- December 25, 2024
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You live in the gated community, you play by the rules
Dear Editor:
The recent uproar against Grand Haven is, in my opinion, a bit misplaced. There are literally thousands of deserving charities that one can unfurl a flag to support, and once you open it up to any one particular charity, no matter how worthy, it never ends.
I support veteran issues and efforts to assist those in need — especially our wounded warriors — but rules and regulations are enacted to be followed. Those who choose to reside in homeowners-association communities know fully well what is permitted and what is not. HOAs come in many varieties, including some that rule in a dictatorial and punitive manner and, for that reason, many people decide not to live in such restrictive communities.
For the individual who has been fined $1,000 for hanging a Wounded Warrior flag and is now contemplating legal action, that money would have been better spent being donated to a charity for wounded warriors. The problem here is not Grand Haven but our own government for failing to adequately care for those who they put in harms way in defending our democracy and freedom. It shames me as a veteran and former Army officer at the plight and neglect of those who have taken up the banner for America.
Jose Vasquez
Palm Coast
Don’t judge Grand Haven residents by the Wounded Warrior flag incident
Dear Editor:
When I read in the recent edition of the Palm Coast Observer about Mr. Bagnoli's flying the Wounded Warrior flag and the Grand Haven Architectural Committee's decision not to grant him an exception to the regulation against it, I was thinking, yes, living in a gated community can be like living in a minimum security prison (nod to “Seinfeld”).
But all Grand Haven residents did not vote to deny Mr. Bagnoli's application to have an exception. And yet Mr. Cunnane asks, "Whatever happened to American pride in this gated community?" Mr. Cunnane, you don't know me — yet you judge my patriotism because I live in a gated community. Perhaps you don't know how these Homeowner Associations work, that we have covenants and restrictions we sign when we purchase a home beyond what Palm Coast has in its regulations. We all agree to abide by them. Believe me, I don't agree with all the regulations or the way they are enforced, but I chose to live here, just as I chose to live in the state of Florida and United States. We cannot all be judged by the actions of all those who represent us.
Too many times I vote for a candidate and the other guy wins, and I'm not always happy with the decisions of the ones I vote for, either. Are all the citizens of the United States responsible for the actions of every politician messing up our country just because we live here? The design committee is composed of volunteers, and I don't know why they voted as they did — I volunteered for a couple of openings myself and was not selected by the committee. We don't get to vote for the Architectural Design Committee.
And Deborah Susswein, this is a complicated issue. You say, "There is no logical, legal, sane reason why the Grand Haven Master (author's emphasis) Association should prohibit and fine a resident for flying a Wounded Warrior flag." Why did you emphasize the word “Master”? What are you implying? I mentioned the covenants we all agree to abide by in addition to those of Palm Coast — they are much more strict here in Grand Haven.
Exceptions open the door to legal challenges by other groups that may not be so benign and patriotic to fly their flags.
The deed restrictions I signed and received when I bought my home are in a giant white book. I don't agree with all of them, but I do love living in this beautiful community. You don't know me, Ms. Susswein, and you don’t know how I feel in my heart about the sacrifice of our veterans.
Mr. Bagnoli, I'm sorry you are going through this hassle, and I thank and respect our veterans. The Wounded Warrior Project is so valuable; I hope this exception is granted.
But I am not going to prove my patriotism to those who will judge a whole community by the actions of a few. The stereotyping I read here in the letters to the editor is hurtful and undeserved.
Linda D'Aguanno
Palm Coast
