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The American flag was flying upside down at the home of Phil and Bonnie Ketterhagen Tuesday. The flag garnered attention in the area, but Phil Ketterhagen denied it was a political statement. (Photo by Jennifer Eisenbart)
Board member says upside down flag wasn’t intentional
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
In the week since President Barack Obama earned re-election, it has become increasingly clear that many people disagree with the result.
Some might say the best local indication of that discontent could be found on the flagpole at 2000 Crossway Road in Burlington – the home owned by Phil and Bonnie Ketterhagen.
But Phil Ketterhagen, a fiscal conservative and member of the Burlington Area School District Board of Education, denied intentionally flying the American flag upside down Tuesday after a local man called the newspaper to complain about the flag earlier the same day.
The United States Code, as defined at Cornell University Law School site, states: “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.”
When contacted, Ketterhagen categorically denied doing it on purpose.
“I’ll be damned,” he said. “I’ll have to tell Bonnie someone screwed up when they put it up.”
A U.S. veteran who participated in the Dyer Intermediate School Veterans Day ceremonies last week, Ketterhagen said flying the flag against the code was unthinkable.
“I’m a military person,” Ketterhagen said. “There is no way I would intentionally do that. It would be against everything I’ve ever done.”
Ketterhagen said he was going to have his wife – also a prominent member of a local conservative group – check the flag Tuesday. He later emailed the newspaper with the following:
“If the flag is displayed incorrectly she is going to correct it,” he added. “I get home at darkness and do not know when someone did this.”
Reports of the United States flag being flown upside down have been made all over the country since the election results last week, including an instance in Wausau.
Jay Askin, a Burlington resident who called the newspaper earlier in the day to complain about the upside down flag said the display was disrespectful.
“(Obama) is a fairly elected Democratic president – show some respect,” he said. “The fact that he (Ketterhagen) is an elected official, too, just bothers me. It’s over the line.”
At the time he made his comments, Askin was not aware of Ketterhagen’s contention that did not know about the flag or was perhaps a victim of a prank.
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53 Comments
One thing to note:
“Traditional guidelines call for displaying the flag in public only from sunrise to sunset. However, the flag may be displayed at all times if it’s illuminated during darkness. The flag should not be subject to weather damage, so it should not be displayed during rain, snow and wind storms unless it is an all-weather flag.”
Reference:
http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf
When someone doesn’t know the difference between Forward and backward I guess I could see them making the mistake about telling up from down. I think this is very disrespectful and happy that the problem will soon be corrected. Our country needs to come together and I hope that optimism spreads.
I find it hard to believe he did not know the American flag on his flag pole in his front yard was upside down. Please, spare us. First you insult our country and every veteran that fought for the freedoms we enjoy but then you insult our intelligence by telling a flat out lie that you had no idea. Pathetic.
My father and his four brothers all fought in WWII. One of his brothers never made it back. To think we have an elected local official disrespecting the very symbol and ideals that my family has sacrificed so much to defend makes me livid. What kind of message does this send to the students in our district? If you don’t agree with an election it’s ok to disrepect the flag? Ketterhagen needs to step down from the school board.
And what’s with the snake flag? Disgusting.
Thank you for your neighborhood report comrade. You are to be commended on your elite monitoring skills and your initiative in keeping the community peaceful and subdued.
Can anyone say “agenda driven comment”?
It is the co-opted snake flag of the Topsy-Turvy Tea Party that should be flapping head over heels. (or should I say, over rattling-tail?) The TP would do best to take its venomous old brew of xenophobic anger, ignorance and ill-will and slither off into the grass (or should I say astroturf?) from whence it first reared is head.
Thank you comrade for your insightful repudiation of the flag of the evil marines of the so called American “revolution” and their soldiers of capitalist evil. Well done.
Oh look now I’m a communist. I had no idea. What amazing insight the chairman has! Wait, I thought Clint Eastwood was the chair man.
Anyway, I’m all in favor of the marines and the American revolution, just not topsy-turvy TPs who have co-opted it for their um, “movement” and managed to get it rightside up while Old Glory was inverted. If the TPs don’t like free and fair elections perhaps they should move to your country, China.
You live in my country already fellow citizen. I assure you I was elected freely and fairly. Google it.
