American Flag = Crime Target ?

[BarryLee]

I've been considering putting up an American flag in front of my home for a while and felt 9/11 would be a good time. A friend told me I shouldn't do so since criminals target homes with American flags. Basically the logic is flags equal conservative and conservatives equal guns.

So, I had never considered this before, but now remember warnings from local Police to avoid stickers, tags, flags etc. on you car/truck related to firearms and/or conservative causes because criminals target these vehicles thinking they are more likely to have guns.

I never considered this as it relates to your home. Has anyone else heard these warnings are is this just part of our general growing paranoia?

[NoSecondBest]

Current rumor BS. How many homes do you know of that were targeted for having a Trump or Biden sign in the yard? This paranoia is being spawned on the internet and there are groups of people out there who spend their entire day creating more of the same.

[FITASC]

I fly the B&W with red, green, and blue stripe flag (my regular needs replacing) as well as the Gadsden "Don't Tread On Me" flag - no issues

[Thomas Clarke]

I put up a 30' flag pole in my front yard on the 50th anniversary of D-Day. I fly the colors daily and observe all protocols. No hassles from anyone. I hoist up to 2 additional flags depending on my moods, including Shay's Rebellion & the Irish Republic 1916 GPO flag, my city flag, my county flag, & my state flag. Never had an issue, though I do get questions about the flags. Ignore the issues you read about.

[Pahoo]

is this just part of our general growing paranoia?

To a certain degree, it is. I am a Vet and "always" fly the colors. Heck I even wear the colors and so does my truck. I get more crap about wearing my mask than I do, for flying the colors.

HOWEVER;
I live in a Midwest town and locally, there isn't a problem. For now, my Trump cap is taking a break and all is well. "You" are going to have to make your own measure and you have support. .......

Keep the faith and;
Be Safe !!!

[44 AMP]

Remember some police will also tell you not to keep valuables in your home....

about the flag?

I'm reminded of an old Jeff Foxworth routine, paraphrased it goes something like this..

the thief sees a nice house, flowers along the walk, nice yard, thinks, hmm, might be something in there worth taking....

He sees a house with weeds four feet high, a couple of cars on blocks, tree with an engine block hanging from a chain....that's a house where a GUN LIVES!!!

And, if you come in the window some night, you're gonna meet it!!


Point here is that if you think flying the flag makes you a target because flag flyers often have guns, consider the opposite effect, perhaps it makes you less of a target, because crooks know that flag flyers often HAVE GUNS!!
(and can use them...)

[Schlitz 45]

I remember long ago a bounty hunter I knew saying if there's a flag out front there's guns inside & that's probably always been a true statement. My flags will continue to fly.
Now I did take my name off the mailbox but that's as far as I'm going.

[Mainah]

This reminds me of that urban legend a few years ago that claimed that the stick figure family stickers that people put on the rear windows of their minivans were used by criminals targeting children.

[BarryLee]

Thanks for the feedback. Let me add that I put the flag up a few weeks back and it looks great, so no real worries. I do see why an NRA or GLOCK decal on your truck might attract the wrong kind of attention, but just never thought about the association of flags and guns in the home.

[jmr40]

I don't have any firearms or hunting related stickers on my vehicles. But all of them have a small USA flag decal on the back window. We have a flag hanger in our yard. There is always a flag in it depending on the season. Christmas, Halloween, Independence Day etc. It has the red, white, and blue USA flag when it is appropriate.

[Mainah]

Thanks for the feedback. Let me add that I put the flag up a few weeks back and it looks great, so no real worries. I do see why an NRA or GLOCK decal on your truck might attract the wrong kind of attention, but just never thought about the association of flags and guns in the home.

Another perspective would be to consider how first responders would react, I imagine that a well cared for American flag might make a cop or a paramedic more comfortable about going into your house if you had some type of crisis.

I embrace the grey man approach to life. But I don't think that means you need to eliminate every single expression of your beliefs. Plus you can always put a "beware of dog" sign somewhere visible too and negate any potential targeting.

[Carl the Floor Walker]

The only target might be the American Flag. Last July 4th neighbors in many areas of the city had there's taken and crapped on. Denigrated with BLM, "F" America and other vile graphics. I have picture of one destroyed in my neighborhood, but too graphic to show. And by the way, we are talking about nice Middle and upper middle class neighborhoods.

[eflyguy]

I've flown flags here in ATL since I arrived in the 90's. More than half the homes on the street where I currently live have flags. I've had to replace mine twice now due to weathering. I have a "come and take it" flag strategically positioned above my gun bench in the front room upstairs, so it's visible from the street.

I also have plenty of indications of my 2A position on my vehicles - from DTOM snakes (I cut my own vinyl) to ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" on the rear window of my truck.

If flying a flag makes you nervous, well, you do you..

[rickyrick]

I no longer fly a flag at my home, but lots of people still do. But it is a target in the area in which I live.
Let’s say I don’t live in Portland, but I can see it out of my living room Windows. My reasons are because of political bad actors, but I suppose that a person with a flag may also have guns.

I’ve also had Antifa riots stop and linger just a few blocks from my house before turning back.

I don’t want a flag if they some day make it all the way up the street.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by BarryLee

I never considered this as it relates to your home. Has anyone else heard these warnings are is this just part of our general growing paranoia?

