[Grovenet] That's one big flag

[Geri]

Well said, Mark.

Although the flag is a gift, I don't recall hearing if the community was asked if this was an appropriate gift to accept.

Honestly, due to the very description of it by the person who told me about it a couple days ago, the first thing that popped into my head was that it was a gift from soon-to-be neighbor WalMart!

---

BTW, GroveNuts, when Mike & I visted Pearl Harbor last summer, I purchase a 2x3 flag there to bring home and fly in honor of my late father-in-law.  Still haven't gotten the small flagpole attached -- a project for before Memorial Day next month.  ;-)

Geri

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "mark oberzil" <obrzl at verizon.net>
To: "Forest Grove local interests list" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 9:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] That's one big flag



There are two big problems with the big flag. First, the size is inappropriate; second the way it was done does not reflect American values.

The flag is a cultural accessory. Properly displayed it is a succinct reminder that America is an amazing place filled with wonderful people united by hard-won liberty and justice.

Like any accessory, however, it can be overdone: some women wear too much lipstick, some men wear loud ties or too much aftershave, some cooks use too much salt.

And in misuse, or over use, the message is changed, or the wrong message is sent.

The big flag dwarfs everything, is that how we want to symbolize government? Is our government a huge, omnipotent eye that looks imperiously down on all of us, seeing, taxing and regulating everything? Or have we become so fearful that we need ever bigger flags to feel secure? Is the size intended to bully people who disagree?

It's the wrong statement. It's inappropriate.

The second issue is how this was done. There can be no question that the big flag is a public statement being made in a public place. But the one thing we can all agree any American Flag symbolizes -that we live in a land where people get to decide how they want their country run, through elections and other public input- this is precisely what was left out of the process. 

This thing was shoved down the community's throat by an autocratic government edict. And that's just plain un-American.

Mark Oberzil

--- On Thu, 4/23/09, Allen Warren <osubuckeye59 at yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Allen Warren <osubuckeye59 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] That's one big flag
To: "Forest Grove local interests list" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2009, 3:49 PM

Bigger is better? One better than the Jones'? "Because we
can!"? :-)

Allen Warren


________________________________
From: Steven <NoSpam03 at comcast.net>
To: Forest Grove local interests list <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 8:26:21 AM
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] That's one big flag

Is there a good explanation for why there is a humongous flag?
-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com]On
Behalf Of Bob Browning
Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2009 7:47 AM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] That's one big flag


No chuck, Chuck!! Any flag you can see from one end of town to the other
is one humongous flag!! I wonder how long until the City has no money to buy
the replacement flag when this one is all tattered in about 12 to 14
months?? Or, maybe the Mayor is going to come up with the additional funds
needed??

bob
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

chuck wrote:
Saw the flag yesterday as I was leaving town for work.

That's - um - one - HUGE - flag.

Wow.------------------------------------------------------



      
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