Posted on 11/04/2009 11:25:50 AM PST by Notoriously Conservative
A friend of a friend in Midland, Texas is protesting the federal government's spending and push for nationalized healthcare. Thomas Flournoy, a WWII veteran, is flying his flag upside down, as a sign of distress. From KWES:
One Midlander says enough is enough with the federal government. He says outragous spending and a push for Nationalized healthcare has put him over the top. Now, he's not only protesting, but sending out a sign of distress. On Tuesday, NewsWest 9 spoke with the World War II Veteran who is telling everyone to fly their flags upside down.
"We've got to concentrate on saving our Constitution, and I'm out here trying to get people to realize they've got to devote some time to this project to saving our Constitution," 85-year-old Thomas Flournoy, said. "Otherwise, we are going to lose our soverignity."
Midlanders driving in the neighborhood near Kansas and Midkiff may not even notice it at first glance. However, on second look, one can spot the U.S. flag flying upside down. Flournoy said he's sending out a distress for America.
"And that's exactly what I am doing is defending, and letting everybody else know that they should be defending the Constitution," Flournoy explained. "And that's the reason I'm flying that flag up there upside down. Come on America, let's pay attention."
Flournoy said the problems with the federal government started with Woodrow Wilson and span decades. Now, he said President Obama's postion on healthcare and stimulus spending are damaging to the Country.
"Everything he proposes is unconstitutional. In fact, Obama before he became President, made a statement that our Constitution was outdated because it did not have provisions in there for redistributing of the wealth," Flournoy said. Here is a letter he sent to the editor of the MidlandReporter-Telegram:
Fact: Displaying the flag of the United States of America in an upside down manner is known as a distress signal. Distress is defined as great danger of difficulty with immediate assistance needed.
Fact: On the 17th day of September 2009, the first day of Constitution Week, I raised my 3-foot-by-5-foot made-in-America, American Flag to full staff of my flag pole.
Fact: All elected and non-elected citizens of government are required to take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.
Fact: As a candidate they work ever so hard to convince us they are one with greatest integrity ever. However when they get a little authority as they assume, they begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. They do not honor their oath. Their constituency never calls them down because they are ignorant about the Constitution. Example: Obamas Czar is not authorized by the Constitution.
Fact: Consequently, this blatant disregard for their integrity and oath, the Constitution of the United States of America, is on the brink of total destruction and is in great need of immediate assistance.
Fact: I have dedicated myself to flying our flag upside down 24/7 until every member of all three branches honor their oath 100 percent of the time.
Fact: Myself alone flying my flag upside down will have very little effect in accomplishing my goal.
Fact: This should be our goal. I invite all individuals lapels, homes, schools, banks, businesses, city, county and federal buildings across America to display our flag upside down. Do not have a flag? Get one that is made in the USA. Do it for the Constitution.
Show your love for our Constitution and Jesus Christ who gave it to us and remember without our Constitution there would be no flag to wave, display and love.
Thank you. WWII veteran and native Midlander.
Thomas Flournoy If you agree with Mr. Flournoy, perhaps you could fly your flag in distress as well. But whatever you do, make your voice heard, and let the people and the government know that we won't, can't, and don't have to stand for it.
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Freedom died one year ago today.
While I respect this gentleman’s outrage, I would like to point out that flying a flag in this manner does not just depict “distress”, but is an “emergency” signal. As such, in many places it remains just as serious as firing emergency flares or calling 911.
Not too long ago, doing this would result in armed men showing up ready to assist, be it a heart attack or an armed robbery. While usually just a mistake, whoever did it would be told in no uncertain terms to NOT do that again, unless they meant it.
And we need to come to the aid of our country
not yet it hasn’t
Wow. Glad to know that.
Flew mine that way for most of the Clinton era, 24/7.
Glad no one came armed with AED’s etc to help me.
Replaced it with a new flag right after Bush was sworn in.

I have a little blog, The Patriot's Flag, that nobody but me much reads. I document the news, and put my thoughts on it ... no big deal, there are thousands of those. Each day, depending upon the nature of the blog, I fly a different "Patriot's Flag" on the staff on my front porch. I have 7 such flags now and "how" I use them is all laid out on the web blog page (see Flags tab).
My reason for doing this are two-fold. One, I really believe our win in 2010 begins with the neighbor next door ... the one who voted for Obama in the last election (and you've got one next door to you or down the street too). Each day she wonders why I'm flying a different flag. I just smile and give her my url (I have it on little business cards). I know her IP address, so I know when she checks my blog, and she's a regular. Maybe, just maybe, she'll vote differently next time ... she's getting news from my site she'll never see on CNN!
The second reason is even closer to home. I'm writing the blog for my 2 boys (both grown up and out of the nest). One day I won't be here any more, kind of "getting up there" ... and when I'm gone, the boys can go back some day and read about the events (as they happened) and see their Dad's comments on those events in his own words. Selfish, but those are the things driving The Patriot's Flag. I wish I had such words from my Dad that I could go back and read.
It is a tiny protest, doesn't go much farther than the neighborhood ... but it is MY way of doing something. All of us need to choose something as the WWII vet did. And whatever it is you choose, should be to convince the neighbor NEXT DOOR to vote conservative next time. Grass roots means ONE ON ONE. So how you change YOUR neighbor's mind is up to you ... just wanted to share how I'm doing it. Drop by for a visit if you get in the "virtual neighborhood".
Hurrah!
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