Supervisor Asks Woman To Take Down American Flag
Reporting
Carol Cavazos
MANSFIELD (CBS 11 News) ―

Is it okay to show your patriotism at the office?

For one Arlington woman, the answer was "no" after she hung an American flag in her office just before the Memorial Day weekend.

Debbie McLucas is one of four hospital supervisors at Kindred Hospital in Mansfield. Last week, she hung a three-by-five foot American flag in the office she shares with the other supervisors.

When McLucas came to work Friday, her boss told her another supervisor had found her flag offensive. "I was just totally speechless. I was like, 'You're kidding me,'" McLucas said.

McLucas' husband and sons are former military men. Her daughter is currently serving in Iraq as a combat medic.

Stifling a cry, McLucas said, "I just wonder if all those young men and women over there are really doing this for nothing."

McLucas said the supervisor who complained has been in the United States for 14 years and is formerly from Africa. McLucas said the supervisor took down Debbie's flag herself.

"The flag and the pole had been placed on the floor," McLucas said. But McLucas also said hospital higher ups had told her some patients' families and visitors had also complained.

"I was told it wouldn't matter if it was only one person," she said. "It would have to come down."

McLucas said hospital bosses told her as far as patriotism was concerned, the flag flying outside the hospital building would have to suffice.

Kindred Hospital Corporate Headquarters are located in Kentucky. They have yet to make a final decision on the matter. They have not returned our phone calls for comment.

The Kindred Hospital Corporation was chosen as Fortune's most admired for 2009. McLucas hopes they'll back her patriotism.

"I find it very frightening because if I can't display my flag, what other freedoms will I lose before all is said and done," McLucas asked.

DISGUSTING - -

I'd plant that flag pole where the sun don't shine on that objecting supervisor! Then I'd tell the bitch to go back to Africa and practice there!! [bleep] ungrateful scum bag!

You're a helluva lot more polite than I'd be...

+1000 on all thes posts! I have a flag pin on my name badge, as well as my NRA life member pin. The only comments I've received have been positive, except one. She asked me why I had pins on other than my nursing school pin. I said, "Because I live in the United States, that's why." Been many years since then, and still gainfully employed.

Someone would have gotten their ass kicked, I can say without a doubt, I probably would have gone to jail over this. Les

http://www.kindredhealthcare.com/contact.asp

Contact Us

Kindred Healthcare
Corporate Headquarters
680 South Fourth Street
Louisville, Kentucky 40202
502-596-7300
800-545-0749

e-mail: [email protected]

Here's their contact info.. I just sent them a nice, kind note...


http://www.kindredmansfield.com/contactus.asp


DANG.. I'm too late..

Absolutely disgusting.
How in the hell is the American flag offensive?
Proof the world is full of azzholes.

Nastygram sent. A woman who came here from Africa 14 years ago?? To a country that has allowed her to be safe and prosper and she complains about OUR Flag??? Send her back to where is she can dodge the rape squads and the child soldiers who excel at murder.

I would have a very difficult time controlling my soft spoken,sensitive demeanor with that supervisor!

I as well. Not saying this is right or wrong BUT this is what may very well be going on here. Perhaps this is why O did not wear the US Flag lapel pin.

Source: http://southernpartysw.tripod.com/southernpartiesofthesouthwestssecondsite/id5.html


Charge #3: The Confederate Flag flew over Slavery.

While this is true, the same can be said of the u.S. Flag. The u.S. Flag flew over slavery a full 70 years before the Confederate States of America came into existence. The Confederate Flag never flew over the Ships that brought the slaves over here. To top it all off, the Confederate States of America freed her slaves in 1863; the Federal Union didn�t do it until 1868 with the passage of the 13th amendment.



The Confederate flag was a more egalitarian flag than the Federal flag, in that it had integrated troops within its army. In the Federal army, the black troops served in their own divisions and served under white officers. These troopers saw very little combat; they mostly served in servile roles, serving mostly as laborers and personal servants to the white officers.



The Confederate Army used Blacks both as Soldiers and laborers, there were those white officers in the Confederate Army that had personal servants, but this was not the norm. The Black Soldiers in the Confederate Army were paid the same rate as the White Soldier, they were paid more If they served as laborers. Plus if the Black Confederate soldiers found any Northern weapons or equipment, they could sell them to the Confederate Army for about twice what they were worth on the open market.

Thanks for the link. Strongly worded message sent. Offerred a couple suggestions re the supervisor, too. All worded politely, though.

VA and Redneck - thanks for the links - I sent off my "thoughts" to both places. I am sure they will understand my feelings.

I'd have shoved that flag pole up his ass and carried him like a corn dog out the door.

I am sure I probably would have met some folks with badges on had that been I.

The flag would be up where I work.

I'm not surprised by anything like this anymore.

One of my hunting pards is also my best friend's uncle. My buddy works with me.

The company he worked (note the tense) for went to a demerit system to drive the older guys out so they could hire new, cheap labor. My pard had been working there for 17 years or so. Great worker and can weld anything you put in front of him.

