An uncommon virtue, we are told. But the sanitizing light of public scrutiny has a way of shaming petty tyrants, at least:
A 90-year-old Medal of Honor recipient can keep his 21-foot flagpole in his front yard after a homeowner’s association dropped its request to remove it, a spokesman for Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said Tuesday.
The Sussex Square homeowners’ association likewise has agreed to drop threats to take legal action against retired Army Col. Van T. Barfoot, Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said.
The association had threatened to take Barfoot to court if he failed to remove the pole from his suburban Richmond home by Friday. It had said the pole violated the neighborhood’s aesthetic guidelines.
Score one for the good guys.
On a larger stage, the Obama Justice Department has taken a step towards de-criminalizing policy differences:
The Obama administration has asked an appeals court to dismiss a lawsuit accusing former Bush administration attorney John Yoo of authorizing the torture of a terrorism suspect, saying federal law does not allow damage claims against lawyers who advise the president on national security issues.
Such lawsuits ask courts to second-guess presidential decisions and pose “the risk of deterring full and frank advice regarding the military’s detention and treatment of those determined to be enemies during an armed conflict,” Justice Department lawyers said Thursday in arguments to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
Upon entering into political power, there is no doubt a temptation to degrade those that you have defeated. A year or so in office causes the wise man to instead listen to the ticking of the clock.
If I were King I’d ban homeowner’s associations from existing in any legal form with any standing in the universe. If homeowner’s wanted to get together and agree on how to manage their collective interests fine. Access to the courts to air petty quarrels – not on anyone’s taxpayer funded nickles.
Allow public stockades in the common grounds to display those who refuse to play nice in the sandbox perhaps but these things have gotten way out of hand. I once was cited because I had a frosted light bulb in the light fixture by my front door. I had to open the thing up to even tell for sure that to be the case. I ignored it and suffered no ill effects but could have had a nasty surprise when I sold the place with untold liens and fines had the Naxi wannabe that took offense pressed the case.
Not in my America – as decreed by me, King in my own fantasies, at least just once.
“Uh, Mr. President, if we do this to a Republican, what’s stopping them from doing it to us?” And thus sanity returns…
Ahh, Byron, but the Dems don’t think that they’ll ever be out of power again. They’re convinced that all Republicans are stupid, with short attention spans, and shaking hands grasping their guns and bibles. Got to admit the shaky hands part is true of some of us Seniors, but those of us who live in Texas have house guns anyway, and the ability to fire them at housebreakers if necessary. And our collective memories are excellent, as well as our general intelligence, as Congress and the White House will learn, beginning with the 2010 elections.
The Dems/Socialists may not be far off the mark in their opinion of Republicans Marianne. Now, conservatives on the other hand, not so much (or so I am desperately hoping). We will see in 2010.
As to Lex’s comment about BHO: If only there were any reason to think that BHO is a wise man, and not just bowing to political pressures.
…grasping their guns and bibles…
Marianne, with all due respect please get the narrative right. It’s clinging to our guns and bibles. And not just cling, but be bitter at the same time.
Come now, these are P.BO’s talking points; we must get them right so we can use them effectively in 2010.
Kris .. Glenn Beck had a guy on his program last night named Caddell, who had been part of the Carter Administration, and who said that he had never witnessed such a level of anger among the populace before. He suggested that it might lead to “a revolution,” which I thought was interesting. Let’s hope, for all of our sakes, that it will be a non-violent one — from our side, at least. But I’ll be flying my “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, nonetheless.
Marianne
Pat Caddell was a pollster and political savant on the Democratic side back in the mid-70s. At the time he seemed quite liberal. Compared to the lefties we have in power now he seems quite middle of the road. His instincts and observations were spot on most of the time then, even if I didn’t agree with most of what he stood for, so I wouldn’t discount his feel for such things now.
Marianne: The Oracle and I proudly fly our “Don’t Tread on Me” flag. It’s hanging from the small barn in our backyard, inside which there is a healthy stockpile of ammunition – both made and waiting to be made by The Oracle. Under heavy lock and key of course.
We love the poetry of it all.
Marianne and et. al.
Just joined the group- Gadsden flag is up and flying today.