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Wisc Village Cops Steal Iraq Vet's Flag on July 4th
Iraq War veteran Vito Congine Jr. knows one hell of a lot more about freedom, war and distress than some bone-headed cops from Crivitz, Wisconsin.
From Zach W. in Blogging Blue in the Badger State (Wisconsin):
A U.S. flag being flown upside down as a protest in a northern Wisconsin village was seized by police before a Fourth of July parade and the businessman who flew it, who happened to be an Iraq war veteran, is now claiming police officers trespassed and stole his property.
Writes Zach:
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin is considering legal action against the Village of Crivitz for violating Vito Congine Jr.’s First Amendment rights, Executive Director Chris Ahmuty said.
‘It is not often that you see something this blatant,’ Ahmuty said. ‘The fact that police on Independence Day of all days would come onto private property without permission and shut down his protest is very disturbing.’
In mid-June, Congine, 46, began flying the flag upside down – an accepted way to signal distress – outside the restaurant he wants to open in Crivitz, a village of about 1,000 people some 65 miles north of Green Bay.
He said his distress is likely bankruptcy because the village board refused to grant him a liquor license after he spent nearly $200,000 to buy and remodel a downtown building for an Italian supper club.
Congine’s upside-down-flag represents distress to him; to others in town, like the village president, it represents disrespect of the flag – especially when a community 20 miles away was mourning the death of a
19-year-old soldier killed in Afghanistan.Just hours before a Fourth of July parade, four police officers went to Congine’s property and removed the flag under the advice of Marinette County District Attorney Allen Brey.
"A day after the parade, police returned the flag and the man’s protest over a liquor license continued. Marinette County Sheriff Jim Kanikula said it was not illegal to fly the flag upside down but people were upset and it was the Fourth of July. ‘It is illegal to cause a disruption,’ he said. ‘There were a lot of vets at that parade. You know how veterans react when they see that.’ The Crivitz Village President, John Deschane, said removing the flag was the right thing to do, citing the fact that many in Crivitz believe it’s disrespectful to fly the flag upside down. ‘Don’t disrespect the flag,’ Deschane said. ‘If he wants to protest, let him protest but find a different way to do it.’ Vito Congine said he intends to keep flying the flag upside down, despite whatever opposition he might face.
"While I understand the strong feelings evoked by demonstrations such as flying the U.S. flag upside down or burning the U.S. flag, such demonstrations are perfectly legal and Constitutionally-protected forms of speech. Sometimes we might not agree with what’s being expressed, but there’s a reason we have the First Amendment. If Vito Congine wants to fly his U.S. flag upside down on his property, then he should be able to do so, free from the interference of overreaching law enforcement officials."
Right-on Zach, these morons would not know freedom if it bashed their sub-moronic heads.
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Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=7887
Posted by Yanira Farray on Jul 10 2009, With 0 Reads, Filed under Iraq War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Hooray for the cops. If Vito Congine wants to protest fine. BUT do not us the American flag to do so.
We have a Baptist Church here in Topeka, Kansas whose members travel all around the United States putting on despicable demonstrations outside the funerals of members of our Armed Forces who have died in combat. Guess what. They fly the United State flag upside down. Congine is no better then those people.
What a country! You go off and fight a war just to come home and have to put up with this shit. This town in Wisconsin should be ashamed.
In a way the police did the RIGHT thing, the man was flying the flag upside down on the 4th of July, to me out of respect for all our fallen, this man out of respect, should have flowed the flag the correct way for that ONE day, then after that, continue his”Protest” and fly it upside down.
The Police were right and they did return the flag the next day, the only thing I find at fault with the police, they should have given the man the option to fly it the right way for that “One” day, then continue what ever way the following day. Now if the man told the police to “F” off, then they were correct.
Good on ya, WI! Any clown who flies the flag upside down is welcome to, although not in this country. Leave, bro, and good riddance. Take some of your other disrespectful pals with you. Too bad it took the city to correct this blatant sign of disrespect to our great nation (in spite of its faults), and we as neighbors and fellow Americans didn’t do it ourselves.
Any one who supports the town in this dispute is ignorant of what an upsidedown flag means. He is an aware Veteran who is in destress and destress is what it means. It is not illegal and is not disrespectful of the flag.
Every Citizen in America is a “WOSSIE”. The Proof is “The FEDERAL BANKING CORPORATION” now teamed with ‘The President” alining Objectives of “CORPORACRACY” setting traded Slavery in elimination of LIBERTY with focus on “Second Amendment”. Adjusting medical coverage in a focus effort to steal benifits under Militarys retirement benifit plan, consealing that action under cover of an offering of individual health care for everyone in America. This action is a “PLAYHOUSE NIGHTY” on every one in America. Get a CLUE ! ~~~LIBERTY IS FREEDOM~~~~
Here is the guys home number, address and email address…we should all call him and let him know what a moron he is:
John J Deschane
home
936 Robert St
Crivitz, WI 54114-1404
(715) 854-7403
jdeschane@vocwi.com
THIS GUY IS ONLY DOING IT FOR ATTENTION–HE KNOWS NO OTHER WAY TO ATTRACT ATTENTION–FIND ANOTHER WAY TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS–THE FLAG SHOULD NOT BE USED IN THIS WAY UNLESS THIS PERSON IS ” REALLY ” IN DISTRESS AND NOT OVER A LIQUOR LICENSE. I FOUGHT UNDER THIS FLAG AND I WILL DEFEND IT TO MY END –PROUD VIETNAM VET