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Example: [Collected via e-mail, October 2014] A Florida hardware store was ordered to remove American flags honoring the owners family serving in the military. In response, residents displayed more than 500 American flags throughout the town. God Bless America!Post by ForAmerica.Origins: In October 2014, a local code dispute involving a Cape Coral, Florida, hardware store and its flag display began to circulate nationally. The debate over a display of small American flags began when a local code enforcer, responding to a complaint, asked Family Hardware to move their flag display from a public right of way to private property. According to the town's mayor and city manager, Family Hardware declined to comply with the code enforcement request and instead contacted local media sources: We responded to a complaint about flags in the right of way. We explained the ordinance and politely asked the employee of the hardware store to move the flags a few feet out of the right of way and onto their private property. We left and took no further action.The employee called the local media, which initiated the chain of negative media attention. Our local media decided to make this benign exchange a news story. In doing so, they failed to report all relevant facts or do any additional research. With the advent of social media, this story went viral.The story crossed over to national media, and on 17 October 2014, Cape Coral Mayor Marni Sawicki issued a statement addressing the flag dispute: As many of you may be aware, the City of Cape Coral has been depicted in the national spotlight in a very unflattering manner. This has resulted in hateful phone calls and emails from people across the country who make statements such as Cape Coral is an un-American city. We are offended by these comments and believe it is important for our citizens to know what happened.Contrary to what you may have heard, this was not about the American flag. The City of Cape Coral would never disrespect The Stars and Stripes. Our city loves and supports our servicemen and women, past and present, and our beautiful Veterans Memorial Area is an example of that support. This always was about our public right of way.Please know most cities, counties and states in the United States regulate what can and cannot be placed in the public right of way. Our ordinances addressing the public right of way mirror ordinances of other municipalities, which also restrict signs, flags and banners in their rights of way. These communities do not give free reign to the public to put any flags or other objects in their rights of way. The restrictions are in place for public safety reasons.We know there are times when a City takes an action or makes a decision where criticism is warranted. We do not back away from those times. This, however, is not one of those times. To say it is unfortunate our local media and some residents have no qualms about diminishing the image of our city to other people is an understatement. Cape Coral is a wonderful American city with equally wonderful citizens, and our community does not deserve this negative attention. All we can do now is hope for better in the future.In summary: While a code enforcer in Cape Coral did ask a store owner to move a display of U.S. flags, the business was not ordered to remove those flags. And despite an employee's statement he would pay the fines levied by the city, no such fines were ever in play. Cape Coral officials simply asked the store in question to relocate the display to private property so as to stop the display from blocking public thoroughfares.
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