A flag that included a profanity before President Joe Biden’s name flew from a boat in Oak Bluffs Harbor Saturday, prompting several passersby to complain.
Oak Bluffs harbormaster Todd Alexander told The Times that while the harbormaster’s office doesn’t get involved in politics, the profanity on the flag prompted him to speak to the boat owner to have it taken down.
“He took it down,” Alexander said. “Very, very slowly.”
Alexander said political flags and signs were a rare occurrence in the harbor, until the most recent election cycle. He didn’t know if there is a written rule against it.
“Once it has a swear word, that’s the line we say take it down,” he said. “They know not to do it again, because next time they make a reservation, they won’t get one.”
It would be helpful if you published the name of the boat and its home port.
why ?
Because islanders are nosy.
Like the republicans used to say– we need to respect the president and the office it stands for.
But Don……for the last 9 months and foreseeable future neither the President or the office has stood for very much at all. Hard to respect either. I am sure you agree……….
Maybe not to you sir. But to the majority of Americans, this President has stood for honesty, sincerity, unity, a return to sanity and inclusion and, most of all, the welfare of the all U.S. citizens, as opposed to you-know-who.
Have you looked at his polling numbers recently ? His popularity and approval are in fact the lowest of any US President has had in their first year. Inflation is killing us now, His bungling of the Afghanistan withdrawal has killed our Military men and women and there are many still left behind facing almost certain death each day they are there ! Illegal immigrants, many with Covid (up to 20%) are streaming across our borders, unchecked and unvetted. Some are already committing atrocious crimes in our communities. Yup, Steve as you say “most of all the welfare of all US citizens” Really ? The only welfare here is what the hundreds of thousand, if not millions are going to claim as they settle in. Watch your bank account soon as Slo Joe has his eye on it to pay for these socialist agendas. Lastly you say “this president has stated for honesty, sincerity and unity” Haven’t seen any of those yet. Have you ?
1. Inflation is resulting from a number of Covid-caused economic squeezes, now unleashed as the economy reopens.
How could Covid have killed so many Americans, leading to the effects it has had on the economy? Obviously the previous administration’s denials of Covid’s existence, denials of the federal role in dealing with the pandemic, promoting worthless “cures”, minimizing the protections afforded by masking, all caused the present situation. President Biden has effectively pushed vaccinations and masking. The persistence of the virus in the red states clearly resulted from the previous administration’s ginning up opposition to sane pandemic policies.
2. It was Trump who decided to withdraw from Afghanistan; Biden carried it out (yes, in hindsight it might have been handled less precipitously). But your assertion of “many still left behind facing almost certain death” is nothing more than an assertion at this point.
3. Where did your “statistic” of up to 20% of illegal immigrants come from? From the reliable Fox News propagandists? The illegal immigration problem that puts your hair on fire has been a terrible problem for decades as the issues of poverty and corruption, etc. in the Central America and the Caribbean persist. Trump certainly didn’t solve the problem; he merely used punitive, inhumane measures to plug a small, temporary hole in it.
4. Maybe providing a decent standard of living for deserving, underpaid workers is something you oppose, maybe starting to address the calamities already being caused by climate change are things you’re happy to ignore, maybe your bank account is the only thing that matters to you, while the welfare of all is a “socialist agenda”, but to me, Biden is attempting to address real issues that have been ignored for many years.
2. Where do you get the “facing certain death” assertion?
E Jay — let me enlighten you with numbers —
In the approximately 7300 days of us war in Afghanistan
2448 American service persons died.
3836 American contractors died.
That’s 6 dead Americans every week
That doesn’t include 1,144 NATO personnel, 444 international aid workers , 72 journalist and the over 100,000 Afghan citizens
You seem to be all fired up about 13 service personnel being murdered by a suicide bomber in the throughs of a chaotic withdraw.
Put it into perspective– No Americans have died there in the last 30 days..
That beats the bejesuses out of the average of 6 a week. For 20 years running.. And what did we accomplish for all that sacrifice ?
At least Biden showed up for the dignified transfer at Dover. The military conducted 96 of those ceremonies while trump was president– he attended 4, overseeing the transfer of a total of 9 service personnel.
