[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 24966]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               THE SCORE: AMERICAN FLAG 1--FLAG POLICE 0

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, the Oak Parks Apartments in Albany, 
Oregon, this week decided to ban American flags. The apartment manager 
said American flags might offend somebody in the community, so she 
issued a dictate: fly Old Glory, and you get evicted. American flag 
sticker on your car in the parking lot? Not allowed. No Stars and 
Stripes flying from a motorcycle or a car.
  So the American patriots living there fought back. They said anyone 
offended by their American flags would have to just get over it. They 
started flying flags everywhere. One mom put an American flag poster in 
her son's window. He is fighting in Iraq, wearing the flag on his 
shoulder. One lady just walked around the complex every day waving the 
flag.
  These people did not give in. They were offended by the flag police. 
You see, the Constitution protects their right to display the flag as 
free speech. And yesterday the apartment manager backed off. Flying Old 
Glory is okay again, even if it offends the politically correct 
apartment owner.
  So, congratulations to these American patriots. The score: American 
flag 1--flag police, zero.
  And that's just the way it is.

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