United We Stand

Veteran Edward Zivica Faces Eviction For Raising Flag

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- Edward Zivica, a 70-year-old who served in the Navy in the 1960s, faces a hard choice come Veterans Day next week: He can obey the rules and remain in his apartment complex, or he can follow his tradition of hanging the American flag outside his place.


The managers at his subsidized housing project in Springfield, Ore., have given him notice he'll be evicted if he again violates the rules against putting anything on the exterior walls.


That notice came after the flag went up on Oct. 27 for Navy Day, one of several that Zivica marks by hanging it outside the community room near the main entrance. He'd gotten a letter from the management in June telling him to quit.


The flag, he said, was one the Army sent when his dad, a World War II veteran, died. Zivica says a brother also served, in Korea, as a Marine.


He told the paper he doesn't have many options for housing, so he would knuckle under and sign a compliance notice, which he called "a confession" and "an apology."


But he also said he finds it hard not to hang the flag on Veterans Day.


"It's one of the biggest days of the year for us," he said. "... I guess we'll see what happens."

(Taken from: Huffington Post 11/3/11)

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Flying the very flag given in memory of a WWII veteran should be a great honor. Cause for celebration.


Yet, rather than counting it an honor they dishonor his memory, the memory of every fallen soldier it represents, and the very country that subsidizes their existence.


The housing project wouldn’t exist if not for what our flag provides. Management used the old illogical excuse that if they allowed this flag then they would have to allow others.


How is it that so many people believe the statement “if we let you do it then we have to let everyone do it”? That statement is not true. Where did it come from? It’s a stupid cowardly copout. It’s absurd to think everyone can do everything just because one is allowed to do it. That would be chaos.


But we can stand up and use our God given ability to think about what’s right and wrong. We can give honor to whom honor is due. Submit to the truth that this is America. We have special holidays to honor our country and those who have served her.


Where has patriotism gone? I don’t think on 9/12/01 management would have had the nerve to evict a 70 year old veteran because he decided to give his place of residence the honor of flying the stars and stripes. Now after ten more years of freedom have we forgotten?


If I could I’d like to bombard St. Vincent de Paul, the managing company of the Aster apartment complex with an outcry against their decision to put a 70 year veteran on the street because of his desire to honor this United States of America. I wish everyone in that complex would stand united and turn in their notice: “If Edward Zivica is evicted we all leave.”

United we stand, after all this still is the United States Of America.

United we can make a difference.

PS: I am pleased to announce that after writing the above post it appears I am not the only one outraged by this event and due to “a lot of attention” the complex is now allowing Mr. Zivica to fly our flag! Yes, this still is the United States Of America! United we stand. God bless you and God bless the United States Of America.

The following from: http://www.svdp.us/news/news-archive/st-vincent-de-paul-response-to-news-story/


St. Vincent de Paul Response to News Story

St. Vincent de Paul has received a lot of attention today regarding a tenant who was asked to stop hanging a flag from the side of the apartment complex without permission. We would like to share the following updated information.

This morning our tenant agreed to provide a list of dates when he would like to fly his flag. St. Vincent de Paul granted him permission to fly the flag on those dates, provided it is done in a manner that's respectful to the flag and our other tenants. In accordance with the rules of the complex, St. Vincent de Paul will be happy to grant permission to put an addtional American flag at the complex if tenants inform us in advance.

Our tenant feels this issue is resolved, and we are pleased to have reached a resolution to this issue.