This was no mistake. This flag was intentionally flown upside down. These are the same people that on election day signed in as election observers as “concerned citizens” rather than clearly state what group they were representing at the polls. Why should anyone believe their story?
Yes these incognito slime should be identified and marked. We need regulation of movement and intent – there is plenty of space in the little red book for stamps of state authorization. Well reported comrade, thank you.
Why the masquerade? How can this be an open and civil discussion on this issue when some of the commentators are ashamed to reveal their identities?
Yes off with their masks. Civil discourse can never be achieved without names. Give us the names!
Who are you people to critize someone when you do NOT know if was intentional or not! Everyone on here is screaming how he is disrespecting what a lot of people have fought for….including the man you are all convicting! I believe we also have innocet until proven guily! Since when were you people appointed the judge, jury and the executioner? Remember that when you are looking to the system…… that I hope you are considered guilty and have to prove your innocence. Way to be PROUD AMERICANS!!
If he wants to fly the snake flag who cares! We are a country of freedom of speech! Where are you people when you have others flying NASCAR flags above OUR countries flag? That my friends is JUST if not more of a slap in our militaries face!!!
And just for the record….my father fought in the Korean War and came home with a purple heart. He supports freedom of speech and innocent till proven guilty. Shame on all of you who have convicted a man based on a story in the newspaper.
Anonymous; It wasn’t just the newspaper. One could physically see, with their own eyes, the flag flying upside down! As for intentional; Let your conscience be your guide! Ketterhagen has a history of being a malcontent, and stretching his outreach beyond the limits!
If you expect me to believe that this was a mistake on his part, think again. This flag hung upside down FOR 2 DAYS. Unless you are visualy impaired, you can see that you’re hanging your own flag upside down. Anyone with half a brain would realize that instantly. This person has an agenda and the upside down flag was a message. The irony of it all is that with all the signs he has on his driveway about “freedom not being free” blah, blah, blah, his flag was hanging upside down and now he’s playing stupid. Classic. What an embarrasment this man is to this community. Clearly the one who should be “smacked in the head with a 2 x 4″ is him. Disgusting to say the least. An elected official. Seriously people, wake up and smell the manour.
After seeing just how Bonnie acted during the campaign, many of us do not believe there was no chance it was an accident. It is disrespectful to every American citizen, especially military, and they should be ashamed. She should also be ashamed of her actions during the campaign. This woman and her husband want full control of our school board?? Disgusting!!
@ Anonymous Nov 12:35PM
There is innocent until proven guilty and then there’s “OMG I need to backpedal because this didn’t get the sort of attention I wanted”.
My family used to fly flags quite often and I want to know how the heck you are going with the story that he raised that flag without looking at it during the process? And, even if that could have happened you want us to believe that whomever raised that flag, and the other one then walked away without checking to see if they were flying freely? Raising two flags and not looking up afterwards? Seriously?
Freedom of Speech? Perhaps you need to contact Bonnie and ask her why she protested the Burlington Area Progressives (BAP) movie night? Ask if she had anything to do with complaining about BAP using the CATHE center? Ask her about the letters she has sent to the local papers regarding her disgust that BAP was presenting a different viewpoint than hers in the Burlington area? The Ketterhagens are hardly decent representatives of the ideals of freedom of speech
Methinks it is curious that the one comment defending the Ketterhagen’s very poor choice is registered as anonymous.
Also, it is not the story that led to the conclusion. All one had to do was drive by the upside down flag. Unless whomever it was that hung the flag as such did it blindfolded or had a temporary cessation of vision, it would be pretty tough to do this by mistake. It is noteworthy that the Tea Party banner managed to be hung right side up – hmmmm…….
The point is that the flag was placed upside down for at least two days, but his tea-party flag was right side up & for him to say that it was dark out & he could not see it….every respectful person of the flag knows that if you fly the flag at night it has to have a light shown on it, so his excuse of it being dark is another lie….so there’s the proof!
As a community, as part of the patriotic whole, we must come together as one and resist the temptations of diverting thoughts, in order to achieve our glorious path together. I am highly encouraged by the actions of you, the citizens of the state, to self regulate these distractions in cooperation with your communal media.
We think too small, like the frog at the bottom of the well. He thinks the sky is only full of flags at the top of the well. If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view.
1. “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.”
