Now it is a Mexican Flag!

This is stupid, folks, just plain stupid!

Scott Zuniga put a Mexican flag outside his condo for Hispanic Heritage month. Three days later, he had to remove it, or face a $250 fine for displaying it.

Zuniga put the flag on a pole in a bracket attached to the front of the condo he shares with his

fiancée on Sept. 16. On Sept. 19, he received a letter from the Green Ridge Condominiums’ property management company saying he was in violation of the condo association’s rules, and that he must remove the flag or face the fine.

Zuniga said he spoke to the property management company and came away with the impression that the problem wasn’t that he had a flag, but that it was a Mexican flag.

“There’s never been an issue with any other flags,” Zuniga said.

He doesn’t display the flag all the time, just on special occasions, like Cinco de Mayo.

“I just put it out there on holidays,” Zuniga said. “It’s important for people to recognize we have holidays, we are part of America. This was once our land, too.”

Well, what are the condo regulations?

Anything other than the US flag is decorative - so what do the rules say about decorative flags and banners?

That only applies if they are flown together. I can fly any country's flag I want to on my flag pole without having to hoist the Stars and Stripes, too, if I don't want to. But if I do, I must fly the American flag on top.

I'm pretty stunned at some of these responses.

We have a family in our neighborhood that flies the Israeli flag every day (or did until their flag pole was flattened by the remnants of Ike when it passed through).

We actually had someone complain about it because it was confused with a religious flag and he went off on a rant about separation of church and state.

We also have a large family from India who flies THEIR country's flag from time to time.

If we had Mexicans living here and they wanted to fly their country's flag on special days, I fail to see how that is a problem.

I am still trying to figger out if Zuniga is the stupid one for flying a Mexican flag, clearly against the rules, or if the management company (and/or others)is stupid for making such a big deal about it that it got into the media.

Maybe it is a wash: both sides are equally stupid here.

Kirk, you sure do think like me! As for the media, what do you expect from that liberal entity???

AZ state law protects flying the US flag, the POW/MIA flag, the AZ state flag and an AZ Indian nations flag -- PERIOD!!! The Fed law only applies to the US flag. I see no reason to allow flags from any other country in the world to be protected by our FED or State laws! Does anyone think any foreign country has laws giving their citizens the right to fly the US flag? Anyone who thinks the answer to that question is "yes", please give me a yell -- I've got some beautiful oceanfront property right here in AZ with your name on it!!!

I don't think there was EVER a mention that anyone is flying the US flag AND another flag, and flying them inappropriately. I could be wrong, but I don't think that was the issue.

I think this is just about one flying the flag of another country.

In fact, we don't even know what the exact language in the rules that he allegedly violated.

From what he says: "'There’s never been an issue with any other flags,' Zuniga said."

So for all we know the restriction may just simply say "flags are allowed," ASSUMING that people would only fly the American flag. . . but, we just really don't know.

I still am disappointed at the tolerance level and lack of respect for other countries or people who have affiliations with other countries.

Speaking as a vet.

And a vet living in a diverse country; we have all sorts of immigrants and foreign nationals living on our soil. Not everyone living here is an American Citizen. And I'm not talking about undocumented individuals, either. My best intern was on a visa from England. He worked for me for three years. He's not allowed to show his respect for his country while he lives here? He needs to go back HOME to do so? And I'm not talking about if he lives in a "covenant community." I mean, at all.

:/

Fortunately for my sensitivities, OUR documents allow for "flags." That's it, just "flags."

No adjectives. No "U.S." or "decorative" or "official" or what-have-you. Just "flags."

Thank goodness I don't have to deal with such . . . interesting. . . parsing.

:/

Michele, you have made the most sensible, thoughtful post in this entire thread. Thank you.

oops, my fault.. George is right, governors can order the national flag at half mast too.. I misread the first part of the statute, and another portion speaking to others in government not being able to order it be done, and missed the governor is allowed portion.

Good catch George! thanks for pointing that out!