer. "No, you will not," Hurlbert told the veterans. "This is private property."
The chairlady said the flag had been given to the group as a gift and had been flying in front of the headquarters for about two months. Before Bradford and his fellow veterans showed up there had been no complaints.
"It leads me to believe that it's not about the flag," Hurlbert told Fox News. "Certain elements cannot accept Barack Obama as president."
Hurlbert eventually relented and removed the flag, but when asked if she or Democratic Party officials would fly it again, Hurlbert would not say.
"I won't say no and I won't say yes," she said. "We want to find out what our legal rights are."
The group's chairlady refused to take the POW/MIA flag. It has also been determined that the flag with Obama's image was made in China. Several states have introduced and passed legislation requiring that all U.S. flags been made in America.
