Donald Trump backers fly 'F**k Biden' flags in Florida, tell POTUS' supporters 'f**k you for voting for him'
November 4 is history but it seems not many people have yet made peace with that date, particularly those from the Donald Trump campaign. As the former president lost to his Democratic rival Joe Biden in the election held that day, he and his staunch followers kept on claiming that it was not a just election and Biden won it unfairly. Trump has not conceded defeat and in January, his supporters stormed the Capitol Hill building to protest Congress confirming the results.
In Florida, the state that Trump managed to retain in 2020, the sour mood is still prevalent and it is seen in the profanity-laced flags that many individuals have hoisted on their property criticizing Biden. Supporters of Trump in Cape Coral, Florida, have been flying flags that read: “F**k Biden, and F**k you for voting for him.”
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The neighbors are mostly not complaining, saying it is something related to the owners’ freedom of expression. But some are concerned saying the words could have an impact on their children. Tony Paparone, one of the individuals who have flown the controversial flag, told KDFW: “I talked to a lady, [and she] said, ‘Well, it doesn’t really offend me. It’s just the fact that I have small kids and they read it,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, sorry’.”
John Strasburger, who has also flown the same flag on his property, argued along with Paparone that it is their First Amendment rights and whatever they displayed on the flags are their protected speech. “Freedom of speech,” Paparone said. “You’re not going to rewrite the Constitution.”
City doesn't regulate flag content
The anti-Biden voices have not faced any action from the civic authorities. A representative for Cape Coral said it doesn’t regulate messages written on flags. Maureen Buice, a senior public information specialist employed by the city, told the Washington Examiner in an email: “The City’s sign ordinance only addresses the number and size of signs. It does not regulate the content of flags or signs.” Strasburger said he would take down the flag if there was an ordinance but since it is not there, the flag will remain up.
This issue stole the headlines last December when local people wanted a flag with anti-Biden words written on it, to be taken down. KDFW said in a report: “The 2020 Presidential Election is over, but support for President Donald Trump shows no signs of slowing with several Trump-Pence flags waving in Cape Coral lawns.” Some of the pro-Trump flags were accompanied by anti-Biden flags and one of them even saw a vulgar four-letter word written in front of Biden’s name.
Michael Chionopoulos, the attorney general of Fort Myers, said one can say whatever he/she wants in politics as long as it doesn’t encourage violence or cause harm or is a kind of hate speech. “I think that's inappropriate, but I still think it's protected speech. It's about politics, and we have free speech about politics,” he said. Yet, people were complaining about the curse word on the flag which was located near to an elementary school.
It is not only the profanity on the flags in Cape Coral that have been in the news. In recent weeks, a number of places in the US have witnessed controversies around flags that are politically charged. In Montana, for example, Michael Challans pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation for a dispute with a neighbor over a flag that spoke against Trump. “Trump Lost: LOL”, read the flag. Challans was fined $100, in addition to court costs totaling $85 before he was sent to a police station for fingerprinting and a mug shot. He later apologized to the neighbor.
In Ohio, a resident’s flag displaying support for Trump was set ablaze earlier this month.
