![American flag]()
Let freedom ring, and let the beautiful American flag fly.
That's the attitude of a Camping World location in California after they were told that the massive American flag they were flying on their property needed to be taken down. In April, local officials forced the RV dealership to take down the Stars and Stripes. San Joaquin County Community Development personnel cited that the flag should be taken down because they didn't have a permit to fly it and the flying of the large Old Glory could cause safety issues.
The CEO of Camping World, Marcus Lemonis, who is a Lebanese immigrant, took all of their concerns into account and promptly ordered the California location to RAISE THE FLAG BACK UP - where it belongs.
County officials are saying that it's not the flag that's the problem - it's the foundation of the pole itself. They are concerned it may not be designed to hoist up a flag that large, and that if it fell, it could cross property line and even cause issues on a major highway adjacent to the dealership.
Lemonis thinks all of the concerns are ridiculous, and told
FOX40:
"If we felt like we were putting people in danger or causing any issues with air traffic, which would absolutely not be okay, then I wouldn’t do it. It’s symbolism about how we feel about this country. We have a lot of veterans who work for us, and a lot of veterans who shop with us."
And I think we've all probably driven by a Camping World location and noticed how proudly they fly their ginormous Stars and Stripes. You can tell they are proud to fly the flag, and it's next to impossible not to feel a little patriotic when you drive by an American symbol of that size.
Lemonis says that he personally has a connection to the Camping World locations hoisting large American flags, and wants to honor the country that's given him so much opportunity:
"I happen to be an immigrant. I was given the blessing of being able to enter this country and become a citizen, and I’m grateful for it. It’s been part of my life since I was a little child down in Miami, Florida, where we had the largest flagpole in Miami at our car dealership."
Though the Camping World location is currently in conversation with the local code enforcement division, they are still choosing to defiantly fly their Stars and Stripes:
https://twitter.com/ClownWorld_/status/1821399800484680094
