Ken Dabelstein is a proud American. He owns Ken’s Country Produce – a bedding plant business in Westland, Michigan –which has the distinction of being an “All-American City.”
(FOX-by Todd Starnes)- And for the past 30 years he’s been honoring our veterans on Memorial Day weekend by lining the front of his store with 24 small American flags.
But on May 24 a city worker dropped by and told Ken the flags had to come down. He was told the city considered the American flag to be a violation of the town’s sign ordinance.
“I told him the American flag is not a sign. It’s part of being a proud American,” Ken told me.
Ten minutes later, the city worker determined the Red, White & Blue could stay.
But on Thursday a city ordinance officer showed up and confiscated every single flag.
“She tore all my flags out – and brought them up to the counter,” Ken said. There were several dozen customers inside the store and several attempted to retrieve the flags from the worker. But she bolted out the door.
“She took the flags and ran to her truck and threw them in the pickup truck,” he said.
By Thursday afternoon the mayor and a council member had apologized and vowed to return the flags.
“What it sounds like to me is that it was probably a misunderstanding,” council member Kevin Coleman told Fox 2 in Detroit. “Some of these things that seem like common sense can get overlooked. On behalf of the city council I want to apologize to Ken here.”
Ken graciously accepted the apology – but there was just one problem. No one could find Ken’s confiscated flags. Old Glory was gone.
But let not your heart be troubled, patriots. Early Friday morning a good-hearted stranger showed up at Ken’s Country Produce – and restored Ken’s tribute to our troops.
Ken discovered by dawn’s early light that the flags were still there.