Bakersfield, California is about two hours and several light years away from IHateTheMedia.com’s intergalactic headquarters.
For some reason, some unknown and unfathomable reason, the fire chief in that conservative farming and oil community thought it would be a good idea to remove the American flag from his department’s uniforms.
As you might well imagine, this did not sit well with either the firefighters or the residents of Buck Owens’ adopted hometown.
As Buck might have said to the fire chief, “You’ve got a tiger by the tail.”
Let’s enjoy a little Buck in honor of this boneheaded Bakersfield decision.
This post was last modified on April 6, 2011
View Comments (26)
After they run him out of town on a rail he'll get a job offer from the Obama administration. Like meets like
Uh oh. This case could use some Investigative Journalism.
We may have us a Flag hating 'Mexico First'er in our midst.
That's probably what precipitated this event. Some local Mexican probably bitched and moaned about it so they decided to be all PC and remove it. If they get away with that, then the fire trucks having our flags on them anyplace banned. Then the flags in front of the fire houses, police station and city hall will be removed. I wonder if Bakersfield PD wears flags on their uniforms?
The BPD (a bunch of criminal shooting guys), have flags on their nameplates. So all city public safety will honor our flag in the same style.
"Mayor wants to ban term 'firefighter"
Official says there are a number of more politically correct terms available
POYET SPRINGS, Calif. — A mayor has sparked outrage by proposing the city's fire department drop the name "firefighter" to describe members, claiming the term "fighter" has negative connotations.
Mayor Shirley U. Jest says there are a number of more politically correct terms that would better reflect the role of fire department members in the 21st century.
She says changing the term would attract different types of people into the fire service.
"I first thought of the idea after reading how some people refer to the fire service as being '100 years of tradition unimpeded by progress.'"
"I know that this could be controversial — and that some people may criticize me for not concentrating on things like budget issues here – but this is something that's troubled me for a while."
http://www.firerescue1.com/weird-news/articles/1002060-Mayor-wants-to-ban-term-firefighter/
Thats what liberal-ism is really all about, the hatred for AMERICAN Tradition.
Mayor Shirley U. Jest. I think its a hoax
Very funny but you better be carefull! Some politician may read this story and think it is a good idea! You wouldn't want us ragging on you about starting the "fire suppressors" movement would you?
As a Bakersfield native, I say that this "issue" is a bunch of bunk. It may have been more "patriotic" for them to have standardized flag patches on the right shoulder of all of the uniforms, but I kind of agree with the fire chief in the Californian story, that the uniforms should be...well...uniform. It just makes sense. The nameplates will look better anyway, and the flags won't be backwards on the nameplates. This is a mountain out of a molehill story. If anything, it's more reflective of the state of "investigative" journalism in Bakersfield, where they'll pretty much go out and report on any tip that any crackpot sends them. TV news in this town is a joke, and that's reflected in this "story."
I could care less about the flag on the uniform issue, in fact I agree that all department dress should be the same for all personnel. The only question I have is how can anyone sew a flag on a shirt and it is backwards?
I proudly fly our flag 24/7, properly lit at night of course, and now wonder if I should lower it if the wind changes direction. When the wind is out of the west I am ok, the flag is facing the right direction? When the wind is out of the east I need to take it down so it does not face the wrong direction? What do I do when the wind is not blowing and my flag is just hanging there, not facing any direction at all?
A simple directive from the chief, yes you can display our colors but in this or that manner only, should have taken care of the problem. Instead, single mindedness gooberment mentality took over and now mountains have been made out of molehills.
Thank you. Finally, a voice of reason.
All those excuses sound like Liberish to me.
If consistency is an issue, than make flags mandatory.
If the currant flags are worn, replace them.
What, is he bucking for a promotion to liberal ?
My goodness you are something else.
It's cheaper for us to have a $5. Nameplate, than if we used patches seen on with Flame resistant thread (a requirement), or pay one of the uniforrm shop to replace said patch. Or if we went to the embroidered option, to buy another $74. Shirt.
I'm never promoting. I'm just a happy go lucky fire fighter. 25 years so far.
Like I've stated. This whole thing, is a none issue for us. This is just a media driven ploy, to incite discontent against unions/ public servants.
You've been played by the Media.
