Peace Signs are bad??????

[aprilgail2]

Subdivision Bans Wreath With Peace Sign
Homeowner Defies Board, Faces About $1000 in Fines
By ROBERT WELLER, AP

DENVER (Nov. 26) - A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.

AP / Handout
The homeowners association president said the board had received complaints about Lisa Jensen's wreath.
Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He said some residents have also believed it was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said.

"Somebody could put up signs that say drop bombs on Iraq. If you let one go up you have to let them all go up," he said in a telephone interview Sunday.

Lisa Jensen said she wasn't thinking of the war when she hung the wreath. She said, "Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing."

Jensen, a past association president, calculates the fines will cost her about $1,000, and doubts they will be able to make her pay. But she said she's not going to take it down until after Christmas.

"Now that it has come to this I feel I can't get bullied," she said. "What if they don't like my Santa Claus."

The association in this 200-home subdivision 270 miles southwest of Denver has sent a letter to her saying that residents were offended by the sign and the board "will not allow signs, flags etc. that can be considered divisive."

The subdivision's rules say no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee.

Kearns ordered the committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath, but members refused after concluding that it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything. Kearns fired all five committee members.
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that is classic-if your committee members don't agree with you -just fire them....

 

[Maleficent13]

The peace sign is a symbol of Satan? When did he annex that one?

 

[JunieJay]

Whoa. I have peace sign earrings I wore to a party yesterday. Glad no one fined me.

This is one of the scarier things I've read lately. Why on earth would someone dislike the message of peace? ESPECIALLY people with children in Iraq. Geesh. That is weird, weird, weird.

 

[tw1nsmom]

That's just ridiculous! I wouldn't take it down either. I don't even pray, but if one of my children were in Iraq right now I would be praying for peace every night!

 

[noodleknitter]

That is just plain stupid.

 

[RadioNate]

Gotta love HOAs. Ours threatened to sue me over a birdbath. My neighbor can have 3 put bulls and pave her entire front lawn but my son's birdbath is court worthy.

 

[piratesmate]

This is just ridiculous! I can't say that I've ever seen a Christmas wreath with a peace symbol, but this woman is right...what happens if they don't like her Santa next? I can't stand HAs! While the basic idea may seem reasonable, there's no way to prevent mini megalomaniacs from getting elected to them.

The peace sign is a symbol of Satan? When did he annex that one?

I read somewhere a long time ago about this....supposedly the interior of the symbol is a cross with the "arms" broken. Some people can find a problem anywhere.

 

[amy4bruce]

Just for the record, the peace sign is not Satanic, nor is it the track of a chicken. It is semaphore for two letters - ND, for nuclear disarmament.

 

[WDWAurora]

You know, I've actually heard before that the peace sign does not mean peace. We were having a hippie (stereotypical) themed party and had lots of peace signs, lava lamps, etc. everywhere. An older gentleman who said he fought in either Vietnam or Korea (I think Vietnam) came up and lectured me on how terrible the sign was and how a true symbol of peace was the dove. I was at the sign in table and I was 17 years old...highly uncomfortable. Apparently there are some bad feelings about the symbol from those who fought in the war he fought in. Perhaps veterans are who called it in. I haven't used the symbol for anything at all since.

 

[ericamanda01]

That's insane! A peace sign is causing all this! I wonder how big it is to cause such a stir! And what kind of HOA President fires five people just because they don't agree with him? What a nutcase!

 

[HeatherFeather]

These are probably the same people who are offended by postage stamps.

 

[Laura]

You know, I've actually heard before that the peace sign does not mean peace.

It was originally conceived as an anti-nuclear war symbol. Still, I don't see why people should have a problem with it. I don't know anyone who wants to be nuked.

 

[supercarrie]

I was just about to start a thread regarding this - how ridiculous. Can't believe the committee members were fired for doing their job - making decisions such as this one! Sounds like someone is on a complete power trip.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

This is why I'll never buy a home with a HA. Too many reports of them coming down on people for their grass, or flying an American flag, or the size of their fence.

 

[VioltePrincess]

incredible.

 

[singingpixie]

I have a shirt (a hand-me-down from a college roommate if it matters) that has an American flag with a peace sign in the blue section, instead of stars. I wore it one day (because it was clean, not a political statement) in front of my grandfather. It definitely caused a commotion. Who knew that a message of peace could be divisive?!? I would think that everyone would want to work toward a peaceful world, regardless of how they feel about the current war!

 

[WDWAurora]

I have a shirt (a hand-me-down from a college roommate if it matters) that has an American flag with a peace sign in the blue section, instead of stars. I wore it one day (because it was clean, not a political statement) in front of my grandfather. It definitely caused a commotion. Who knew that a message of peace could be divisive?!? I would think that everyone would want to work toward a peaceful world, regardless of how they feel about the current war!

The odd thing is, my experience with getting yelled at for the peace symbol was unrelated to the current war. It was more than a year before 9/11, so certainly before the war. Did your grandfather fight in any of the wars? That may be more a factor than anything.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

the thing about HOA Guidelines/covenants is: if there is any law - nat'l/state/local that protects you - HOA can do nothing.....these are nothing more than guidelines and can not supercede an existing law..so if this person is protected under free speech or any other law - they are fine...the HOA would be insane to pursue it, IMHO.

HOA's will post anything they want in hopes their members won't know any better. One example: an HOA will tell you that you can't have a sat. dish any where but the back/side of your home or not at all...not true, there is an amendment to communications law protecting tenants and HOA members from this. If the only way you can pick up reception is to place the dish in front - they can't stop you. They don't want you to know that - and will do everything to give the impression you can't.

I've stated this before - living in a planned community is a mixed blessing. Depends on how strict the covenants are - and how they are enforced....far too often it is a case of "give a person a little power"...they try that around here from time to time, but the home owner usually wins out when they get ridiculous.

around here, almost anything goes over the holidays - they can't come down on one person without rewriting the guidelines and getting into a mess....they would only be able to go after someone after the deadline for taking down holiday decorations....


it is the Holiday Season - there is no way a person can have a problem with a peace sign...they are just making fools out of themselves trying to make more out of it than there is. The fact that 5 commitee members refused should have been their first clue!!!!

 

[singingpixie]

The odd thing is, my experience with getting yelled at for the peace symbol was unrelated to the current war. It was more than a year before 9/11, so certainly before the war. Did your grandfather fight in any of the wars? That may be more a factor than anything.

Yeah, he did, he was career airforce and fought in Korea (retired as a Lt. Colonel). I just had no idea that there were any political connotations behind it, regarding any current or historical war- guess I'm young enough that I missed that!

 

[disykat]

I only wish HOA's had as much power as people think they do. In my experience, they have no power at all. Even the lady in the story said as a past president she doesn't think they'll be able to make her pay the fees.

While I agree this HOA overstepped the line with their supposed power (I still have a hard time believing they have any), the peace symbol means something very different to those of us under about 50 than it does to older folks. Even at 45, due to growing up in an area with lots of "hippies" I still have some negative feelings about it. Many people see it as anti-patriotic.