[ALadysMom]

Originally Posted by Choro&Swing

Good post. The same goes for trying to put up a little cross or Star of David or a POW-MIA flag or any color of bow or other such symbol. Or even a football team sign. It lets people know where your interests lie, and if they disagree they can avoid you, and if they agree they can come over and watch the game or the service with you. They primarily serve to separate rather than to draw us together.

Actually, even flying our nation’s flag can alienate some people and draw others. (I’m flying one out back, in case you wondered.)

Our flag is the symbol of our NATIONAL UNITY. We should fly it proudly.

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

As I ride around The Villages and see all of the political signs, flags ad bumper stickers, I wonder what good do they really do? What is the point? I doubt that they will ever change anyone's mind. I doubt that one additional vote will come to either candidate because someone has a sign on their house or car. I think that pretty much everyone has made up their minds and all these signs do is to annoy people that support the other candidate. When someone sees a sign for the candidate that they oppose I believe that their thought is, "How and anyone support that idiot. We have a lot of stupid people around here."
I'm not taking sides and I don't think that this post is political. I am just putting forth the viewpoint that the only people these signs benefit is that people that make and sell signs.

I look at as Freedom.....and that’s what makes us a great country......Freedom Speech and Right to Vote, isn’t this country great

[joseppe]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

As I ride around The Villages and see all of the political signs, flags ad bumper stickers, I wonder what good do they really do? What is the point? I doubt that they will ever change anyone's mind. I doubt that one additional vote will come to either candidate because someone has a sign on their house or car. I think that pretty much everyone has made up their minds and all these signs do is to annoy people that support the other candidate. When someone sees a sign for the candidate that they oppose I believe that their thought is, "How and anyone support that idiot. We have a lot of stupid people around here."
I'm not taking sides and I don't think that this post is political. I am just putting forth the viewpoint that the only people these signs benefit is that people that make and sell signs.

I'm not for the signs or flags either, but when you think about it almost the same could be said about flying the U.S Flag.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I’ve always found it amusing that so many wear a service cap here , most couldn’t wait to leave the service now they can’t stop talking about it I suspect this is less about patriotism and more about look at me , and before you jump on me I’m multi tour Airborne Purple Heart combat vet , no hat , no Tshirt no vest and if I ever tell a story about my time it’s only a fun one

[ALadysMom]

Originally Posted by bluecenturian

Today’s society is full of hypocrites. If it’s something that opposes my opinion it’s offensive and must be removed because I don’t like it. If you don’t like the candidate, sports team, color, decoration or whatever don’t put it on your property but as a veteran, no one has a right to say another can’t display something that matters to them. I go to a restaurant and hate string beans but I don’t expect them to be removed from the menu, I just don’t order them.

We as a society need to grow up and have more personal responsibility instead of crying about everything we hear/see that we don’t like.

The land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Thanks for your service & for being a patriot.

When our ancestors developed things like the carefully chosen words of our Pledge of Allegiance they knew we needed reminders that we citizens OWN this country and we should all take pride in it. They knew that it was a previous gift entrusted to us, not one that we can take for granted. Like almost anything you own, it requires maintenance if you want to keep it.

[Mumbles]

Originally Posted by Luisa

I’ll keep my signs. Don’t fall for this ploy to stop our messaging. Due to biased media, it is one of the few ways we have to show our support.

Frankly? What is the value of showing one's support for ANY business or governmental department? Does that person think it will INFLUENCE someone else's thinking or planning? As others have said, It Won't.

IMHO I believe vehicular sign users are severely PROUD. One would think that it ought to be worth a lot more to work for and/or contribute or donate to some cause one wants to support than to ANNOUNCE it publicly to people who don't give a T**d. Just sayin'.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

As I ride around The Villages and see all of the political signs, flags ad bumper stickers, I wonder what good do they really do? What is the point? I doubt that they will ever change anyone's mind. I doubt that one additional vote will come to either candidate because someone has a sign on their house or car. I think that pretty much everyone has made up their minds and all these signs do is to annoy people that support the other candidate. When someone sees a sign for the candidate that they oppose I believe that their thought is, "How and anyone support that idiot. We have a lot of stupid people around here."
I'm not taking sides and I don't think that this post is political. I am just putting forth the viewpoint that the only people these signs benefit is that people that make and sell signs.

