Brickbat: The Land of the Free

Officials in Virginia ordered a contractor to remove a giant American flag from a Richmond construction site on the day before the Fourth of July, saying it would be a target for vandals and protesters. "Over the past month we've seen buildings and structures around Capitol Square vandalized and flags, dumpsters, a bus and other items set ablaze during demonstrations around the city," said Dena Potter, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of General Services. "When we saw the flag, we were concerned that it could become a target, so we told the contractor to remove it."

Comments

[AlmightyJB]

Have to hide the valuables from the children.

[Fist of Etiquette]

What is America if not one giant heckler’s veto.

[SQRLSY One]

Government Almighty DAMN it, Fist, ya beat me to it!

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[Rat on a train]

Depending on who is heckling.

[SilentSkies]

That does seem to be the big problem, the non-uniformity of justice.

[R Mac]

Did you hear that BLM protests don’t spread Wuhan? The Experts told me that.

[mapol]

Who the fuck says that the BLM protestors don’t help spread the Covid-19 Virus?

[loveconstitution1789]

Democrats. Democrats are really shitty people. Republicans can be shitty people too we need to get rid of Democrat party first the the republican party

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[Mockamodo]

Rather than protect your private property from the criminals we’ll just make you get rid of your private property. Makes our jobs much easier.

[Jerryskids]

They hate us for our freedom.

[Jerry B.]

Meanwhile, people painting over a “Black Lives Matter” road mural in California are being investigated for vandalism.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/were-sick-of-this-narrative-two-white-people-vandalize-black-lives-matter-mural

[Illocust]

Did the city put it there, or was the mural itself vandalism that the city then endorsed?

[Lord of Strazele]

“pair of Trump supporters quickly ruined the work of residents in a Bay Area town that got the OK to paint a Black Lives Matter mural — and now, cops would like a word.”

They hate us for our freedom! I’m so triggered right now.

[darkflame]

Yep. However, if it’s ok for BLM to pain up a public road, then it’s legal for anyone else to paint up a public road… or paint over BLM’s bullshit. They don’t have any legal reason to go after this couple, especially considering how they’ve treated rioters destroying statues with such a light hand.

[Earth Skeptic]

If the new ethic tells us that anyone offended by an installation in a public space has the right to remove it, then I plan to invest in companies that make paint (and paint remover). Also clubs and bandaids.

[Adans smith]

If everyone would just hide in their houses everything would be just fine.

[BobTaylor]

Isn’t that supposed to be land of the free. Home of the brave?

[loveconstitution1789]

Hence the tyranny to end the freedom.

Lefties cannot destroy America and its for not trying. This is their desperation move.

[Lord of Strazele]

The humanity! Call the police! Rally the racists! To arms!

[Lord of Strazele]

Speaking of terrorism:

https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=sFba6_1594074044

[R Mac]

That’s not what terrorism means.

[darkflame]

while what the cop said is true regarding legal use of force not always being pretty (for example, use of a baton isn’t random, you’re supposed to aim for the collar bones and upper thighs. These 4 areas are supposed to be struck over and over again until the suspect surrenders or bones start breaking, in which case he’ll be unable to physically resist. At the same time, one good shot to the head would take the fight out of most people but is unlawful unless you’re fighting for your life), however striking the head is usually unlawful unless you’re in a fight and the suspect is gaining the upper hand. A guy who’s already got 2 officers on him and is only resisting putting his hands behind himself isn’t an appropriate use case for this. Cop probably didn’t feel like putting up with anyone’s bullshit and wasn’t aware there was a camera

[Rich]

Officials in Virginia ordered a contractor to remove a giant American flag from a Richmond construction site on the day before the Fourth of July, saying it would be a target for vandals and protesters.

And the contractor replied “No”, right? RIGHT?!

[Iconoclast]

“ And the contractor replied “No”, right? RIGHT?!”

Hahaha, if only. They folded like a dollar store folding table and took it down like good subservients.

