NEWS VIEWS: Medal of Honor veteran's flag battle sparks online debate

The American flag is a potent symbol with a feisty past.

There was the "Star-Spangled Banner" that survived the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814 and inspired our national anthem. The flag raised by Marines at Iwo Jima in World War II and the flag raised by police and firefighters over the ruins of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 are icons of courage in dark times.

No blood was spilled on Veterans Day when retired Army Col. Van T. Barfoot ran Old Glory up a 21-foot flagpole he had erected in the yard of his Henrico town house, but he did spark a heated debate over patriotism and property rights that echoed from sea to shining sea.

The stories written by Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter Bill McKelway, along with columns by Michael Paul Williams and videos by Chris I. Young, spread at Internet speed. They were shared by readers via e-mail and social media sites, picked up by national news organizations, and linked from countless blogs.

Coverage of Barfoot's refusal to take down his flagpole despite threats of legal action from his homeowners association, Sussex Square Services Inc., broke online readership records on TimesDispatch.com. As of last week, more than 300,000 page views were recorded for the articles and an additional 40,000 for the videos.

The Web invites two-way communication, and readers didn't hold back. There were nearly 3,000 comments posted on our site as people from all over the U.S. joined in a passionate discussion of the issues.

A majority deplored the position taken by the homeowners association and supported Barfoot, a 90-year-old Medal of Honor recipient who served his country in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

A poster using the pseudonym "ramgirl" wrote:

"If the HOA cared at ALL about the property owners in their complex, they would just let it drop. People in this country have a tendency to go to the extreme just a tad when it comes to honoring military officers and nothing good can possibly come from the HOA harassing this old veteran into taking down his American flag. Shame on the HOA, its board members, and the snotty neighbors that started the whole thing. It's Christmas ya bunch of scrooges. Leave the poor old guy alone and take [the flagpole] down when he's gone."

Other readers noted that Barfoot had agreed to be governed by the rules of the homeowners association when he moved to Sussex Square. The association has approved flagstaffs attached to houses, but in July, board members rejected Barfoot's request, on aesthetic grounds, for a free-standing vertical flagpole.

"This guy knew what the rules were when he moved into that town house, chose to flaunt them, and is now being rewarded for it," Everett Walker wrote. "He chose to live in a community where a homeowners association makes the rules, thereby giving up the right to do whatever he chooses on 'his' property. I have a lot of respect for Medal of Honor recipients, but that alone should not make anyone immune to the rules we all must follow."

The online debate was often heated. Many reader comments were removed because of name-calling or foul language. The published Terms and Conditions for commenting on TimesDispatch.com also forbid violating the privacy rights of others, and several posts listing the phone numbers and addresses of homeowners association board members were deleted.

Board members reported that they were flooded with calls and received threats from some anonymous Barfoot supporters. One Sussex Square resident who is not a board member had her home phone number incorrectly circulated on multiple Web sites as the contact for the homeowners association, and she was harassed by angry callers for several days.

Reporters and editors at The Times-Dispatch took calls from readers incensed over the perceived mistreatment of an American hero and received hundreds of e-mails like this one:

"Take down his flagpole? NO! The Homeowners Association should put up a sign, A HERO LIVES HERE AND WE'RE PROUD TO BE HIS NEIGHBORS."

Henrico officials declined to take sides in what the county attorney called "a private issue." But the flagpole standoff resonated at the highest levels in Washington. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb, and Rep. Eric Cantor all came out in support of Barfoot's right to fly his flag as he saw fit.

The homeowners association last week withdrew the threat of immediate legal action. Barfoot thanked his many supporters, and the flag still waves atop his flagpole.

"In the morning when I raise our flag, I know it will be a good day for America," Barfoot said Wednesday.

But a resident familiar with the board's deliberations says no final decision has been made. If and when there are new developments, you can read about them in The Times-Dispatch and share your opinions on TimesDispatch.com.

John Witt is multimedia editor. Contact him at (804) 649-6824 or jwitt@timesdispatch.com.