Thread: WND: Vet cuts down Mexican flag flying above U.S. banner

THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE
Vet cuts down Mexican flag flying above U.S. banner
Took action after hearing of illegal display by Hispanic bar owner in Reno
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Posted: October 3, 2007
2:44 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com



Mexican flag flies above U.S. banner at Reno business in footage from local KRNV-TV

After hearing a Reno bar was flying a Mexican flag above a U.S. flag, an angered U.S. Army veteran took matters into his own hands, drove to the site and cut down the banners in front of a stunned group of Hispanic patrons.

Reno television station KRNV, which was there to document Jim Broussard's act of defiance, noted the U.S. code prohibits raising the flag of any other nations above Old Glory.

Broussard pulled up in his truck to the Cantina El Jaripeo near downtown Reno yesterday, cut the rope that anchored the flags and pulled them down from a makeshift flagpole.

He left the Mexican flag on the ground and, with the U.S. flag in hand, turned to the KRNV cameraman:


U.S. military vet, with U.S. flag in hand, displays knife he used to cut it down

"I'm Jim Broussard," he said, "and I took this flag down in honor of my country with … a knife from the United States Army. I'm a veteran, I'm not going to see this done to my country. If they want to fight us, then they need to be men, and they need to come and fight us. But I want somebody to fight me for this flag. They're not going to get it back."

The KRNV footage shows a Hispanic man, possibly the bar owner, picking up the Mexican flag after Broussard briskly walks past him down the street to his truck.

Later, Broussard, told nationally syndicated talk-radio host Mike Gallagher he took action after hearing on a local talk station that the flags had been flying all day.


U.S. military veteran cuts American flag from rope after it was flown below a Mexican flag

"I was immediately infuriated and felt a duty to do something about it," Broussard said. "I feel there's a lot of this turning-our-heads-on-things in concern with the Hispanic community and the things they do. They seem impervious to our laws in a lot of situations."

Broussard, pointing out the bar was committing a federal offense, said local authorities weren't sure what to do about it.

He affirmed Gallagher's comment that many Americans are afraid to speak out on the problem of illegal immigration and lack of assimilation because they are afraid of being called bigots.

Broussard said he had no idea a TV camera would be there until he arrived on the scene.

About a dozen Hispanic men came pouring out of the building when he showed up, according to Broussard.

The men said, Broussard recounted, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I said, well, watch me."

Broussard said he talked to local police after the incident, and they have not taken any action. But Hispanic leaders, he said, "are trying to coerce the bar owner to file charges against me."


Mexican flag displayed illegally at Reno business

The veteran affirmed to Gallagher there are many Hispanics who are equally upset about illegal immigration and the resistance to assimilation.

"We have many cultures who've come here, and they've learned our language, and they respect our culture, because they know America is a great country, and they simply want to be a part of it," he said.

KRNV said it sent a cameraman to the scene after a viewer called to say "a business near downtown Reno was flying a Mexican flag above an American flag ... which is, in fact, illegal."
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57960

Call the city of Reno and tell them not to EVen Consider charging this man...and call the County....
7753342030 city of Reno
7753283260 County...you will need to hit #8

awesome. I am proud of him!

They should charge the Mexican for breaking the law not the Vet.
And I might add immigration should do there job and start checking that place for illegals everyday.

You saw how they asked the Mexican guy what he thought about what the man had just did when he cut the flag down. He didnt reply because he could speak or understand English, (I assume) but he did'nt have a reply.

I am not sure if this was posted, but this is what the Nevada ACLU had to say:

Nevada ACLU Releases Statement on Mexican Flag Flying Over American Flag

Reno Police and Nevada ACLU: Not Illegal to Fly Mexican Flag Above U.S. Flag

http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7163998

The ACLU of Nevada is concerned about recent media reports that it is "illegal" to fly foreign flags over the U.S. flag.

While there is indeed a federal law regulating the display of the U.S. flag, that law is merely advisory and simply codifies standard government practice in displaying the American flag.

Several federal courts have examined this law and held that the flag rules are not mandatory and cannot be enforced. Indeed, if the federal flag rules were mandatory, they would clearly violate the First Amendment, which protects every American's right to speak and express themselves, including their choice of flag to display.

In 1989, the Supreme Court held that we even have the right to burn our own flag, which had been outlawed by 48 states. Our robust and meaningful democracy is built upon our First Amendment, which protects our right to express ourselves even when - indeed, particularly when - that expression is distasteful or unpopular.

We at the ACLU wholeheartedly support the First Amendment rights of all, and this includes the right of the press to publish stories as they see fit. Of course, this right necessarily means that sometimes the media may get it wrong.

However, we urge the media to take the opportunity to correct misinformation, especially about our rights and the criminal law.

The media is a powerful tool in informing the public, and this is an opportunity to tell the world that the First Amendment is alive and well, and protects everyone's right to fly whatever flag they wish on their property

Flag flap gets thumbs up from FOX viewers
Reported by Chrish - October 4, 2007 - 201 comments
Jim Broussard, an Army veteran, was incensed at a business that was flying the Mexican flag above the American flag, a breach of protocol but not a crime. Broussard took it upon himself to cut down the flags and could now face charges for destruction of private property or something like that. FOX and Friends asked their viewers this morning if Broussard was a "patriot or pinhead" for his actions?

Steve Doocy gave the bar's address and said "some are saying" that the bar owners immigration status should be looked into.

In a later segment (this is the type of story that gets multiple looks because of its "patriotic" overtones even though it has virtually no news value) FOX legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. said they could probably all agree that from a patriotic, moral viewpoint what Broussard did was correct, reinforcing that emotional righteous response that passes for love of country. Actually, someone who loves this country's rule of law and Constitutional system should be embarrassed by his unruly assault on another's private property, and would wish he would have approached the bar owner in a non-threatening manner, voicing his concern and offense but respecting the bar owner's freedom to make his statement. Johnson would defend Broussard, even though he acknowledged the impropriety and likely illegality of the act, based on the understandable emotional response of the vet.

FOX viewers emailed in 500 responses and overwhelmingly declared Broussard a patriot - imagine that.


http://www.newshounds.us/2007/10/04/fla ... iewers.php