At the time in question, a brother LEO in one of our "cities" got shot in the line of duty. This is a guy that we knew personally and it doesn't happen everyday in NH. As a result, flags were supposed to be flown at half-staff.

My pard looks out and sees the flag flying. He asks the supervisory why it's not down and is basically told to go back to work. My pard explains why the flag should be down and that it's important to him. He's told to go back to work. Pard then responds that he's going to go lower it and is asked if it's worth getting written up for. He responds that it is and asks if the write-up is worth being an azzhole over and promptly walks out to deal with the flag. He did take a rip for it.

People suck!

George

Thanks for the link the following message was sent:

Good note. Much more tactful than mine..

I have never been able to get inside of that mindset. Your own home country has let you down. Your life was terrible, you could find no work, your family was going hungry, your country did absolutely nothing to help you or offer you opportunity to work and better yourself..

So, you jump a ship, or hire a coyote, and you make your way to the land of opportunity and upon your arrival, be it legaly or not, you qualify for free food, free housing, programs to train you, programs to help you get a job, classes to teach you the local language, free schooling for your children.
Upon receiving all of this, you hang a flag celebrating the country who had let you down, leaving you the option of living poor or leaving.

I have made that argument to a hundred Mexicans over the years, and they all tell me I don't get it. "Our flag celebrates our country, not our government". I then ask them how it would be received if I moved to Mexico and displayed a US flag above my door, why that is any different and if that would be respectful to Mexico?

These very same people who come to America and reap the benefits of this fine country would no doubt then be offended when others call them unpatriotic, and don't understand how being offended by the flag will brand them as America haters.

I would have loved it if the reporter could have asked this offended supervisor what it was about the American flag they found offensive? The woman who brought the flag in, needs to keep careful watch of any displays during "Black History" month by this other supervisor, and then approach this person and tell them "I don't agree with this celebration, but respect your right as an American to display your opinion". Make the person think about it instead of playing their game and complaining that you find "Black History Month" offensive to other Americans.

I make it a point to ask every Mexican I see displaying an Mexican flag how this would be perceived in Mexico if I did the same with an American flag, to date not one has said there would not be repercussions of some sort.

Forwarded my sentiments, managed to do it with foul language.

Message sent as well.

Any guesses how they voted in Nov?

It would be nice to know how many nastygrams they received.

Has anyone heard of the local vets organizations have been contacted?

The next day I would have put up a Rebel flag and asked him how he liked it.

I hate saying this, but sometimes you need to plant your feet and stomp some foreign sh#$bird senseless and teach him some manners.

consequences be damned.

Dude...I'm stealing that!

I just realized it was a woman that committed the offense.

Well, that rules out the stomping but she would have to look at that rebel flag until she agreed that the American flag was not so offensive after all and could be displayed.

Reading FOX comments sounds like the hospital has changed its position and is allowing the flag. And they have changed the issue as it was to large rather then a co worker complaint.

Here is the latest...

http://www.kindredhealthcare.com/Press/2009-05-27.asp

STATEMENT REGARDING KINDRED HOSPITAL MANSFIELD
Kindred Hospital Mansfield has a great deal of appreciation for the service that many of our employees and their families have given to their country. We honor our veterans and active military through a variety of benefits and service programs. This was an isolated incident between two employees that we are working to resolve amicably. Both employees have family members who have served in the military. The disagreement was over the size of the flag and not what it symbolized. We have invited the employee to put the flag back up. We share their love of country and we appreciate the service of their family members as well as all members of the armed forces.

They must have gotten a [bleep] of comments, phoned and e-mailed. Well, at least they did right by the employee and the flag is up. We musta skeered 'em. Which is good. Who would you rather offend; one person, or a trainload?

I'm glad she has her flag back up. My mother had the same problem several years ago when she was working for a company that employed the handicapped. One of the supervisors objected to the flag she had on her work area. She didn't back down and called her congressman and asked why there wasn't an American flag flying on the company property as they received tax dollars for employing the disabled. The Congressman made sure there was a flag provided and the American Legion provided the pole for it to fly from. She retired shortly after the ceremony for the flag raising which was attended by the Congressman and the local American Legion representatives.

Sounds like BS in that statement ... implying it was only the size of the flag that was at issue. I call BS on that ... classic back peddling because of the ensuing uproar. PC dipschits. The offended African scum should be run off.

Why is enforcing immigration laws important? I hope this makes the evening news. Fat chance.

i too sent them an email.

Another Obama voter , no doubt

Absolutely do doubt.

Bull-Pelosi, for SURE...

'The size of the flag' my freakin' azz... Unbelievable.. They got caught, pure and simple, and are trying to stop the bleeding. I hope more and more complaints come in - for months... Teach these miserable fools a little lesson...

No reply has come to my mailbox yet.. But I'm just WAITING for it...

Bump to put this with the other "Take down that flag" thread!

Anyone else get an answer from kindredhealthcare.com?? The reply I received was an apology which included the fact the media description of personnel involved was not completely correct.