[Formerly Cynical Asshole]

Given the myriad ways a city government can fuck with a contractor (or any other business for that matter) I can’t entirely blame them for knuckling under.

The problem, as usual, is that the city decided for the contractor that the only solution was to give in to the heckler’s veto and demand that they take down the flag instead of, I don’t know, increasing police presence around the site to deter any assholes from fucking with it. Or if that wasn’t feasible due to police resources being stretched thin because of the rioting assholes maybe simply pointing out to the construction company that their flag could become a target and letting them decide what the best course of action is to protect their property (take it down, hire private armed security to guard it, etc.). Instead they just imposed their will like they always do.

[Agammamon]

No, they removed it. As they should have. Its not their construction site, it belongs to the people who hired the contractor to do the work on the site.

This isn’t a ‘free speech issue’. Its not even a ‘government is suppressing speech because they don’t want to do their job issue’.

If the contractor had put up a giant picture of Che and the customer asked them to remove it – same thing.

[Isaac Bartram]

Excellent point. Property owners have rights that they can assert over any contractors and/or employees that they hire. The fact that the owner of this project is the state does not change that simple fact. No property owner wants his property to be a potential target for vandals.

[Verbum Vincet]

I take your point, but disagree with you for two reasons:

1. The city (government) ‘asked’ the contractor to take the flag down, and they passed on the ‘request’ to the subcontractor. The city does not own the property. Their motive was not (overtly) suppression of free speech or even laziness, but that great contemporary catch-all, “safety.” They considered that by its sheer size, the US flag might be a tempting target for vandals/criminals/idiots, etc.

Since someone might be offended or ‘tempted to commit criminal acts,’ the responsibility (apparently) falls on the private company to create a ‘safe space’ to make everyone’s lives – especially the poor, demoralized government and their police – easier. Some might see that as due diligence, but on private property, where does this twisted ‘logic’ end?

2. Che Guevara was an Argentinian Marxist murderer. It might be appropriate (though risky) to fly his flag in Cuba, but not so much here in the US. Of course, a person should be able to fly whatever flag they wish on their private property, unmolested. Even so, the Stars and Stripes is the flag of OUR nation, and it is certainly appropriate to fly it on OUR Independence Day.

It was private property, so you could argue that the state has no obligation to protect it. Accordingly, if it were my property, I’d fly the flag and hire private armed guards*. Sad, but not as sad as taking it down because some others lack self-control. That it’s a symbol of liberty to many – and NOT a symbol of ‘safety’ – would only strengthen my resolve. The cowards and perpetually offended need to deal with their own problems or learn that it can be risky and expensive to make their problems someone else’s problems.

*then, if someone was hurt or fell to their death trying to vandalize the flag, you’d be accused of ‘setting a trap’ and face years in court, millions in legal expenses, and potential loss of freedom.

[Verbum Vincet]

Pertinent questions: did the contractor know the flag was there before the city made their ‘request,’ and would the contractor have even considered asking the subcontractor to remove the flag without prompting from the government?

“An edit button, an edit button. My kingdom for an edit button!”

[Isaac Bartram]

It was not “private property”, it was a state office building. As creatures of the state, cities are required to protect the interests of the state as they see fit. If no one from the state saw fit to override the actions of the city we can assume the the owner of the property, ie “the state” was completely in agreement with the city’s actions.

[Earth Skeptic]

I guess Virginia does not grok irony.

[creech]

“we were concerned Gov. Northam could become a target, so we told the voters to remove him.”

[Unicorn Abattoir]

remove him, or “remove” him?

[Agammamon]

Do you mean *anal sex*?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6cake3bwnY

[Dan_In_Philly]

The avocado bathroom bit is a funny riff on cancel culture 🙂

[Dillinger]

BLM is Lisa Simpson’s tiger rock.

[Uncle Jay]

America is the land of the free because our ruling totalitarian elitist pigs in power said so.
That’s all you need to know.
Now be grateful.

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