Supervisor Asks Woman To Take Down American Flag

[Team Sergeant]

Screw the tea parties, it's time for an all out armed revolution.


MANSFIELD (CBS 11 News) ―
Supervisor Asks Woman To Take Down American Flag

Is it okay to show your patriotism at the office?

For one Arlington woman, the answer was "no" after she hung an American flag in her office just before the Memorial Day weekend.

Debbie McLucas is one of four hospital supervisors at Kindred Hospital in Mansfield. Last week, she hung a three-by-five foot American flag in the office she shares with the other supervisors.

When McLucas came to work Friday, her boss told her another supervisor had found her flag offensive. "I was just totally speechless. I was like, 'You're kidding me,'" McLucas said.

McLucas' husband and sons are former military men. Her daughter is currently serving in Iraq as a combat medic.

Stifling a cry, McLucas said, "I just wonder if all those young men and women over there are really doing this for nothing."

McLucas said the supervisor who complained has been in the United States for 14 years and is formerly from Africa. McLucas said that supervisor took down the flag herself.

"The flag and the pole had been placed on the floor," McLucas said. But McLucas also said hospital higher-ups had told her some patients' families and visitors had also complained.

"I was told it wouldn't matter if it was only one person," she said. "It would have to come down."

McLucas said hospital bosses told her as far as patriotism was concerned, the flag flying outside the hospital building would have to suffice.

"I find it very frightening because if I can't display my flag," McLucas asked, "what other freedoms will I lose before all is said and done?"

Kindred Healthcare's corporate headquarters are located in Kentucky. We called them for comment when we were first working on this story Tuesday, but they did not return our calls.

Wednesday morning, however, our story received nationwide attention. We have received hundreds of emails and comments from people who had something to say about it. Several dozen people protested outside the Mansfield hospital Wednesday. And a receptionist at Kindred's headquarters told us they received many phone calls.

Then, late Wednesday morning, Kindred posted on its website a statement about the incident. It reads, in part: "The disagreement was over the size of the flag and not what it symbolized. We have invited the employee to put the flag back up."

We talked to McLucas Wednesday afternoon. She says the hospital's local CEO called and apologized. And McLucas says the woman did tell her she could put the flag back up, which she has done.

But she says when she was first told the flag had to go, nobody mentioned anything about its size.

"At no point was I afforded the opportunity -- [no one said,] 'Hey Deb, could you get a one and a half by three and a half and hang it instead of hanging this three by five?'" McLucas said.

Even so, McLucas says she's happy people have spoken out about the issue. "It's just restored my faith in the American people," she said.

http://cbs11tv.com/local/patriotism....2.1020415.html

[Puertoland]

Its no surprise there are traitors in our midst, but if we ever allow anything like this to happen without voicing or acting against it then they will get the courage to begin taking the country apart. I don't understand why its not required to fly the American flag in an American institution.

And the asshole who found the flag offensive can go back to Africa, there is a reason he has been here for 14 years, and it isn't because the country offends him.

[doctom54]

Originally Posted by Puertoland

Its no surprise there are traitors .............
And the asshole who found the flag offensive can go back to Africa, there is a reason he has been here for 14 years, and it isn't because the country offends him.

I concur

[BigJimCalhoun]

I read on another forum where the phone number of the place was posted and members were encouraged to call and voice their disapproval. Evidently, the place got a lot of calls. What a PR nightmare for them.

[Gypsy]

Hell we have Flags flying from every cubicle and I have one on the billboard by the fax/copy machine.

I dare anyone to come into my office and tell me to take our flags down.

[Spartan359]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

"The flag and the pole had been placed on the floor," McLucas said.

Holy Shit this infuriates me.

Damn the consequences, you throw my flag on the floor your asking for an ass whippin.

Originally Posted by BigJimCalhoun

I read on another forum where the phone number of the place was posted and members were encouraged to call and voice their disapproval. Evidently, the place got a lot of calls. What a PR nightmare for them.

and a lack of patient care during the incident, agreed?

[frostfire]

Originally Posted by wet dog

and a lack of patient care during the incident, agreed?

very probable.

Other health care personnel may disagree, but IMHOO, hospitals (and nursing) can be the ultimate setting for PC gone wild. It is just as the article described, even if just one person complained, the flag had to come down. All in the name of collective good and everybody feels good. Hey, it's the 'healing' environment after all. We have to empathize with and accommodate everyone's 'needs'

The attitude of the complaining supervisor does not surprise me at all. Not only folks from Africa, I've met immigrants, both permanent residence and US citizens from Asia, Europe, South America...or practically everywhere, who still view their birthplace as their country and America as the land of opportunist/smooching. With freedom, comes abuse.

There was once a discussion here of mandatory military service (or at least Peace Corps) for immigrants. There were a lot of opposition esp. in trust issue, but I pretty much support that idea. If anything, hopefully it can filter those who are willing to pay the price from those who want to avoid or unaware of the cost.

[swpa19]

UPDATE:

Kindred Hospital to allow Mansfield employee's American flag display

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont....21d73b21.html

Ya gotta love the first blog response.

[FMF DOC]

Wonder how often this happens and does not get the attention it deserves. And the fact that they placed it on the floor. I'd fire someone over that fact, Amazing where things seem to be headed...

[The Reaper]

Was it one of Obama's relatives, here illegally who was offended by the flag?

TR

[Aoresteen]

I wonder if someone saw a poster of Obama in a worker's cube and found that offensive, would a complaint bring it down?

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Aoresteen

I wonder if someone saw a poster of Obama in a worker's cube and found that offensive, would a complaint bring it down?

I like the way you think..... it's worth a try.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Aoresteen

I wonder if someone saw a poster of Obama in a worker's cube and found that offensive, would a complaint bring it down?

They would say something along the line of you must be a racist, a bigot, a homophob or conservative.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Pete

They would say something along the line of you must be a racist, a bigot, a homophob or conservative.

Don't forget the other epithets - Christian, gun-owner, or Republican.

TR