-Maybe this man feels this country is in dire distress and extreme danger with the current President increasing welfare handouts, illegally suppling guns Mexico, our country’s downgraded credit rating, no national budget for the past 3 years, allowing illegal aliens to run about our country, socialized medicine, Benghazi, condemning successful individuals,
and putting unions ahead of people. Seems to me he exercised his right to show distress. Maybe Germany can bail us out after they help Greece?
2. “My father and his four brothers all fought in WWII”.
-How do you think your father and his four brothers feel that they and many others fought and died to defeat socialism/communism for a country where the majority of people now favor socialism/communism? There were many lives given for naught. Funny: China now shows signs of capitalism/democracy, Russia is even further along with democracy/capitalism and the US shows signs of socialism/communism. Maybe we should have China and Russia observe our elections to assure fair voting and truth while campaigning.
3. “The TP would do best to take its venomous old brew of xenophobic anger, ignorance and ill-will and slither off into the grass”
-Sen. Joseph McCarthy used to say the same thing about socialists and communists. There was even blacklisting in Hollywood. Shall we now blacklist Tea Party members, Conservatives, anti-socialists/communists and free thinkers in favor of those who are pro-union, welfare collectors, socialist/communists, and illegal aliens who have the “right” to vote?
4. “Clearly the one who should be “smacked in the head with a 2 x 4″ is him. Disgusting to say the least. An elected official. Seriously people, wake up and smell the manour”.
-The 2×4 was used by union busters in the 1940′s. Maybe the black panthers will use that technique during the next election. An oldie but a goodie !!
-You infer that an elected official shall act with a higher grade of integrity. Let me just give you a few examples of low grade behavior in the past 20 years: Clinton, Bush, Obama, Petraeus, John Roberts. Displaying a distress flag should be our national symbol.
5. “As a community, as part of the patriotic whole, we must come together as one and resist the temptations of diverting thoughts, in order to achieve our glorious path together”.
-Beautiful thought but lost with reality. What ever happened to Burlington? So much promise, such beautiful people, such a caring community, a special and unique place with people invested in thier church, school, and community. A time gone by which may take generations to recover if it can be recovered. We are a polarized community and nation being led by a divisive President with an ideology that will make the USSR look like Oz.
My Prediction: Beware of the upside down flag coming to a flag pole near you.
Dear Nostradamus, I see you’re one of these fellows who likes to throw around a lot of rightwing nonsense imbued repeatedly with the words “socialists(ism”) and “communists(ism”) without providing even a shred of an example from the real world regarding what on earth you’re talking about. Well the reason for that is obvious, you have no such examples of soclialism/communism, no credibility and no idea what you’re even talking about.
You want to talk about socialized medicine you need look no further than the Veterans administration, where the government owns the hospitals and employs the professionals that deliver the healthcare to our veterans. Government owning the means of production, THAT is socialism. It works out pretty darn well for our Vets, and if I’m not mistaken it’s been around since way before Obama was president.
Obamacare on the other hand relies on privately run healthcare facilities with privately employed professionals and insurance provided by private insurance companies. There’s nothing socialist about it.
The cold war has been over for more than two decades now, but that won’t stop the backward focused TPs from carrying on the fight against the red menace! Socialists! Communists! Lions and tigers and bears OH MY!
Considering the source, I’m wondering if this isn’t some form of sabotage by the communists in the Burlington Area Progressives.
imagine the tea-ruckus if the flag was upside down in front of the house of an outspoken lefty!! nah, acting like a spoiled child isn’t cogent political speech. time to grow up, even for the rightest GOPers.
If you believe this was an “accident” then you probably believe Phil is looking out for the best interest of the children of Burlington as well.
I think the best part of all of this is that not only does he deny it, but he throws his wife under the bus in his denial.
Why would we expect anything less from this guy?
It’s actually sad that he has to pretend it was a mistake, come clean Phil! Fly your flag upside down, and do us all a favor and secede from the Burlington Union.
This is just disrespectful but not unexpected from a person who considers that our educators should be treated as cattle. I’m sure even Chairman Mao is speechless which is why he/she is resorting to illogical statements. I must commend him however for being well read. Reading foreign literature is admirable. I supported the President so I must also be a communist.
