Firefight Over the Red, White and Blue

[Chris_]

Firefight Over the Red, White and Blue

Chester, Pa., firefighter James Krapf wants to know what's wrong with Old Glory. The 11-year veteran was suspended without pay Thursday after he refused to peel a sticker of the American flag from his locker.

"It's pride…it's a matter of pride," Krapf said.

A new department rule mandates that all stickers and statements – union, cartoon and political – be stripped from lockers after several offensive and racist images showed up in the firehouse. But Krapf figured the red, white and blue was safe.

It seems he was wrong.

"The chief came out and said 'You have to remove your stickers,' I said 'No disrespect chief, but I'm not taking the flag off,'" Krapf recounted. He says the officer then asked him to leave.

Fire Commissioner James Johnson, who served in the Marine Corps, vows the symbolism of the decal is not the issue.

"We wear the American flag on our uniform…it's flying outside that station," he said. "It is not about the American flag or patriotism."

But Krapf refuses to give up and he's not alone. The firefighters union plans to negotiate with the department on the issue.

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"It is not about the American flag or patriotism."

Like H*ll it isn't.   

[debk]

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Like H*ll it isn't.   

In a way it isn't.

If all stickers, etc are banned...then all have to be.

The problem is...there are lots of derogatory images of the American flag. If stickers of the flag are allowed ...what are you going to do if it's a derogatory one? Who determines which ones are acceptable and which aren't?

You know someone will test how far they can go ....then get the ACLU involved because their "rights" were being infringed upon....and on and on.

Pretty sad really, that someone with the right intentions, is "punished" because there are those who don't have good intentions.... who will create issues that will affect those on the side of right.

[bkg]

slightly different take.

Can an public entity that is paid for by tax payers actually have a private contract such as this that would ban the image of the exact source of the funds that keep them afloat? 

[Chris_]

In a way it isn't.

If all stickers, etc are banned...then all have to be.

The problem is...there are lots of derogatory images of the American flag. If stickers of the flag are allowed ...what are you going to do if it's a derogatory one? Who determines which ones are acceptable and which aren't?

You know someone will test how far they can go ....then get the ACLU involved because their "rights" were being infringed upon....and on and on.

Pretty sad really, that someone with the right intentions, is "punished" because there are those who don't have good intentions.... who will create issues that will affect those on the side of right.

This is similar to those "zero tolerance" policies the schools use that result in zero intelligence for those enforcing them.

[debk]

slightly different take.

Can an public entity that is paid for by tax payers actually have a private contract such as this that would ban the image of the exact source of the funds that keep them afloat? 

Hmmmm....

Here if you live inside the city limits....you have city police, ambulance and fireprotection paid for by both city and county taxes.

I live in the county...my subdivision is a quarter mile outside the city limits.....we pay for fire protection and ambulance to Rural Metro which is a private contractor. We call 911, but only Rural Metro and the county sheriff's department will show up.

If we don't pay an annual fee to Rural Metro...based on the SF of the dwelling....we will be billed for the costs incurred.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Exceptions could be made for unadulterated images of the American flag without distortion, manipulation, alteration or degradation.

It is quite reasonable to ban stackers for political parties, perhaps even religion on property belongong to the parent organization because we are not all Christians or republicans but we are all Americans.

If someone cannot see their way clear to tolerating the American flag and the fact that it protects them in so many ways then perhaps they need not bother to petition the authorities vested under that flag for its removal.

[thundley4]

Fox had a couple of people fro the FD involved, and one of them said that the complaining party has made other similar complaints.