Stolen American Flag

[Chi33]

My American Flag was stolen off the back of my golf car at the Lake Denton Publix. Was parked in a Handicap spot, they did not steal my placard or anything else. To take the flag, they had to unscrew from the golf car mount and that would have taken a little time. This happened around 3pm today. I was told there are no cameras looking toward the parking lot. I would have given them the flag if they wanted one and bought flags for others if wanted, however since it was stolen i wanted to have a record of it, I filed a report with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office. Case # is SCS017CADO29237. The flag and pole cost around 30$ and I think there should be a public record of it happening. I will buy another one today.

[Blessed2BNTV]

We need cameras everywhere in The Villages.

[rivaridger1]

Good for you. The flag was ultimately destined to be tossed into the bushes along side of the road somewhere which is totally disrespectful, but the act itself was vandalism which is criminal. If caught in the act the perpetrators probably would not have been smart enough to know what it was they were doing wrong. They no doubt will eventually learn hopefully without a cost to society beyond the $ 30 bucks for your flag.

Since I am probably at this juncture considered anal by some, I might as well go on record by saying all of the citizens of this great country, be they veterans , or not, owe respect to the flag. It is not an ornament to be displayed in a garden and left to be slowly destroyed by the elements. It is not a decoration to be flown in a spate of sudden found patriotism an left to fray when it is forgotten. Too many of our fellow citizens have given their lives to protect this symbol of our democracy for these things to happen to it.

I am sure the OP feels similarly . Flag etiquette pamphlets are readily available from The American Legion and other veterans organizations. They are often included in the package when a flag is purchased.

And for the 1st Amendment folks who will take exception, no I do not believe the symbol of our wonderful country needs legal protection. It's symbolism transcends any legal necessity.

[graciegirl]

RivaRidger.

Well said.

I cannot even think why someone would take the time and effort to steal our flag to obviously dishonor it.

It breaks my heart and scares me. These are times never seen by me before.

[justjim]

Gracie---that is unbelievable that someone would steal an American flag from your golf cart. What is the matter with people?

[RickeyD]

I'm thinking the two 767's slamming into the Trade Center rate a bit higher then some moron unscrewing a flag off a golf cart. The times have been changing.

[Nucky]

There was a father on Facebook yesterday who patiently listened to his son as to the the reasons he was suspended from high school for not standing to salute the flag. The dad erupted and buried this child and let him know in no uncertain terms that while he was living under his roof he would in fact stand and say the pledge of allegiance with his classmates each day and the rites he thinks he has don't kick in until he is paying his own way. Trust me it took guts for this dad to say these words because to me it looked like this kid could have squashed him. I was so proud of the dad. The son was testing his boundaries and found he had some and the were tight.

As far as your Golf Cart Flag....I'm tired, it's been an emotional day, my old bosses 30 year old daughter died from a heroin overdose. She had been battling this for over 12 years. The first thought that came to my mind in the Flag Caper is an unemployed NFL quarterback who has no respect for our flag and has a whole lot of time on his hands. Stranger things have happened. I hope who ever did it owns up to it and replaces it for you. What a pinheaded thing to do.

[Bay Kid]

Sad

[Taltarzac725]

My American Flag was stolen off the back of my golf car at the Lake Denton Publix. Was parked in a Handicap spot, they did not steal my placard or anything else. To take the flag, they had to unscrew from the golf car mount and that would have taken a little time. This happened around 3pm today. I was told there are no cameras looking toward the parking lot. I would have given them the flag if they wanted one and bought flags for others if wanted, however since it was stolen i wanted to have a record of it, I filed a report with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office. Case # is SCS017CADO29237. The flag and pole cost around 30$ and I think there should be a public record of it happening. I will buy another one today.

Glad you made a police report. Maybe it will happen again and they will have cameras there.

[graciegirl]

Gracie---that is unbelievable that someone would steal an American flag from your golf cart. What is the matter with people?

Not mine, Jim. I was responding the way most of us would.

I hope it just blew away and it was not meant to be ugly.

[l2ridehd]

Was this one of the days with the high wind? I had an American flag and a Patriots flag on my cart, also mounted with a screw on mount and came out of a store on a real windy day and the Patriots flag was gone. Turns out the cart over time had vibrated the screw loose and the high wind took the flag. I found it and the mount on the edge of the parking lot. Maybe your mount was a better type than mine, but I now check the screws every once in a while and they are usually a bit loose and require tightening.

[Chi33]

Was this one of the days with the high wind? I had an American flag and a Patriots flag on my cart, also mounted with a screw on mount and came out of a store on a real windy day and the Patriots flag was gone. Turns out the cart over time had vibrated the screw loose and the high wind took the flag. I found it and the mount on the edge of the parking lot. Maybe your mount was a better type than mine, but I now check the screws every once in a while and they are usually a bit loose and require tightening.

It was yesterday and the pole screwed into the base about two inches deep. Base still on cart. Not windy.

[golf2140]

We were in that area yesterday and saw a flag off the side of the path on a bush. Maybe it fell off!!!!

[dietpepsi]

We need cameras everywhere in The Villages.
I am sure they are installed in each courtyard villa to keep an eye on us!
never sit in your underwear and watch TV !

[ColdNoMore]

We were in that area yesterday and saw a flag off the side of the path on a bush. Maybe it fell off!!!!

Sometimes I think there are people who live by the motto of... "never attribute to nature/accidents, what can be blamed on someone doing something wrong." :ohdear:

[doran]

I rather doubt in the environment of TV someone would steal a flag. Even the rednecks respect the flag along with the Confederate flag. I could understand it in LA, but here I do not think bothering the Sheriff was required. Only my opinion, nothing else, maybe windy that day?

[Regor]

In my 19 years of living here, I have found numerous flags, hats, head covers, etc. laying in the cart paths. Usually I will pick them up and put them in a conspicuous place where hopefully the owner will find it. Once I found a cap with a magnetic ball marker attached. I placed it on one of those 4 X 4 stop posts at an intersection. I went back by there about 15 minutes later and the cap was still there but the ball marker had been removed. I guess the "owner" didn't want his cap.