Driving home from work a short while ago, I noticed something that immediatly set me off. On County Rt 1, in Oswego, New York, a person was flying what I first thought was an American Flag. Then I noticed the coloring on the bars. Replacing the red and white bars was a six bar rainbow pattern. Well, not being one to let someone ruin my flag, I decided to do something about it.
Let me stop the rant right here and get the disclaimer out of the way. I know what the rainbow stripes are for, and I am not against that display. I do not have any issues with anyone flying a gay pride flag, as long as it is below the American flag, alone without an American flag, or anywhere else except as a part of the American flag. I am not prejudiced against anyone's sexual preferences, and don't want this to turn into a fight about gay pride. I undertook a similar campaign several years ago against a local store that flew an American flag with a "peace sign" replacing the stars, and after criticism from several people, the flag was respectfully removed. This is about protecting the stars and stripes, not about someone's sexual preferences.
Back to the real issue. Well, I decided that something must be done. The next day I stopped and took down the person's address, and did a reverse lookup to find a phone number. (Reverse Phone Directory) After calling and a brief discussion with the individual, the flag is still flying.
Perhaps one disgruntled person's call isn't enough. So that's where you come in. I'm asking you, my fellow patriotic Americans, to please exercise your first ammendment rights, and call this individual and tell him what you think of his flag. Now before I put his information here, I would like to emphasize the proper way to do this. DO NOT start with the prank calls and harassment, I really don't need a lawsuit filed against me. Be polite, be courteous, and be respectful. When you call, introduce yourself (its important to tell him your name so that this isn't just some annonyous caller), state your disagreement with his flag, and respectfully listen to whatever he may have to say. I talked with this gentleman for several minutes and didn't get into a screaming match. He is a very reasonable person and just needs the proper volume of complaints to motivate him. DO NOT take the flag down, trespass, or in any way vandalize this person's property. It is his first ammendment right to fly this flag, and it is our right to respectfully protest. I've included his mailing address below, in case this escalates to the point where he changes his phone number. I plan on finding American flag post cards on my journeys this summer and mailing them to him from all over the country.
Ok, if you've made it this far, then I thank you at the very least for taking the time to read my rant. If you would like to contact this individual, here's the info:
Kenneth Cuyler
2011 County Route 1
Oswego, NY 13126
(Number available, but for now he has taken to flag down so I'm calling a 'cease fire')
If you know of more people who need to be reminded of how our flag should look, please let me know. I will soon have pictures of Mr. Cuyler's flag, and hope to expand my fight to some other horrible modifications of the American flag that I have seen in my area.
Thank you for participating in this fight and for showing your patriotism in a proud way. And one last thing: check your own flags. It may not be against the law to fly a tattered American flag in the dark, but it should be. Illuminate your flags or take them down and night, and don't let them touch the ground. If your flag is tattered, contact your local VFW or American Legion for proper disposal. (Most collect worn flags and dispose of them in an annual ceremony.) For more information, visit the American Legion's Flag Section of their Web Site.