Is this the same Ketterhagen who, as an elected member of the school board, threatened to smack the teachers upside the head with a two by four? He was censured for that remark, correct? Seems to be
a habitual display of poor decisions on Mr. Ketterhagen’s part.
Isn’t it time to consider a recall petition on the 2 newest Board members? They have no interest in children. They have no respect for the teachers. Improving education is not on their agenda. Destroying public education and replacing it with private schools is their primary focus. Lets get them out of our system before they destroy our education program.
WWII my father and uncles were fighting fascists I do believe. But either way any veteran would tell you the flag only gets turned in dire circumstances of battle. It’s not a toy of convenience to pout about Obama.
This country is in dire circumstances as leftists like you are helping these fabian communists betray what your father and uncles fought for as well as so many others who have proudly served. Either you are one of them or one of the useful idiots they use to accomplish the mission. Either way, you and your ilk at the BAP are the reason for the dire circumstances this country faces.
mc; You need to look in the mirror to see who you really are. Lunacy is a two way street and you are the ‘frying pan calling the kettle black’. If The B.A.P. weren’t doing such an admirable job our society would regress back to the 1890′s. The dire circumstances you write of are due to people who think like you.
Communist blah blah, leftist yammer yammer, socialism yadda yadda . . . SHESH!
Alright, having never heard of “Fabian Communism” as cited in the brief, baseless and (thankfully for the author) anonymous rant above, I decided to look into what sort of GOPropaganda the TP MC is exposing himself to. What I found was once again enlightening with regard to the endless nonsense that TPs will consume and then regurgitate. Where do you get this dredged up shtuff from, Glenn “Lonesome Roads” Beck?
My gosh the dire threat to modern day Merica from this 19th and early 20th century British group cannot be overstated! Be afraid, be VERY AFRAID! See below:
The Fabian Society is a British socialist organization whose purpose is to advance the principles of democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist, rather than revolutionary, means.[1][2] It is best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning late in the 19th century and continuing up to World War I. The society laid many of the foundations of the Labour Party and subsequently affected the policies of states emerging from the decolonisation of the British Empire, especially India.
The Fabian society is alive and well and there is a direct line from Karl Marx to Barrack Obama via the Fabians. Watch Agenda on vimeo if you don’t believe it! It’s an hour-and-a-half that will open your eyes!
Well MC, I watched the trailer and I’m not going to subject myself the rest of this propaganda piece. Is there any Neo-John Birch Society nonsense whacky wingnut conspiracy theory that you TPz won’t swallow hook, line and sinker? Some person put it on film and it touches all the right nerves for you so it must be true, right? The AWEFUL TRUTH!
So according to whoever compiled this pile of shtuff, more than half the country that voted for President Obama is either ignorant or evil. How simple-minded is that? When you consume hateful nonsense like this it’s no wonder you people are so consumed by anger and fear. It’s a pity really.
So first I find out I’m a communist. Next I’m Fabian. Get me, I’m a Teen Idol! What a lot of foolishness. See ya in the funny papers MC.
Phil Ketterhagen shows and has shown blatent disrespect for the flag, his country, community, and fellow citizens. Ketterhagen further displays his venom from his toxic mouth in his actions and statements as a board member at the Burlington School District. It is with great sadness that Ketterhagen sits in a position where he is supposed to be supportive of children and the community school system. Instead we see a self serving, ego-centric, mindless person who puts his persona above all else! Recall of Ketterhagen would make perfect sense. The children of Burlington deserve better than this malcontent who sees the world through a straw, and only in the direction he points it. If students were to fly an upside flag on their shirts, they would probably be removed from school. Ketterhagen need to be removed from school; from the Board. Reason; un-American activities and incompetence!
Look above. These are the leftists that write in time after time. Unfortunately, this thinking does pervade most of the educators in the public school system, as well as the union thugs, and the contractors that leech off the system. Hats off to the non crazy unselfish ones who have to put up with this day in and day out.
It has come time to starve the leftists.. Encourage others and your own family if applicable to take advantage of public school choice and enroll in online schools. If you can afford it enroll in private schools. Or hard to do, but best of all, homeschool.
They will attack and personalize this post and others as they and their subversive leftist/authoritarian predecessors have done before them. You can take your business and children elsewhere to be taught traditional morals and the critical capitalist financial tools that are frowned upon in the leftist controlled schools.
