Former Marine Captain Jim Lowe is fighting a rule on outside decorations that state he must remove either his American or Marine Corps flag. Lowe wants to fly both and his Atlanta area retirement community allows only one at a time.
Lowe and his wife face a fine of up to $25 per day and possible legal action. He has sent a letter to management asking them to retract the code violation notice, according to Fox News.
Georgia isn't the only state where association restrictions are butting up against homeowners' patriotism. Associations throughout the country have placed restrictions on homeowners' display of the American and other flags. Quite often this leads to homeowners calling local media, and the association board members end up looking like unpatriotic despots.
Why do associations restrict flag displays? Some displays can be noisy or unattractive. Having to listen to the banging of a metal chain or rope against a flagpole can be an irritant for neighbors. A tattered flag many also be seen as disrespectful.
Under the Federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, no homeowner association can restrict its owners from displaying the U.S. flag on their property. But associations are permitted to place reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of the display to protect a substantial interest of the association. And they can restrict the number of flags flown at any one time.
While Lowe has received lots of suggestions - including flying his Marine Corps flag in his backyard or inside his home, and even painting a picture of the Marine Corps flag on his garage - he has no intention of taking down either his Marine Corps or American flag.
"If worse came to worse and I ran out of alternatives," he said, "there would be a for sale sign out there before the American flag and my Marine colors came down."