Story Archive

Mr. Key Has a Question

A soldier’s Killeen, Texas, neighbors are rallying round the flag — and the soldier — in a fight with their homeowner’s association. The HOA, and the homeowner from whom Sgt. Chris Link is renting, object to his display of the American flag. Under HOA rules, freestanding flagpoles aren’t allowed, and even with a bracket attached to the building, the flag can only be flown on four specified holidays. Link moved the flag from a freestanding pole to brackets on the house, and pointed out in an email that the federal Freedom to Display the American Flag Act restricts HOA rules on flags. The HOA president replied, also by email, “the HOA has its own by-Laws that will be followed and you will follow them like everyone else, no exception.” (AC/KCEN Temple, Tex.) ...The U.S. also has laws, but the HOA apparently gets to make exceptions to those.