Firefighter suspended for displaying American flag

Remember 9/11 when firefighters were part of the front line defending AMERICA against a terrorist foreign enemy? Remember the photo of firefighters raising the American flag over the rubble of the destroyed Twin Towers in New York City?

Now a firefighter in Pennsylvania has been suspended without pay for displaying an American flag on his locker at the firehouse. Has common sense gone completely out the window? Do we all have spaghetti spines? Stand up and fight this nonsense!

From today's Richmond Times Dispatch is the story from the Philly Inquirer:

CHESTER, Pa. -- A Chester City, Pa., firefighter was suspended without pay for a second day after he again refused yesterday to scrape an American flag decal from his locker.

A battalion chief also might be in trouble, after he refused the fire commissioner's request to remove the flag last night.

The clash began after a black firefighter posted a cartoon that showed two black men and included what could be considered racial slurs. It was removed after another firefighter complained.

That led to a directive ordering firefighters to keep the outside of lockers "free of alteration." They can keep family photos and other items inside their lockers.

James Krapf, 31, took down two other stickers from his locker Thursday but refused to remove a small U.S. flag in the upper left corner. He was sent home.

Battalion Chief John Powers said Fire Commissioner James Johnson called him last night and told him to scrape off the sticker, but he refused. Powers said he expected he would be reprimanded.

Asking that items be removed from lockers is one thing ... but the American flag is the national symbol of freedom, the flag our firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel, and military proudly fight under.

Could someone please tell that to the Chester, PA, fire department?