Firefighter suspended for refusing to peel American flag sticker from locker

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Firefight Over the Red, White and Blue

Chester, Pa., firefighter James Krapf wants to know what's wrong with Old Glory. The 11-year veteran was suspended without pay Thursday after he refused to peel a sticker of the American flag from his locker.

"It's pride…it's a matter of pride," Krapf said.

A new department rule mandates that all stickers and statements – union, cartoon and political – be stripped from lockers after several offensive and racist images showed up in the firehouse. But Krapf figured the red, white and blue was safe.

It seems he was wrong.

"The chief came out and said 'You have to remove your stickers,' I said 'No disrespect chief, but I'm not taking the flag off,'" Krapf recounted. He says the officer then asked him to leave.

Fire Commissioner James Johnson, who served in the Marine Corps, vows the symbolism of the decal is not the issue.

"We wear the American flag on our uniform…it's flying outside that station," he said. "It is not about the American flag or patriotism."

But Krapf refuses to give up and he's not alone. The firefighters union plans to negotiate with the department on the issue.

"We applaud Jim Krapf because these colors don't run," said union prez Stacy Landrum.

Krapf, who was turned away from the station again Friday, plans to stand his ground. "It's the American flag, we should be able to fly it wherever we want…I don’t believe it's offensive to anyone," he said.

The issue and Krapf's fate is scheduled to be discussed at a meeting on Monday.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politi...e-64647657.html

[HAL 9000 96]

Somehow Obama's America® will be the focus of the outrage eventually.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

"It's the American flag, we should be able to fly it wherever we want…I don’t believe it's offensive to anyone," he said.

He's right. He should be able to.

[Peikko 1,575]

From what I understand, the dept is trying to use the strategy of no stickers/decals/pictures on the lockers period in order to prevent inappropriate stickers/pictures being used. In other words, it's not that the flag is wrong or offensive but that if you have a zero tolerance policy, then even the flag is unacceptable.

I expect they want to avoid into getting into arguments over what is an isn't acceptable but I guess they aren't going to manage that.

Seems silly to me to get all het up over having to have a flag on ones locker but I don't get that mentality at all.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Somehow Obama's America® will be the focus of the outrage eventually.

This one?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

From what I understand, the dept is trying to use the strategy of no stickers/decals/pictures on the lockers period in order to prevent inappropriate stickers/pictures being used. In other words, it's not that the flag is wrong or offensive but that if you have a zero tolerance policy, then even the flag is unacceptable.

I expect they want to avoid into getting into arguments over what is an isn't acceptable but I guess they aren't going to manage that.

Seems silly to me to get all het up over having to have a flag on ones locker but I don't get that mentality at all.

That's the problem with "zero tolerance" policies. They throw out common sense.

[Peikko 1,575]

It depends what constitutes 'common sense'. The fact remains though, that it is a lot easier to say lockers can't be decorated at all (after all, it's not a human need, to decorate a locker now is it? These are grown men, not six year olds so what they need to decorate their lockers for at all is beyond me) than this or that is ok, but the other thing isn't.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

At least a zero-tolerance policy makes more sense than the entry requirements for the Metropolitan Police in London - where you're required to submit photos of any tattoos you have so that someone can arbitrarily determine whether or not what you have might appear offensive to a particular group.

[almaty 19]

the locker belongs to the citizens,..not that chopf##k...

he needs to out this on his locker...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

It depends what constitutes 'common sense'. The fact remains though, that it is a lot easier to say lockers can't be decorated at all (after all, it's not a human need, to decorate a locker now is it? These are grown men, not six year olds so what they need to decorate their lockers for at all is beyond me) than this or that is ok, but the other thing isn't.

A US flag != KKK insignia. That's common sense.

[Peikko 1,575]

He should be sacked for his immature attitude, not the sort of firefighter I want rescuing me.

[*JG* 2]

From what I understand, the dept is trying to use the strategy of no stickers/decals/pictures on the lockers period in order to prevent inappropriate stickers/pictures being used. In other words, it's not that the flag is wrong or offensive but that if you have a zero tolerance policy, then even the flag is unacceptable.

I expect they want to avoid into getting into arguments over what is an isn't acceptable but I guess they aren't going to manage that.

Seems silly to me to get all het up over having to have a flag on ones locker but I don't get that mentality at all.

That's the problem with "zero tolerance" policies. They throw out common sense.

Absolutely!

Big brother is overstepping boundaries every day.

It depends what constitutes 'common sense'. The fact remains though, that it is a lot easier to say lockers can't be decorated at all (after all, it's not a human need, to decorate a locker now is it? These are grown men, not six year olds so what they need to decorate their lockers for at all is beyond me) than this or that is ok, but the other thing isn't.

That is firefighter mentality.

[Peikko 1,575]

Yeah, because decorating lockers is a fundamental right

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think the point is if you just make a blanket policy in response to something that caused a problem for the department then you don't have to waste time micromanaging exceptions to the rule.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

He should be sacked for his immature attitude, not the sort of firefighter I want rescuing me.

I don't think you'd feel that way if you were actually on fire