LET THE FLAG FLY FREELY GLENDALE COUNCIL SHOULD RESPECT PROPERTY OWNER RIGHTS.GLENDALE is fast becoming known for its opposition to property rights. Take the case of Kelly Khoury, the owner of a gasoline station near downtown Glendale. The Jordanian immigrant has been flying a collection of 20 American flags between Independence Day and Labor Day Labor Day, holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September to honor the laborer. It was inaugurated by the Knights of Labor in 1882 and made a national holiday by the U.S. Congress in 1894. for 18 years. But this year, Khoury is being threatened with six months in jail by the city's government for the crime of . . . flying too many flags The Many Flags campaign was an initiative by United States President Lyndon Johnson to get US allies in Asia and the Pacific to participate in the Vietnam War in support of South Vietnam. . The city's laughingstock laugh·ing·stock n. An object of jokes or ridicule; a butt. Noun 1. laughingstock - a victim of ridicule or pranks goat, stooge, butt April fool - the butt of a prank played on April 1st law is no laughing matter No Laughing Matter is an episode of U.S. Acres from the series Garfield and Friends. It was the 74th episode produced for the series, although it is listed as the 71st episode on the Garfield and Friends DVD. It originally aired on October 21, 1989. . A Glendale ordinance prohibits using the star-spangled banner for advertising - a violation of both the freedom of speech and the right to property - and what constitutes advertising is solely at the discretion of the government. For the property owner, there is no appeal: Flying too many stars and stripes Stars and Stripes nickname for the U.S. flag. [Am. Hist.: Brewer Dictionary, 8567] See : America is outlawed in Glendale. Khoury, an American citizen who is fighting the law, has gained the support of Americans from across the country who have bombarded the Glendale City Council with letters, calls and e-mails in opposition to the ordinance. Even the liberal American Civil Liberties Union American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), nonpartisan organization devoted to the preservation and extension of the basic rights set forth in the U.S. Constitution. has joined his crusade to fly the grand old flag. But reason rarely rules in the Glendale City Council chambers, where an ordinance forbidding the construction of a fence on one's property met with overwhelming opposition a couple of years ago. Despite a flood of requests by Glendale residents who demanded the right to build a fence on their property, including a single mother who was concerned that her children would wander into street traffic, the council rejected the right to use one's property: Though Glendale's City Council promised to review the anti-fence ordinance, fences that aren't approved by the government are still illegal. This week, the council promised to review the anti-flag law, which means Glendale's opposition to property rights will continue. Whether a flag assembly at a gas station or a front-yard fence to protect the kids, virtually any development of one's property is opposed in Glendale. Glendale wasn't always a pint-sized Soviet state. The city's history is rich with those who fully exercised property rights without government intervention. In fact, the city would not exist if not for a property developer whose name is plastered across the city. Property development was once actually welcomed in Glendale, where an eager developer named Leslie C. Brand worked hard to build the city into an important center for Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, business. Brand bought hundreds of acres in the Verdugo Mountains The Verdugo Mountains are a small mountain range located just south of the western San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, Southern California, The United States of America (USA). The range is commonly known simply as the Verdugos. , persuaded railroad tycoon Henry Huntington to link his Pacific Electric Railway The Pacific Electric Railway (AAR reporting marks PE), also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses. to Glendale from Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , and promoted the city's incorporation - which occurred in 1906. Today, Glendale is a melting pot of residents, some from across the nation, others from across the globe and others originally from California. Glendale's history demonstrates that progress is made possible by those who seek growth and fortune - men like Khoury, who came to America generations ago, became an American, and survived everything from the environmental regulations on his business and the 1994 Northridge Earthquake to gang shootings to build a thriving business. Khoury's reward? The city that once hailed a businessman's achievements by naming a boulevard after him threatens today's businessman with imprisonment Imprisonment See also Isolation. Alcatraz Island former federal maximum security penitentiary, near San Francisco; “escapeproof.” [Am. Hist.: Flexner, 218] Altmark, the German prison ship in World War II. [Br. Hist. for putting flags on his property. Glendale's government ought to leave Khoury, his flags and his property alone; they should rescind the anti-flag ordinance immediately. And residents ought to stand up to the council and march on City Hall with an army of American flags. But this time, lest the council try to review the ordinance into oblivion, residents must insist that Glendale's oppressive government promptly practice the principles for which Old Glory stands. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Businessman Kelly Khoury has been told the 20 American flags he flies at his gas station violates Glendale's ordinance and he must take them down. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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