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Not displaying Old Glory at Public meetings(OC Dinner, Picnic, etc) is illegal

david.ross

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http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/crimes-and-offenses/00.021.001.000.html

I don't recall any US flag at the OC dinner I went to, neither have I seen any flags in videos where there were public picnics... :( Not displaying Old Glory at public meetings equates to a summary offense.

Oh, and insults to the US flag or the flag of the common wealth is illegal as well. :)
http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/crimes-and-offenses/00.021.003.000.html

Talk bad about one of the two flags while in it's presence, and its a second degree misdemeanor.
 

david.ross

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There is no restriction on who can come to OC dinners or picnics, they're open to anyone who wants to come.

I'd love to find out an exact definition. It would be like saying, an Obama rally is for democrats only if you wanted to say the rally was a private gathering.
 

WIG19

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There is a difference between a private or privately-organized meeting which has been opened to the general public, and a public[/i] meeting suborned/funded/organized by some arm of the government. In legalese, the word public is often used in a confusing manner. Just as there is a definition further on (2103?) of what defines "flag" for purposes of the statute, search further back in Commonwealth law (maybe wayyyyyyy back) for the DEFINITION of what constitutes a public meeting.
 

david.ross

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WIG19 wrote:
There is a difference between a private or privately-organized meeting which has been opened to the general public, and a public meeting suborned/funded/organized by some arm of the government. In legalese, the word public is often used in a confusing manner. Just as there is a definition further on (2103?) of what defines "flag" for purposes of the statute, search further back in Commonwealth law (maybe wayyyyyyy back) for the DEFINITION of what constitutes a public meeting.
Here, I'll post what the definition says about the public meetings. :)
Code:
(a)  Offense defined.--A person is guilty of a summary
offense if, being directly or indirectly in charge of any public
gathering, in any place, he fails at such gathering to display
publicly and visibly the flag of the United States reasonably
clean and in good repair.

any public gathering... want to explain to me where a public gathering
has to be funded by the government? :)
 

WIG19

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insane.kangaroo wrote:
any public gathering... want to explain to me where a public gathering
has to be funded by the government? :)
I can & did read the statute. I'm not disputing what it says. I'm simply suggesting that, in statute, "public meeting" has a specific meaning. It's inthe same sense that gets courts to address things like prayer opening a council meeting (required to be conducted at some interval) that people might object to, VERSUS requiring you to display a flag at the yard sale in front of your house where you may have invited people but are free at any time to terminate, or the brat sale in front of the department store, versus a public school displaying a flag because they take public (read "taxpayer") funds, versus a privately-funded school which is under no compulsion to do so.

I'm reasonably sure that PA has an Open Meetings law (might even be under Ch.7 or 701 of the PA civil statutes somewhere...) . Such laws (like the PA Sunshine Freedom of Information law) often define things like, how much notice, what records have to be kept, access, etc. (remember, no one's making you build a handicapped ramp in front of your yard sale...). For example:

"Meeting." Any prearranged gathering of an agency which is attended or participated in by a quorum of the members of an agency held for the purpose of deliberating agency business or taking official action.

http://www.lgc.state.pa.us/deskbook06/Issues_Citizens_Rights_01_Pa_Open_Records.pdf

Food for thought; again, I don't think the patriot-police are going to come to your driveway, or your open-carry breakfast.

;)
 

david.ross

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subsection (a) of exception (1)

(1) Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to
gatherings for religious worship.

Indicating this doesn't cover places of worship. Which also infers
"public gathering" means any type of place open to the public where people
gather.


I know the patriot-police aren't going to come busting in the door giving
out summary offenses. I'm simply bringing up the topic since it would
be nice to have Old Glory at the events.
 

KBCraig

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insane.kangaroo wrote:
I know the patriot-police aren't going to come busting in the door giving
out summary offenses. I'm simply bringing up the topic since it would
be nice to have Old Glory at the events.
The fact that there is a law requiring it, is sufficient reason to not do it.

If the patriot-police starting citing people for this, it would be time to fly a flag, all right: upside down!

Or tell them, "Sorry, you're too late. We had a flag, then we burned it."
 

david.ross

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KBCraig wrote:
The fact that there is a law requiring it, is sufficient reason to not do it.

If the patriot-police starting citing people for this, it would be time to fly a flag, all right: upside down!

Or tell them, "Sorry, you're too late. We had a flag, then we burned it."
:shock: What the hell is wrong with you, don't you love your country? I like the idea of forcing people to have a flag at public meetings, but that is just me. I love my country.
 

jahwarrior

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insane.kangaroo wrote:
KBCraig wrote:
The fact that there is a law requiring it, is sufficient reason to not do it.

If the patriot-police starting citing people for this, it would be time to fly a flag, all right: upside down!

Or tell them, "Sorry, you're too late. We had a flag, then we burned it."
:shock: What the hell is wrong with you, don't you love your country? I like the idea of forcing people to have a flag at public meetings, but that is just me. I love my country.
that's funny; some guyslike the idea of forcing people to be shi'ite muslim.
 

david.ross

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So much for law abiding citizens with firearms, eh?

Bring a flag, or I'll make sure LE does a check at every OC dinner or picnic.

Even better, if you don't like the laws, move to a different state. Pennsylvania does not need citizens which are not law abiding.

EDIT: even better
 

Tomahawk

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insane.kangaroo wrote:
Bring a flag, or I'll make sure LE does a check at every OC dinner or picnic.
I got your flag right here:

BS_Flag.gif
 

Aran

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insane.kangaroo wrote:
So much for law abiding citizens with firearms, eh?

Bring a flag, or I'll make sure LE does a check at every OC dinner or picnic.

Even better, if you don't like the laws, move to a different state. Pennsylvania does not need citizens which are not law abiding.

EDIT: even better

You're a @#$%job, did I ever tell you that?



Stay in Alaska.
 

jahwarrior

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insane.kangaroo wrote:
Bring a flag, or I'll make sure LE does a check at every OC dinner or picnic.
okay, herr kangaroo, you win. should we make sure to have ze papers ready as well?
 
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