Homeowners' association tries making vet remove bumper stickers

The right-wing brain trust would have you believe that they're superpatriots who stand up for the flag and the Constitution. But this story is another that dashes these claims to rack and ruin.

Homeowners' associations have become havens for the rightist intelligentsia. And Americans of almost every economic group are now muscled into compliance with their irrational ukases.

In Dallas, a disabled Vietnam vet decided to stick Marine Corps bumper stickers on his van. But then the homeowners' association at the condo where he lives threw a skizzum and tried making him remove the stickers. The association says bumper stickers on cars are forbidden because they're "advertising."

I'm as antiwar as anybody, but come on!

If he had placed signs on his condo, it would be one thing. But what gives the association the right to go after someone for putting stickers on his car?

The association has threatened to tow the van at the man's expense and fine him heavily.

If something like this happened to me and my car was towed, I'd break into the towing lot and take the car right back. And I'd be damned if I'd pay the association's fines.

If the association thinks it has the power to make people pay fines, doesn't that make it a government? If so, doesn't that mean it has to follow the Bill of Rights - which includes the First Amendment right to display a bumper sticker?

The association can't have it both ways. Of course they try to.

Some folks have nothing better to do in life than create stinks about nothing. I think that describes the homeowners' association in this story quite well.

Today, they're harassing a veteran over Marine Corps stickers. Tomorrow, they'll be fining you for your peace sign stickers, as it's becoming harder and harder to find housing that doesn't have a homeowners' association.

(Source: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/HOA_Asks_Vet_to_Remove_Bumper)