I haven't heard that an American flag would make my house a target for criminals, but I have been forced to recognize that it may make my house a target for vandals. I live in a hotbed of "woke" folk, so I have simple resolved to maintain a low profile.

[gaseousclay]

If you’re in a conservative part of town you should be fine imo. I don’t display any stickers or symbols whatsoever unless it’s something that doesn’t scream politics. My rifle case has a Yeti sticker on it because I don’t wanna attract attention by putting gun related stickers on it. Don’t own a house but if I did I’d have to be in a conservative area before I’d feel comfortable displaying the flag

[Carl the Floor Walker]

I live in a Conservative neighborhood. Our precinct has never gone Demo. Most of the neighborhoods where Flags were vandalized were Conservative. Speaking of Woke, our next School board meeting Promises to a real fight with CRT.They even issued a statement for no one to bring a American Flag.

[Ed4032]

I have flown my flag every holiday for 25 years. Never a problem. Everyday is a holiday for me by the way.

[mehavey]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

...crooks know that flag flyers often HAVE GUNS!!

On balance... ^^^ this ^^^ is the more likely circumstance.



(Then again -- ever since Darwin was Canceled -- the world does
seem to have an accelerated growth in the number of the suicidality
stupid loose on the streets.)

`Tis a judgement call.

[Double Naught Spy]

You know what makes your house a target for criminals? Your house.

Not that Jeff Foxworthy is any sort of security specialist, but using his example from above, how your house looks will have certain appeal to criminals and you don't know what it is about your house that will appeal to them over your neighbor's house.

Let's go with the notion that crooks know that homes with flags have guns. I don't know if crooks know this or not. It sounds like a lot of other hooey we create about the crooks knowledge database that is speculative, like "more guns, less crime." However, let's say they associate the flag with guns. So does that mean you will be targeted for the guns or does that mean that the crooks will avoid your house because they know you have guns and may shoot them?

Are some houses targeted because they have American flags? I bet they are. Are some houses targeted because they don't have American flags? I bet they are as well.

My guess is that the biggest crime associated with having an American flag is the possibility of flag vandalism.

[Ricklin]

I took mine down due to weathering and have yet to replace it. I need a better flagpole.
While I can't see PDX from here, I'm not too far away from that liberal bastion. If I lived in PDX, I would not fly the colors.

I will replace mine.

[stagpanther]

You know what makes your house a target for criminals? Your house.

More specifically what's in it. Do people here honestly think "criminals" are going to target their home just because of a flag? How much are they going to get reselling that flag? Do they feel it's worth spending time in prison for stealing a flag? They target your house because they know something of value is in it that can quickly turn and make a profit from. If they are truly thugs and simply don't like the smell of you--more likely they'll round up a gang and find a place to plant you out in the middle of the desert. You think your libtard peaceniks really going to do that?

[Pistoler0]

According to interviews with convicted criminals, the biggest fear for a criminal is to have to confront a homeowner who is armed. It is very scary for them to walk into a place not knowing what they will encounter, and I don't think it is a bad idea to give them a hint of what they are likely to find

I live in the Colorado mountains, the drive to my house is up on a very very steep driveway with two tight switchbacks, about a quarter of a mile long, bordered by tall dark pine trees. As you drive up and the driveway keeps going, you cannot see where the house is until you are almost there, wondering if the driveway will ever end. Half way up the driveway I have a sign that says "Protected by Smith & Wesson" (even if I do not own a S&W pistol, he he).

On Christmas Eve night, 2010, wifey and I had been too lazy to cook, so we headed down to town for Golden Corral (yeah, we are a classy couple). We left at 8 and it was already dark. GC is about 45 minutes away.

While we were at the Corral, it started snowing very heavily. By the time we headed back for the house, there were at least 2 if not 3 inches of snow on the ground and the temperature was near 0 F. As we start driving up our dark steep driveway... there are vehicle tracks going up on the pristine snow!!

The tracks keep going up and up... until past the "S&W sign", the tracks show that the vehicle had stopped... and started to slip rearwards on the snow (obviously not 4x4) and almost skidded out of the driveway down the cliff.

Was it someone lost trying to reach a Christmas Eve dinner party (my wife's theory). I don't think so.

PS: the S&W sign is now gone, and I want to put a conspicuously placed game camera or something similar in its place, with a flash activated by movement. I have not found an affordable one yet.

[Pahoo]

Basically the logic is flags equal conservative and conservatives equal guns.

That may depend on where you live and for the most part, not so. ...

Do people here honestly think "criminals" are going to target their home just because of a flag?

Hardly, as there are other factors. One way to flag the bad guys is to "flash" your firearms, in your neighborhood. We are a community of hunters and it's common to see long-guns, in and out of vehicles, boats and whatever. another factor is how effluent your house appears. The best firearm related item I own, is a Gun-Safe !!!

So;
Be Safe !!!

[Pistoler0]

Criminals, unless they are professionals or members of an organized crime ring, look for targets of opportunity and for minimum resistance. They are predators.
Predators turn tail at the slightest chance of injury.

I honestly don't think that the stars and stripes (by itself) is a deterrent or an encouragement, fly it with pride and without concern.

The stars and stripes in an upscale, downtown neighborhood flown by a 80 y.o couple living by the golf course does not give me an intimidating message as a criminal.

Now, the Confederate flag flown in a property with 3 junkyard trucks in it, an emaciated barking dog chained to a tree and a rusty wood smoker?