You mean the same media that plays unions against taxpayers? The same media that consistently lies through its teeth to get a non-story to print so the rest of us are played like Stradivariuses? Is that the media you're talking about? First of all, I don't give that much intellectual credit to any of the local TV stations and I certainly don't give the Californian any credit for being credible. As far as I'm concerned, that paper went the way of the dodo in 1965 when the paper's patriarch's house burned down on Oleander Avenue. I was watching from across the street at the time of the fire. I remember seeing someone running from the house before it broke out in flames...arson I think. I'm much less concerned about the bad journalism and more concerned about why your firechief decided to nix The Colors in the first place and don't tell me it was all about uniformity! This is how this marxist shit starts, all it has to do is find a couple of useful idiots like you and Bob. I guarantee you it won't stop there!
Hisham. I may be useful, but I am not an idiot. I can't and won't say the same to you, because I do not know you. And I refuse to play troll games.
What I do see is a issue inflaming hatred people, down to their very souls. I see anger at unions. I see class war. Why?
Because that's how you divide, and conquer.
Okay Spindly1, I'll apologize for being rash and rushing to judgement, however, let me inform you from whom the term 'useful idiot' originated. It was Lenin, the marxist-socialist political revolutionary who brought us the term way back in the 1920's when he advised his subordinates not to squelch liberal leaning foreign and western journalists and politicians from extolling the 'virtues' of his revolution in Russia, because he knew that they were providing cover for his atrocities. He could lead them around like little babies and as long as he fed them and poured copious amounts of vodka down their throats, they'd say just about anything extolling the Russian Revolution, almost without prompting. While this was going on, he was busily murdering millions of his own fellow Russians and we in the West were non the wiser because of a few "useful idiots" carrying his water. Don't carry the Fire Chiefs water and let him get away with his happy horse shit about sewn on or embroidered flags, (flags that can be seen from a long way off), as apposed to little bitty name plates that can't be seen unless you're really close to the fireman, and all of this in the name of uniformity. Placing the US flag emblem on a name tag is one step from removing it from the uniform altogether! Our flag is our national emblem, wear it proudly and defy anyone who would tell you or convince you to do otherwise!
Here's what tomorrows Bakersfield Californian article.
I hope this will claify things.
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/local/x233130261/City-fire-chief-clarifies-policy-on-American-flags-on-uniforms?utm_source=widget_63&utm_medium=latest_entries_widget&utm_campaign=synapse
I don’t know where some of you think this is our idea. I’ve been a Fire Fighter for the City of Bakersfield since 1986. We, as a Dept. are very patriotic, hosting, and paying for the 4th of July show for over half a century. We’ve purchased huge American flags to fly on our ladder trucks for every function that’s is asked of us. We’ve proudly worn the flag on our shoulders for years. Our children serve in the armed forces of our country, (I have 3 sons who’ve served in Iraq).
This is not a newsworthy item. Our dept. is simply moving the flag to our nameplates. It’s just so we look UNIFORM. There have been at least 3 different styles of the American flags on our uniform, (patches sewn on, and embroidery) the shirts come from different vendors.
So instead of a hodgepoge of different styles, we are trying to ALL LOOK UNIFORM!!!
I’m sorry that you’ve been misled by “the Media”. But you should know by now that they never let the facts, get in the way of a good story.
Thank you for your service.
I live in Bakersfield too, and you really have to understand the local media to get this story. Ever since the local news stations started their "investigative" journalism kicks, there have been all kinds of non-stories. I stopped watching local TV news a while ago - it just isn't worth it, when you can get better quality reporting on AM radio.
Spindly1, I lived in B-field from 1965 to 1972, joined the service in 1972 and in 1997 came back and lived in the area until 2005. I know how your department has supported the Fourth of July celebrations, I've been to many. I don't buy the arguement that the departments are all trying to look 'uniform' because if you were you'd have The Colors flying on your right sleeves! I don't know what's going on there in B-field and I don't expect channels 17, 23 or 27 to get it right. I do know that I don't like what I'm hearing!
He's a dad gomn puckin futz. Unpatriotic? Sure. It goes deeper than that though, dontcha think? I do.
Sounds like the flag should be sewn upside down in Bakersfield.
The spokesperson said "the flags were facing the wrong way" Has that moron ever looked at an American flag? There are two sides. Either way is correct.