An Arizona man is in trouble with his homeowners' association over flying the Gadsden flag, which features a coiled rattlesnake and the words "Don't Tread on Me."
The flag has been adopted by members of the tea party movement for its association with the American Revolution, but Andy McDonel tells the New York Times that he has hung the flag from his roof simply for its historical significance.
‘Don’t tread on me’ flags start disputes around the country | The Upshot Yahoo! News - Yahoo! NewsMcDonel's homeowners' association is strictly interpreting that law to ban the flying of any other flags, including the Gadsden. The American Civil Liberties Union is defending McDonel, saying the homeowners' group is taking too strict a view of the statute and restricting McDonel's right to free speech.
Unless the flag is offensive, I don't think your homeowner association should be telling you what kind of flag to fly. They should stick to regulating shrub numbers, and if you leave a beer bottle on your front step.