Delegate Scott Lingamfelter: Just another big-government Republican.

From today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter is getting in on the fight over the flying of the American flag.

The Prince William County Republican plans to submit a bill for next year’s General Assembly session that would require homeowners associations to allow combat veterans decorated for valor to fly the flag in any manner permitted by federal law.

[…]

Lingamfelter joins a group of supporters that boasts the White House, Democrats including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and both of Virginia’s U.S. senators, as well as Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, the second-ranking Republican in the House.

[…]

Lingamfelter hasn’t finalized the language of his bill, and he noted that he’s open to broadening its scope to include more than just decorated veterans. He also said he’s open to associations decreeing requirements for residents’ flag display.

“Just don’t tell them they can’t do it,” he said.

In terms of Barfoot’s specific situation, Lingamfelter said it’s possible that the association will allow the matter to quietly go away.

“But I’m not going to quietly go away,” he added.

Similarly, he said that he has never faced a situation in which someone objected to his display of the red, white and blue.

But if it had happened?

“It would have only happened one time,” Lingamfelter said.

Okay, this need to be broken down line-by-line (with some reorganizing of the text for increased brevity):

Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter is getting in on the fight over the flying of the American flag.

The Prince William County Republican plans to submit a bill for next year’s General Assembly session that would require homeowners associations to allow combat veterans decorated for valor to fly the flag in any manner permitted by federal law.

Lingamfelter hasn’t finalized the language of his bill, and he noted that he’s open to broadening its scope to include more than just decorated veterans.

Lingamfelter is still “open” as to who will be covered by his proposed edict, but the congressional proposal only covered Medal of Honor recipients. What about those lowly combat veterans that only managed to get a Silver or Bronze Star (sarcasm!)? What about those that only receive a Purple Heart or Distinguished Serve Medal? What about those that didn’t serve in a combat? What about reservists and National Guard members? What about the families of all of the above? What about an average person that didn’t serve in the military at all? Will all of these people be protected by these edicts (which, interestingly, doesn’t seem to be part of the powers of Congress, at least not in my copy of the United States Constitution)?

I do find it funny as well that all these Republicans are jumping on a bandwagon to create a protected class of individuals that are exempt from the rules of a homeowners association (HOA), an organization that they entered into a contract — voluntarily — with. No one forces you to join a HOA, you make that choice when you decide to move into a particular neighborhood. You choose to give up your rights, while presumably of sound mind, when you enter into a contract with the HOA.

And notably, for Republicans, when it comes to protecting a certain class of people under hate crime legislation, then it’s totally unacceptable to create a class of individuals that are treated differently in the eyes of the law. Or so they would want you to believe.

[…]

Lingamfelter joins a group of supporters that boasts the White House, Democrats including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and both of Virginia’s U.S. senators, as well as Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, the second-ranking Republican in the House.

We call them “statists” here.

[…] He also said he’s open to associations decreeing requirements for residents’ flag display.

“Just don’t tell them they can’t do it,” he said.

And here comes the lying (or the opening of one’s mouth and proving of one’s own ignorance).  The veteran in this case was never told that he couldn’t fly the flag. He was told that he could not erect a flag pole. So, Mr. (or Delegate, or King of Virginia) Lingamfelter, you have now shown yourself to be a liar or completely ignorant.

In terms of Barfoot’s specific situation, Lingamfelter said it’s possible that the association will allow the matter to quietly go away.

“But I’m not going to quietly go away,” he added.

Of course not, you’re a politician, they never go away — quietly or not.

Similarly, he said that he has never faced a situation in which someone objected to his display of the red, white and blue.

But if it had happened?

“It would have only happened one time,” Lingamfelter said.

And what exactly does that mean? Is King of Virginia Lingamfelter saying he would result to violence if someone told him he was violating an HOA rule? Or is he saying he would just use his power as a legislator to exempt him from any rule that he feels like violating?

Questions, questions.

I must admit I’m conflicted here.

For two days the Richmond Times-Dispatch has run stories about a battle in Henrico County between a homeowners association (HOA) and a Medal of Honor recipient regarding the veteran’s flagpole (today’s story here).

Now, if this was a state or local government prohibiting the flying of a flag (or the flagpole, depending on who you listen to), this would be a no-brainer and I would be agreeing with the vet. Anyone that knows me, or even reads my blog at all, should know that I think and believe if it’s your property, you should be able to do whatever you want with it. If one of your neighbors doesn’t like it, maybe they should make you an offer you can’t refuse (the monetary kind, not the dead horse kind) for the parcel of land.

However, this is a homeowners association. When you move into a subdivision with an HOA, you agree to the rules that they have been established and any rules they might establish in the future.

That’s your choice. No one forces you to move into that subdivision. By moving into that neighborhood, you’re giving up rights and privileges that you might otherwise have. You agree to abide by their rules, as absurd as they may be.

Thoughts?

RIP

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Vehicle accident fatal to Henrico firefighter:

A Henrico County firefighter died early yesterday after he became pinned between a tree and a vehicle at his home in what authorities described as an accident.

Joseph J. Ritzenthaler, 30, of New Kent County also was a paramedic in the Army Reserve who served in Iraq in 2003.

“He was engaged to be married in August,” Henrico fire Capt. Douglas Reynolds said last night.

Rescue workers responding to a 5:45 a.m. call in the 8900 block of Piney Branch Lane in Providence Forge found Ritzenthaler trapped. They pulled him out, provided medical care and took him to VCU Medical Center, where he later was pronounced dead, according to the New Kent Sheriff’s Office.

Ritzenthaler may have been trying to start the vehicle to go to work, authorities said. The vehicle lurched forward, trapping him against the tree.

The firefighter and paramedic would have completed his sixth year with Henrico Division of Fire this summer. He also worked part-time at the VCU Medical Center emergency room, Reynolds said.

Ritzenthaler enlisted in the Army Reserve at age 19 and was still active, Reynolds said. He was a paramedic sergeant with the military police.

Before coming to Henrico, he worked for Richmond Ambulance Authority and was a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Williamsburg, Reynolds said.

“He was a well-liked person within the division [Henrico],” the fire captain said. “He’s certainly going to be missed by the people who worked with him.”