http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,531525,00.html



WAUSAU, Wis. —  An American flag flown upside down as a protest in a northern Wisconsin village was seized by police before a Fourth of July parade and the businessman who flew it — an Iraq war veteran — claims the officers trespassed and stole his property.

A day after the parade, police returned the flag and the man's protest — over a liquor license — continued.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin is considering legal action against the village of Crivitz for violating Vito Congine Jr.'s' First Amendment rights, Executive Director Chris Ahmuty said.

"It is not often that you see something this blatant," Ahmuty said.

In mid-June, Congine, 46, began flying the flag upside down — an accepted way to signal distress — outside the restaurant he wants to open in Crivitz, a village of about 1,000 people some 65 miles north of Green Bay.

He said his distress is likely bankruptcy because the village board refused to grant him a liquor license after he spent nearly $200,000 to buy and remodel a downtown building for an Italian supper club.

Congine's upside-down-flag represents distress to him; to others in town, it represents disrespect of the flag.

Hours before a Fourth of July parade, four police officers went to Congine's property and removed the flag under the advice of Marinette County District Attorney Allen Brey.

Neighbor Steven Klein watched in disbelief.

"I said, 'What are you doing?' Klein said. "They said, 'It is none of your business."'

The next day, police returned the flag.

Brey declined comment Friday.

Marinette County Sheriff Jim Kanikula said it was not illegal to fly the flag upside down but people were upset and it was the Fourth of July.

"It is illegal to cause a disruption," he said.

The parade went on without any problems, Kanikula said.

Village President John Deschane, 60, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, said many people in town believe it's disrespectful to fly the flag upside down.

"If he wants to protest, let him protest but find a different way to do it," Deschane said.

Congine, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq in 2004, said he intends to keep flying the flag upside down.

"It is pretty bad when I go and fight a tyrannical government somewhere else," Congine said, "and then I come home to find it right here at my front door."

_____________________

Stop the presses!  The ACLU is on the right side of the fight?!

Blind hog.... And several posters here will support the officer's actions



 

How the fuck is this man the Sheriff?




 
 

This is when I tell the DA and walk away.

The police should sew a cross on it!   Carry on..........

He will win his lawsuit.

It's his right to fly that flag any way he wants.  However, an upside down flag is supposed to indicate severe distress, is it not?  They should have sent a SWAT team and medical to help him.  And then billed him for wasting their time.  That's just responding appropriately to his signaling a severe emergency.

I see disturbing the peace laws abused by cops more than any other laws...

I doubt they have anything more than their claim ... that flying the flag upside-down MIGHT cause a disruption.    But of course he could burn it and be OK.

California has it right. A police officers peace cannot be disturbed. Cops need a citizen to make a private persons arrest and sign an order of arrest in order to enforce a disturbing the peace violation. Should be that way in every state.

"Officers just following orders"

I hope they get asses sued and possibly curb stomped.

I wonder if they realize that it technically isn't disrespectful to fly the flag upside.  Although he shouldn't be surprised if someone shows up and asks if he is distress as that is what Old Glory upside denotes.

I'm surprised a bunch of other veterans didn't get together and kick his ass.

Maybe the police actually saved his life.

Because being a Sheriff does not mean that one needs either intelligence, integrity, or the belief that tho one might not personally agree with someone, they still have a right to PEACABLY voice their opposition.

It was Constitutionally protected free speech and the Sheriff certainly did violate it. Sadly, the DA has no clue either, as an atty he SHOULD know better and if not, at least do the research before he issues his opinion.

[One certainly hopes that A Sheriff does care and have the intelligence]

That there would be a rather loose definition of 'disruption' yer using there bud.

Really?

Wow, California's got something right!  That's actually a really good idea.

Sue everybody but not for money.
I'd ask for a hand written apology to be placed in the local paper and use them as ads when I ran against the jackass sheriff.

Well here is a veteran who would defend this veteran from the police, not kick his ass.  It was the police that need their asses kicked.  Also, I wonder if this guy should have spent the 200k on bribing the politicians instead of renovations.  That is probably the reason he can't get his liquor license.   That or the politicians only allow their friends or family to have liquor license and don't want any competition.

I would be willing to use violence to protect this man's right to fly the flag however he'd like, or to destroy it however he'd like.

aww, noone tried taking mine down on the 4th

hmmm

an upside down flag is not disrespectful,  it's an SOS.  why not call 911 and whine to them while your at it.

Disparity of force = good shoot

You read the artical correct?

They were not allowing him to run a business the way he wanted.