And when you meet one of the 25% of non radical public educators thank them and help them network.
Don’t let your kids be indoctrinated. You have a choice.
Over 200 of our teachers have Masters Degrees. This represents about 7 years of College. and a lot of money. Don’t blame the teachers , blame your Governor, who cut funding for education by nearly
2 billion dollars, and gave the money to the ultra rich. That’s the Republican way.
Dear Edna, The Governor gave money to the ultra rich? You have drank far too much of the liberal Kool-Aid. Funding for schools does need to be cut in the form of salaries and benefits for teachers. Due to rediculus union demands, the salaries and benefits for teachers are out of line. I have to pay the bill for exhorbent salaries and benefits for teachers and I resent it. To ask a teacher to assist in paying for retirement and health insurance like most Americans amounts to giving the ultra rich money? Even with the cut in funding teachers make plenty of money and have sweet benefits. Teachers are doing far better than the average american.
teachers have always contributed to their pensions and do contribute to their health insurance.
I fail to understand what teachers’ benefits have to do with the American flag being flown upside down.
Democrat, please understand the issue is money out of the classrooms. BASD teachers have been making health and retirement contributions but in no way does this offset the loss of revenue from cuts to education.
Our kids deserve gym, art, music, library, recess and decent class sizes. Teachers are the scapegoats for privateers who see a market in education.
What is a fair salary for a teacher with 5 to 7 years of college?
Is a person with 5 to 7 years of education a good teacher or just a good student themselves?
Everyone want someone else to pay for their life style.
When you say “everyone”, you mean teachers? Your darn right they want someone to pay for their lifestyle. Just like Paul Ryan wants you to pay for his “lifestyle”,and the guy that fixes your toilet, and the guy that fixes your car, or the insurance salesman who buys a flag with the money he made from your umbrella policy….ringing any bells?
What is your point? If teachers have it so good, get off your butt, get yourself down to the local University, plunk down $80,000-100,000 and enjoy your “free” ride on the taxpayers dime.
Including you, For one thing your Math doesn’t Add up. 7 to 9 years for $100,000 , I want to go their. What does Paul Ryan have to do with this? Just because you you have a 7 to 9 year degree does not make you smart, teaching school changes weeking with the Kids.What they can’t teach is common sense . Its like the differance between a saleperson and an order taker.
Yesterday, I asked the question, “What is a fair saLary for a teacher with 5 to 7 years of College?” Nobody has thrown out a figure yet. Perhaps Mr. Democrat should put his money where his mouth is at.
Mervin Langley-
On your personal facebook page it once said you were a neo-socialist communalist.
Communalist: One who is more interested in one’s own minority or ethnic group than in society as a whole.
Basically means your a selfish bigot!
Does it require a 7 year degree to teach Kindergarten?
Does it make any sense to hire a PHD to do customer service work? Would you hire someone with a B.S. to do factory work?
Do they get paid for working 9 months a year with additional vacations?
John, it takes about 4 1/2 years of college to teach kindergarten. I am not sure I get your comparison. No, you would not hire someone with a PHD to do customer service… I would guess you want someone to do customer service who knows the product, and is good with people…what is your point? The BS for factory work????
I don’t get where you are going with all of this. Maybe you should take a look at what kind of courses Kindergarten teachers have to take to be trained to deal with someone else’s 5 year old child. Kindergarten is not day care! 1st grade? no!
Do you have kids in Kindergarten, have you ever had kids? Do you know any 5 year olds? They are complex little people who need a good start in life.
Maybe John and Lutefisk could start their own school – I would start with Mr. Lutefisk teaching spelling..
I have 3 kids Mr. Reasonable(un).
I am saying you have people with Masters Degrees and the only reason they have them was the payscale that was in place.
Didn’t matter if you needed it to effectly do your job or not. You teach 1st grade or 12th grade I wonder what is harder physics or 2+3? I guess you need things slowly explained to you? If you owned a factory and you have a guy assembling parts and he makes $10 an hour. He goes out and gets a B.A. or B.S. in something. Do I automatically just start paying him $20 and hour for the same job? Does that make sense?Well to a reasonable man no probably not.
You ignored the question about 9 months of work everyone always does.
Start a school, not a bad idea I’ll look into it.