S.A. You obviously didn’t watch todays hearing, Joint Chiefs Chair General Milley and Others Testify on Afghanistan Withdrawal. Part 2 will be tomorrow!
https://www.c-span.org/video/?514537-1/joint-chiefs-chair-general-milley-testify-afghanistan-withdrawal
In those “Hearings” We found out the Prez lied about advisement of leaving 2500+ troops in place to protect the Embassy… President Biden claimed no military leaders advised him to leave some troops in place…Gen Milly and Gen McKenzie both claimed they recommended the opposite….Some one is not telling the truth
Richard–
Biden said that his advisors were split on whether or not to completely withdraw, as negotiated by the trump administration . We had 2 generals testify yesterday and stated their “personal opinions” Presumably he listens to more than 2 generals who couldn’t win a war against a few thousand illiterate guys with firecrackers living in caves. , As trump would say, they were losers .
I don’t see a lie..
Perhaps Biden should have phrased it differently ” A lot of people were saying” we should leave.
Or “my friend Jim” said we should leave.
Then it would be totally believable, right ?
And let’s just say he did actually lie.
Should anyone be upset because a president lies ?
Certainly not republicans..
Please publish owner of flags name. We need to protect the Vineyard people from these hate groups. Funny how these ignorant people all protect Trump who has a 40 year history as a mobster. Ask any New Yorker. I can promise you this, these people all listen only to right wing news media and follow the cult directives.
Mike: ”We need to protect the Vineyard people from these hate groups”? What a self serving statement ! Can’t imagine that our ISLANDERS need to be “protected” at all. And particularly
by someone like you. Your controlling demeanor is the big problem here.
Flying such a flag is crude and vulgar and reflects very poorly on the person flying it. I am very glad that the harbormaster was able to get the person responsible to take it down.
It’s not too hard to find the right angle this picture was taken at and identify the boat– It’s the one with all the American flags..
How did scum like this hijack the American flag, and somehow think that it is a symbol of racial hatred, intolerance , contempt for government institutions, and a justification to ignore things like immigration law and common decency ?
I wasn’t aware the OB harbormaster had the authority to remove a persons first amendment right and threaten them with refusal of further reservations. Sounds like a lawyers dream.
It’s just the beginning for this failed , feeble president.
😂😂. Wonder if they’d be so sensitive if the flag said to F another @potus? I’m thinking no. 🤷♀️
Democrats simply cannot compete with the trashy crudeness of Republicans. Dems had 4 years to attempt this sort of genius, articulate artistry in designing anti-Trump banners, but Republicans win this one, hands down. Gold toilets, soft-porn masquerading as “art”, and this sort of obscene flag are strictly a Republican sense of taste and style.
I think you are 100% correct !
Vulgar words are still protected free speech.
Any requests to remove them must be handled carefully as to not open the city up to a Federal lawsuit under the free speech statutes.
This has been litigated multiple times and the municipalities lose.
Richard- guess what happened on this forum when I replied to you with 2 words — the very {same} words that this boat owner used when referring to our legitimately elected president.
Can’t guess. Give us another hint please!
HarborMasters have the ultimate power in their Harbors. More so then the police or selectmen. Glad he made this idiot take that flag down. Seem to be a few of these yahoos from Falmouth that come over with the trump flags flying.
That flag says: “Im in a cult of stupidity led by a criminal sociopath. Oh and Im rich and that’s all that matters to me”.
Carla, very well said!
Just for the record, I wouldn’t want to see a flag on a boat that read “F” Trump either….I just SMH, when I see things like this.
I’m sure if this person had the “F” Biden flag in their yard, their town would make them take it down.
The OB Harbormaster should have a document for everyone docking there that states what flags are and what flags aren’t acceptable to be on display. ( I don’t know what documents are actually needed to rent a space in the harbor)
Carla, touche’
I don’t think any advertisement that suggests or requests an improvement for our president’s sex life should be worded that way.
How do we know that his current sex life is inadequate?
Maybe the flag should say, if President Bine is stressed out, please suggest that our first lady, step up her game?
I think we should all try to be positive.
Lysty
I am no fan of The Great Orange One, but I have to say, that was one of the more stupid decisions out of the Harbor Masters office.
It is high school Constitutional law that “The Supreme Court has made it clear, the government cannot limit profanity in public”, according to Thomas Healy, Seaton Hall law professor.
I thought it was only the Tisbury Police Department who expose town coffers to lawsuits?
When they go low….remember that? Now we are all going low. How incredibly sad what the current GOP has turned this country into. The division is painful.
First amendment issue to me, harbor is a public place therefor boat owners free speech rights apply. The Secret Service could probably arrest him for threatening to rape the POTUS which is a crime.
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