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Schadow
Vice Admiral
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 936
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
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 Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:27 pm Post subject: Old-fashioned punishment by VFW post for flag-burner |
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A 21 year-old Valley Falls, NY, man was duct-taped to a flagpole for 6 hours after he burned the US flag at a VFW hall.
From the Times Union of Albany, NY:
| Quote: | Suspected flag burner pilloried
Alleged offender hunted down, ridiculed after incident at VFW post
By BOB GARDINIER AND HUMBERTO MARTÍNEZ, Staff writer
First published in print: Saturday, September 26, 2009
VALLEY FALLS -- The young man was given three choices: get turned over to the police, go one-on-one in a fight with a seasoned war veteran, or be duct-taped to a flagpole for six hours with a sign around his neck identifying his alleged crime: flag burning.
It was the third option that would still have the small town buzzing a week after a 21-year-old was hunted down and forced to endure a public humiliation with its roots dating to the Middle Ages. Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1938 were incensed enough to tie up the man last Sunday after they accused him of setting the flag in front of their building on fire.
Post Commander Nick Normile, a Vietnam War veteran, said the man came into the post's bar Sept. 18 on Poplar Avenue and was eventually turned away for not having a proper ID.
Apparently angered, the young man, who Normile did not want to name, cut the rope of the American flag flying overhead and used a cigarette lighter to set it on fire, Normile and others said.
The man sat pilloried as the village had its fall youth soccer picnic with a long parade of children passing in front of him.
"He'll never disrespect the flag again, I can tell you that," Normile said.
Normile said the flag had at one point flown over U.S. troops in Iraq [and] had special significance.
Veterans, both local and nationwide, responded to the event as accountings were posted online to the official VFW Facebook page and national Web site. Comments posted supported the act and added ideas for further punishment.
Other nearby business owners said they knew of the event but refused to give an accounting. Unconfirmed reports by citizens said the alleged flag-burner was a relative of a previous commander of the post.
Calls made to the alleged flag burner and a spokesman for the national VFW organization for comments were not returned. The Rensselaer County Sheriffs office confirmed knowledge of the event, but said they were not involved. State Police in Brunswick were contacted, but a trooper said no record of the event could be found.
The flag will be disposed of at a formal ceremony, Normile said. |
The first ACLU lawyer to arrive in Valley Falls should be greeted by tape-wielding Post 1938 members.
Schadow
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Capt, 8th U.S. Army, Korea '53 - '54 |
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1991932
Lance Corporal
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 381
Location: Massachusetts
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| Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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I read this over on Free Republic a few hours ago. It already had over 70 responses, but I held off jumping in because I knew that a few beard-stroking anonymous twits would take the "high road" and condemn the response by the VFW.
But over here, amongst fellow Vietnam veterans, I will loudly proclaim:
WAY TO GO, GUYS!!!!
We need a few more of these stories.
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Former "War Criminal" |
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GoophyDog
PO1
Joined: 10 Jun 2004
Posts: 480
Location: Washington - The Evergreen State
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| Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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| 1991932 wrote: | | WAY TO GO, GUYS!!!! |
Gonna have to disagree with you on this one. Taping that piece of scuz to the flag pole was the wrong way to go. Taping loosly to a wooden fence post would have been much better.
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Why ask? Because it needs asking. |
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LewWaters
Admin
Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 4042
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:06 am Post subject: |
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Video report at Gateway Pundit explains that the young man was given choices on what would be done and he agreed to sitting duct taped to the pole.
To the credit of the VFW, they will not say his name or releaase information on his identity to the public, considering the matter now closed.
I applaud what they did too and hope also he learned to show respect to the flag.
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Clark County Conservative |
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Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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| Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:12 am Post subject: |
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| 1991932 wrote: | WAY TO GO, GUYS!!!!
We need a few more of these stories. |
While I don't, by any means, know the circumstance, facts nor legal implications involved here, it seems quite plausible that the VFW (or whoever was involved) may be in some deep legal jeopardy.
While I can certainly understand some righteous glee in the administration of some "street justice" to a hooligan, that same hooligan may emerge from this as a very wealthy hooligan...at the VFW's expense.
I hope this alleged administration of "street justice" tastes just as good in the morning. |
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BuffaloJack
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 10 Aug 2004
Posts: 1637
Location: Buffalo, New York
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| Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:16 am Post subject: |
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I approve of this action.
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Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71) |
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TEWSPilot
Admiral
Joined: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 1235
Location: Kansas (Transplanted Texan)
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| Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:29 am Post subject: |
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| #1, it appears the punishment was the result of a plea bargain, so the VFW may be on firm ground legally. Who knows anymore, though, the rule of law has been abandoned for decades. |
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