Persuit of happieness, all men equal, blah blah blah.

Oh and he was going to go broke without a "tax" to sell a legal product.

Damn right I would call that distress, wake up!

It's not nearly the same as "Im gonna die if someone doesn't help me this second".  That guy is a douchebag plain and simple.

That is true, in this case the meaning is deeper.

Would be interesting to hear his take on it, I read it as a commentary on the erosion of our rights as citizens of OUR country. The Police trespassing and taking his property kinda examplafies my/his point.

C

No,the douchebag would be you. You don't like that he has the right to protest because you don't agree with his method. Well he and alot of others have fought and many died for his rights.

  Maybe you would feel alot more comfortable living in... say, China where they just kill you if they don't like the way you protest.






Roy

Flying a flag upside down is a distress signal signifying, you know, actual distress. He's crying "fire" when there's no fire.

So your saying it's okay to call 911 when McDonald's shorts him on his order of fries too?

Ohhhh,  and also that I'm a douchebag.  That hurts man, really, it hurts deep inside that a guy like you considers me a douchebag.  Honestly, there could be tears.

No, he's crying "distress" when there is, you know, actual distress.

I sent the turds an email to let 'em know I care.

The law is not open to interpretation, no matter what ones opinions may be.

I agree with the guy in the article.

As a small business owner myself, I can relate to the stress of it.
Especially the fear of having to declare bankruptcy, etc for whatever reasons. It's worse when the government interferes.

It may have been a smart move for him to try & get the license before buying the club. Then again, they may require to inspect a place before issueing a permit so that may not have worked either.

I hope the fellow wins his lawsuit.

You're seriously equating hanging a flag upside down to dialing 911?

You guys are funny.  Call it whatever you want up until the police trespassed on his property and stole his property.  This is a scary thing.  Now would a call to the state police have gotten him his property back the same day?  I hope he sues and all people involved are fired.  Screw the I am just doing my job bs, they should all be in jail for violating his rights.

This fucking country is in distress, so he flew the flag upside down.

This ^ is the appropriate response to pinheads who fly the flag upside down.  Flame on.

His business will fail,go on the auction block and someone that is friends with the council will buy it cheap and have a liquor license a month later.

Hours before a Fourth of July parade, four police officers went to Congine's property and removed the flag under the advice of Marinette County District Attorney Allen Brey.

The Marinette County DA is a stupid fuck who deserves nothing more than to be fired, and banned from ever working as an attorney or in any government capacity whatsoever. I hope this gentleman wins 10 million dollars and the county goes bankrupt.

When in God's name is the stupidity in this country's law enforcement going to end?

Ha! In Crivitz, not surprised.

Good old boys network alive and well in that town. Got to go along to get along. Probably also had something to do with his liquor license being denied.  Didnt play the game with the right guys.

They probably only returned it because it made the news. Now it's time for the Cover Your Aaa and finger pointing to begin. They'll start eating their own shortly.

Absolutely revolting.


Great snowmobiling though.

I support people who fight for some of our civil liberties...

Good call, ACLU.

Liquor licenses are all about political games and cronyism no matter the size of the town.

Paychecks > Constitution

WE NEED MORE OF THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for your service, and for standing up for our Constitution with the rest of us who are sick of our rights being trampled by power-mad assholes "just following orders".

And for the clown who calls the guy a "douchebag" for flying his flag while exercising his Constitutionally guaranteed RIGHTS to do so:

The Constitution gives EVERYONE the right to be a "douchebag", it does NOT give some judgmental-from-afar asshole permission to violate those rights simply because he doesn't agree.

These 4 stupid fuck LEO robots and the pole-smoking communist fuck DA blatantly violated this man's 1st and 4th Amendment rights.

I hope the ACLU comes in there and nukes the entire government in that corrupt little armpit of a burg from ORBIT, and permanently ruining the lives of those who would otherwise ABUSE their citizen-given power to trample Constitutional rights along with it.

The local PD hasn't stolen the flipped flag off my jacket yet, but I'll be on the lookout.

Upside-down flag is not = 911. You're sounding stupid.

At least 9 times out of 10 the ACLU is on the right side.

What are two freedoms you've been deprived of as a result of their lawsuits?

mhm.

Marinette County Sheriff Jim Kanikula said it was not illegal to fly the flag upside down but people were upset and it was the Fourth of July.

"It is illegal to cause a disruption," he said

Oh, is it now?

In my 40 years I have never seen a better reason to signal the distress of our great nation.  Just following orders, without regard for the constitution or laws ......sounds very Nazi to me.