American
Flag Taken Down
In Order "Not To Offend"
A
NewsWithViews.com &
US~Observer.com Report
By
Ron Lee
In
March 1945, American heroes died to raise the stars and strips over
a little island in the Pacific, called Iwo Jima. In May 2005, sixty-years
later this honored flag, this symbol of America’s past, present,
and future has been voluntarily removed from a public building in Medford,
Oregon. This was done to appease those who hate and despise this flag
so they won’t be offended by its presence. For these publicly
paid government officials this is a flag of shame, and his been deliberately
relegated to the ash heap of sensitivity. They have dishonored all those
who have served, fought, and died to preserve the freedoms our nation
enjoys today. --John Taft
Medford,
OR - Due to intense public pressure brought on by outraged
U.S. citizens over the display of a Mexican flag, the Oregon Employment
Department removed the flag from its 119 N. Oakdale Ave. offices in
Medford, Oregon, but that isn't the only thing that has been taken down
from its walls.
Just hours after
the story "Placing
the Mexican Flag above 'Old Glory'" was published on-line,
the US~Observer received the response below from Thomas Fuller the Employment
Department's Statewide Communications Manager:
"I finally
got a chance to see the article you wrote - and especially the picture.
Clearly this display was inappropriate and we have had the flag removed.
As I mentioned
to you on the phone, there is no policy prohibiting a staff member from
displaying a flag in their cubicle - but this was way beyond that. I
just wish I'd seen the photo earlier.
As a state
agency we have to abide by polices set forth by our Department of Administrative
Services but must also weigh public perception. Please be assured that
this situation has been dealt with and the flag will no longer be visible
to any members of the public."
![](/archive/may05/images/mexflag_empoff.jpg)
The
picture referenced in Thomas Fuller's response.
In an e-mail received by NewsWithViews.com from Monte Muirhead of KOBI
TV who went to the Oregon Employment Department to report on the Mexican
flag, it was confirmed that the Mexican flag had been taken down, but
also that the American flag, which was being flown below and to the
left of the Mexican flag, had been removed as well; Muirhead couldn't
locate either flag.
![](/archive/may05/images/noflag_empoff.jpg)
The wall now.
Following up on
this report NewsWithViews.com headed back to the employment department
to investigate. When asked why the American Flag was removed along with
the Mexican flag, Jean Work, the Office Manager for the Medford Oregon
Employment Department replied, "It was removed in order not to
offend." But when asked who it would offend she stated, "Well,
I’d rather not use the word offend. It was removed in order to
conform with the rest of the staff who have their flags on their desks."
Edward Snook, Editor in
Chief of the US~Observer, stated when hearing of Ms. Work's comment,
"What is this, a U.N. department? It sure sounds like the employment
office is making it a point to employ foreign nationals if they each
have their own flag on their desk, and it isn't an American flag. It's
completely anti-American that ‘Old Glory’ was taken down
and that patriotic citizens are paying those who committed this atrocity
with their hard earned tax dollars. It shows me that officials like
Jean Work and Thomas Fuller, at the employment offices haven’t
been reading the volumes of e-mail that our last story generated calling
out to them to take down the Mexican flag and that the American flag
should be honored. I for one am going to start demanding, and will continue
for as long as it takes, that these people be removed from their positions
and that the American flag be returned to its proper position."
According to Craig
Spivey, a public information representative of the Oregon Employment
Department, there are currently 37 employees in their Medford office.
When asked how many of these individuals were displaying their flag
on their desks and are these individuals American Citizens he replied,
"Personal information about our employees is considered confidential
by the department, and therefore can not be shared with the media."
In a meeting between Paul
Walter, one of the editors of NewsWithViews.com, and Edward Snook, discussing
this case Walter stated, "The appearance that it gave to me after
the Mexican flag was removed is that the American flag had to be removed
in order not to offend the Mexican employees and all for the sake of
political correctness."
Snook shaking his
head, "I agree that's why they did it. But where is this political
correctness going to end? You're either an American and here legally
because you recognize America is where you want to be, or you are not
an American."
Walter, an immigrant himself,
agreed, "I left Yugoslavia to be an American, because it's the
greatest country in the world. Why would I hold onto a political symbol
of a country I chose to no longer be a part of?"
Whatever the reasoning behind
the lowering of the Stars and Stripes, the public is already enflamed
by the Employment Department's - and ultimately the Department of Administrative
Services - move to allow the display of the Mexican flag in a state-run
office in the first place. According to the majority of the approximated
2,000 e-mails received, the hostility they feel for such an action is
tied directly to illegal immigration and this current administrations
lack of action in the face of what some call an invasion. Many fear
that our country is being eroded away into a multi-lingual, multi-culturalist,
separatist, alien haven, rather than being the melting pot that our
forefathers envisioned.
Snook, as many
Americans, has strong feelings when it comes to the flag and this country.
He believes, “They have treated ‘Old Glory’ with the
same disrespect as before, when they flew the Mexican flag above it,
by removing it now in order not to ‘offend’ the Mexican
workers in their office. I strongly urge everyone to help me right this
terrible injustice and join with the US~Observer and NewsWithViews to
do whatever it takes to make sure all those responsible for this whole
issue are removed from their jobs. Everyone, including their contacts
who were outraged over the Mexican flag flying above our American flag
need to join me, now! I would ask all citizens to please e-mail
me with your sentiments. Please send those same sentiments to Oregon’s
Governor Kulongoski and President Bush by calling them, faxing them.
Whatever it takes, it shouldn’t stop until there is real action,
real accountability.”
Contact
Information:
Oregon
Governor Kulongoski:
Number in state directory: 503-378-3111
Citizens’ Representative Message Line: 503-378-4582
Mail:
Governor Kulongoski
160 State Capitol
900 Court Street
Salem, Oregon 97301-4047
President George Bush:
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Mail:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Editor’s
Note: The US~Observer and NewsWithViews are separate news publications
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