Saluting This Flag Wasn't What Some Readers Had in Mind

[Jim Finnel]

The Valley Way Motel in Niagara Falls is back to flying only one flag on its front lawn - the Canadian flag.

For now, the second flag that was just below it, which was also red and white and looked similar to the Canadian flag - except that it had a marijuana leaf instead of the traditional maple leaf - has been taken down.

I noticed the marijuana flag some time ago and so did some of our readers, who asked that we look into the problem. They thought it was an insult to have the marijuana flag flying below our national flag.

The motel is at the corner of Valley Way and Stanley Avenue. That's not very far from Valley Way Public School, Ontario's Tourism Welcome Centre, the Ontario Provincial Police detachment and the Royal Canadian Legion branch 51.

Stanley Avenue is well used, not only by local residents but also tourists who come into our city from Highway 420.

No laws are being broken and there's nothing illegal about any of this. But what kind of an impression does this leave with our children and visitors who come here?

I'm a newspaper reporter - no one needs to remind me that freedom of speech and expression are paramount and we should do everything we can to protect those basic rights.

And this is not a debate about the medical benefits of using marijuana.

If that marijuana flag was in someone's window at home, most of us would probably not give it a second thought. But to have it in front of a local business is questionable. To have it flying under our Canadian flag is not only in poor taste, it's disrespectful.

There are those who disagree, including Doug Hammond, who rents a room at the motel and looks after the office.

"A young kid had it, he asked me if I could put it up and that's what I did."

If there are people upset by it, no one has stopped by the motel to complain. He said a few people have said they like it and some have stopped to take a photo.

"I didn't think it was a big deal. It's just a hemp flag, and you can buy them anywhere. I don't see what's the problem," said Hammond.

He thinks some people "should get a life" and there are more important issues to complain about.

It was not flown to insult anyone. If anyone from the Legion had complained, he would have taken it down. Both his grandfathers were in the army, he said, and he would not want to offend anyone in the military.

"It's not hurting nobody. It's just a flag, and I didn't think it would have this kind of an impact on anybody," said Hammond.

The motel is owned by someone in Toronto. Attempts to contact that individual were unsuccessful. There is no manager on site, and Hammond opens up the office if any of the tenants need to use the telephone.

The day after The Review visited, the marijuana flag was taken down.

Contacted about his decision, Hammond said it will stay down for now. He's undecided if it will go up again in the new year.

We let him know that if people call us again to complain, we will revisit this issue.


NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Niagara Falls Review, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2009 Osprey Media Group Inc.
Contact: Letter To The Editor - Niagara Falls Review - Ontario, CA
Website: Niagara Falls Review - Ontario, CA
Author: Tony Ricciuto

 

[Oddnonsmoker]

It ain't great, but I made it up on the fly. So without any further ado, here is my version of The Pledge of Allegiance:

The Pledge to Cannabis

I pledge allegiance to a flag
of our most favorite plant in history,
and if someone takes it from you or me,
then we shall, lose our most,
precious liberty. Now brother help me make this plant free.
​

.

 

[Warbux]

Interesting...

 

[Caber1]

Interesting indeed.
As the balance of life on earth heads toward the precipice of no return I tend to think of myself as a citizen of earth and I am more disgusted by what is being done to it then I would ever be by what some people would describe as an insult to their flag, a picture on a piece of cloth.
Sounds like he needs anger management. Try a blunt.

 

[colitas]

The only way this would have shown disrespect is if the Canadian National flag was underneath the Cannabis Canadian flag a 'hybrid' flag. There was a case in new mexico 'i believe' where a bar operator flew a mexican national flag above the U.S. flag and that got the attention of one perticular U.S. Veteran who I believe took it down and rightly so....Don't forget that Hemp made our country strong and prosperous, it is only due to a hand full of industry leaders that lobbied Congress to make it Illegal using lies and racial negative associations with the herb. YouTube has all the proof one needs to understand the injustice we as Americans have to endure. Look up prohibition of weed or any other similiar search and educate yourself if you already don't know.

 

[michaelkaer]

I do not see the disrespect. I personally would like to see people be open about who there are and what they believe. It is a waste of my time to further debate such a simple thing that is over and done.

 

[aninnymouse]

The greatest insults to the Canadian Flag, and the US flag for y'all Yankees, is what our respective (disrespectful) representatives are doing to both countries every day.

They want us to be proud of our countries, and claims that we are the free people's of the world...as they move our countries more and more towards socialism, lock down our travel, bug our phone calls, read our emails, trace our purchases...

They want us to support our governments, while talking away our jobs, and for those who still have jobs, larger and larger portions of our incomes...and then they need to hire more people to help take our money. Of course, this causes thej to complain that they don't have enough money to pay "their employees" so they "need to initiate a new tax..."

They tax neo-natal care before we're born, everything we consume while we're alive, our caskets, plots, and estates after we're dead...yet we are expected to show respect to these criminals?

Flags are pieces of cloth these days...nothing more.

When (if?) we ever return to an honest form of truly representative government (a la Ron Paul, Peter Schiff, et cetera) then we may have reason to be proud of our countries once more...but it doesn't look like we're headed in that direction, but in the opposite path...and at light speed.

Our politicians have not earned our respect...they have earned our scorn...and until POSITIVE changes are made towards the betterment of society, restoration of freedoms, and reduction of micro-control of the lives of individuals by government agencies, they deserve NOTHING in return for their treachery and treason against The People.

 

[michaelkaer]

"Our politicians have not earned our respect...they have earned our scorn...and until POSITIVE changes are made towards the betterment of society, restoration of freedoms, and reduction of micro-control of the lives of individuals by government agencies, they deserve NOTHING in return for their treachery and treason against The People."

They have earned more than just our scorn, they must be fought actively. We must demand that they hold themselves accountable and we must catch them in every single lie till they stop lying (forever?) our many arms are humour and common sense. We are many that the few can not stand up to when we are riled. Dictator Harper is bringing this on himself.