Humans are TRIBAL. They are showing which tribe they belong to. Even for football. the Ohio State supporters wear red and go to the same bar.
Everybody knows, it's about tribal
That's how it goes, when everybody knows

[ALadysMom]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

I’ve always found it amusing that so many wear a service cap here , most couldn’t wait to leave the service now they can’t stop talking about it I suspect this is less about patriotism and more about look at me , and before you jump on me I’m multi tour Airborne Purple Heart combat vet , no hat , no Tshirt no vest and if I ever tell a story about my time it’s only a fun one

Thank you for your sacrifice & service. Your story makes you who you are now. You might be surprised by how many might like to know more about you. I understand your frustration but there could be other reasons behind their display. What if they are a veteran who is suffering since he/she has returned to civilian life? If so, not feeling alone may help them feel a little bit better.

I’m not a veteran but I wasn’t nearly as proud of my alma mater while I was a student. I wasn’t proud until it was behind me, long after I had graduated. Maybe it’s similar?

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I consider political signs on the front lawn, in the front window, on the window of your golf car, to be tacky, unattractive. For a community that makes SUCH a big to-do about having pristine surroundings, some folks go to great lengths to prove that they don't actually believe their own criticism of everyone else's yards.

A beautiful, professionally painted mural has to go, but a yard covered in [insert whatever politics here] flags is somehow more aesthetically pleasing.

It doesn't change my opinion about anything. It just confirms that tacky people will bend over backwards to make sure everyone knows exactly how tacky they are.

May I respectfully say that the mural in question, though painted by a professional, seemed pretty tacky to me. I wouldn’t want it in my neighborhood. It belongs inside the house, not on a garage door for everyone to, um, enjoy.

Every homebuyer in The Villages is given a photocopy of the deed restrictions for the given Village—and none of them allow murals on garage doors. Each homebuyer signs a form saying the restrictions have been received and read. So the woman who had this done signed something without reading it. Legally, she can’t say she didn’t know. She will have to remove the mural, or she could install a new garage door and have the old one mounted on her living room wall.

I agree with you that political signs on lawns are even tackier.

[kathy1516]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

I’ve always found it amusing that so many wear a service cap here , most couldn’t wait to leave the service now they can’t stop talking about it I suspect this is less about patriotism and more about look at me , and before you jump on me I’m multi tour Airborne Purple Heart combat vet , no hat , no Tshirt no vest and if I ever tell a story about my time it’s only a fun one

You couldn’t be more incorrect. My husband wears his Army Air Corp cap, WWII cap, or his POW cap showing his pride in being a veteran of the greatest country in the world. He will not speak about any of his experiences , especially being a POW, to anyone. He’s turned down multiple requests for interviews with media regarding his war experiences.
Pride in honoring our veterans should be respected. It sends a message to young people that they live in a free country due to the sacrifices of our military.
Give every military veteran the respect they deserve. The cap speaks louder than words.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by kathy1516

You couldn’t be more incorrect. My husband wears his Army Air Corp cap, WWII cap, or his POW cap showing his pride in being a veteran of the greatest country in the world. He will not speak about any of his experiences , especially being a POW, to anyone. He’s turned down multiple requests for interviews with media regarding his war experiences.
Pride in honoring our veterans should be respected. It sends a message to young people that they live in a free country due to the sacrifices of our military.
Give every military veteran the respect they deserve. The cap speaks louder than words.

I for one wish that thousands of WWII vets had kept journals and written their memoirs. I’d love to be able to read them. I’ll bet their families would like to read them, too. I honor their service, but I think words speak louder than a cap. I want to KNOW what they did, even if it’s my Uncle Johnny who spent the war playing on a general’s baseball team on a base in India.

Forty-five years ago I wrote a 400 page journal while working in an African hospital saving lives. I’ve just published it so others can know what it was like. The process of typing and editing and pondering my decisions and actions have been a wonderful experience. I’m so glad I made the effort. Another thing I discovered when I reread my old journals is that I’ve been telling some stories wrong over the years. I was so sure I had it right, but sometimes I didn’t. And some things I’d forgotten came back as I read.

[cegallup]

Some people are proud of their political affiliation - they feel Patriotic !

They feel that they exemplify that fraction of Americans who agree with them.

There is great camaraderie among like minded Villagers - very encouraging !

[dtennent]

After I retired, I was approached to run to be Town Supervisor of a small rural town in upstate NY. Since I had only lived in the town 15 years, I was, at best, an unknown person. After putting signs around the entire town, I knocked on 800+ doors (there were 2000 registered voters) to introduce myself and my ideas. The signs were very effective in that people knew that I was running for office. This made the conversation much easier. BTW, I won the election with 76% of the vote over a person who grew up in town. While I am not a politician by profession nor am I well versed in political campaigns, I believe that signs are very effective in local elections. How many of you know who the candidates are for the House of Representatives or for our state legislature? Please take time to learn about the local candidates and vote in November.

Oh BTW, this was all for a job that paid $10,000/year. My wife told me that it I was going to work this hard, I should have stayed in my original job!

[Mainiad]

My Dad (w/similar Service in WW2) just nudged me from his resting spot when I read your post. He would never have displayed any evidence of his service, in spite of his wounds. He taught me that those who advertise their service probably have large egos’ and bad memories. Thank You for you service.

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by meridian5850

A yard sign for a candidate is protected political speech under the first amendment to the constitution, this nation's guiding document.

Obviously not in a deed restricted community but you can fight it in the courts:

Freedom in Associations: Exercising Free-Speech Rights in an HOA — Homeowners Protection Bureau, LLC

Enforceability of HOA Restrictions on Free Expression.

Covenants set forth in a declaration are presumed to be valid and enforceable, like any other contract, as long as the covenant in question is not arbitrary, serves a legitimate purpose of the community, and does not violate public policy. Nahrstedt v. Lakeside Village Condominium Association, Inc., 8 Cal. 4th 361 (Cal., 1994).

Thus, in general, HOA covenants restricting members’ rights of expression are enforceable unless the member can demonstrate some reason why the covenant should not be enforced – such as the public policy of the relevant state, as delineated by its legislature and courts.

HOA’s can get away with restricting speech that the government would be prevented from suppressing because an HOA is not a “state actor,” and enforcement of HOA covenants does not involve action by the state. See e.g., Golden Gateway Center v. Golden Gateway Tenants Assoc., 111 Cal.Rptr.2d 336 (Cal. 2001). Consequently, the free-speech protections provided by the First Amendment and state constitutions generally do not affect homeowners associations.

What is a deed restricted community? [Benefits & Risks]
Deed Restrictions Can Limit What You Do With Your Home | realtor.com(R)

From the linked article: Take for an example a woman out of Tampa, Florida who wanted to show support for her deployed husband by placing a “Support Our Troops” sign in her front yard. She had believed this was her First Amendment right, but her HOA argued that the sign violated its bylaws. In this case, the HOA had a right to fine her until the sign was removed.

Conclusion Purchasing a home in a deed restricted community may or may not be the best decision for you. If you’re someone whose absolute liberty is extremely important, certain rules and regulations may prove to be too cumbersome. Others don’t mind abiding by reasonable rules if it could help them when they’re selling their home down the road. Ultimately, it’s prudent to find out what the specific deed restrictions exist prior to purchasing a home and ensure that you can abide by them.