Does your marina have political signs inside the marina?

LaRea

I'm curious how marinas and yacht clubs in other parts of the country [edit: world] deal with politics at the marina.  

My yacht club has a long-standing tradition that members leave their politics at home.  Given that DC's only real industries are politics and government, this tradition might strike you as odd. 

Our club is an oasis from politics and divisive issues.  The club doesn't endorse candidates, hold rallies or put signs on the lawn.  Members rarely discuss politics at the club, and never at our social events.  I have boating friends of 20+ years who don't know or care how I vote.  Of course we have members who fly political banners on their boats, but inside the marina, they will courteously stow the banners.  

We don't have formal rules or policies -- only tradition.  Everyone seems to agree and just do it.   What's it like at your marina?  

(I keep politics out of my online discussions too.  My question here is about policies and customs.)

RiverRat232

Yes, but it's primarily one side of the political fence and there is nothing in the slip contract that prohibits it.

Willhound

Interesting phenomenon. Just for a different perspective, in Canada there are strict laws surrounding political campaign signage. Restricted to only so many days before an election and must be taken down immediately after. Even on private property. And it doesn't have to be a party approved sign to count. Even home made. Call it socialism if you want but I think the vast majority like not having it shoved in your face. And you don't see the signs on the sides of the roads like in the States. It's almost like it's considered poor taste to wave a political flag in public. And you rarely see a political sign at a private business for fear of alienating customers. At election time if you see any you'll likely see one from each party.

PickleRick

I think it's odd that the same generations that were so anti bullying and being open minded/accepting of all walks people are the same ones that dig up a drunken Facebook post from 20 years ago to try to kill your career.  They are also some of the same ones demanding social justice but when an old man with a Trump bumper sticker gets drug out of his car then beaten by 4 young adults they say he had it coming.

There are blue presidential flags everywhere around here.  There are also Confederate flags everywhere.

Both sides **** me whether it's a conservative saying he wants to rip down a LGBT flag or blm flag or a liberal wanting to take down a Confederate or Trump flag.  

I think if you define yourself as either a conservative or liberal and you make up your mind on everything based on politicis rather than an analysis of said subject in which you from an opnion based on your own moral compass then you are probably not a very likable person and you are easily fooled and controlled.  

Things shouldnt be all one way or the other.   That's not what our country or our government was built on.  

All this polticical going back and forth is useless unless Trump and Biden put on some boxing gloves.  Trump can't stand upright and Biden won't realize he's in a boxing match.  It will be painful to watch but so has the last 20 years of politics.

So I'm 100% supportive of marinas who wont allow polticical flags or banners on boats so long as it wasn't a rule made just because of Trump.  If boaters could hang their Obama change banner then id give a big screw you to the county, state or marina owner.  



I think if you see an opposing political flag and you find yourself so full of rage you take every step to get it removed or wish to harm that person then maybe you have some very personal questions to ask yourself.  Maybe do some deep breathing exercises?  


I think all Clemons flags should come down.  Screw you caps and flyers fans too.  I hope the pats suck this year, enjoy Cam Newton, i hear he uses the same fashion designer Prince used.  

Willhound

Awesome thoughts @PickleRick. I was a Cam Newton fan in his early Carolina days but lost respect when he went all prima Donna and couldn't back it up.

PickleRick

I agree Cam is pre Madonna but im sure he'll thrive with the pats system.  He'll either buck the system and be booted or work with the team and win games.  Which pisses me off as a Steelers fan.  We can't get past Jacksonville.

J3ff

My northern boat club is still closed.. you can go on the docks to your boat but there's no gathering.. what you want to fly on your boat is up to you. 

PickleRick

J3ff said:

My northern boat club is still closed.. you can go on the docks to your boat but there's no gathering.. what you want to fly on your boat is up to you. 

For you north is Miami😝😝😝😝   

davidbrooks

Not one sign thank god

andyd

The Trump to Biden ratio around here I would estimate at 50:1. Some Karens complained to the Marina management about all the flags. They can't ban them they said in an email to slip renters, freedom of speech, but they did ask everyone to avoid profanity, such as "No More Bulls__t." and "F--k Your Feelings."

Andy

J3ff

andyd said:

The Trump to Biden ratio around here I would estimate at 50:1. Some Karens complained to the Marina management about all the flags. They can't ban them they said in an email to slip renters, freedom of speech, but they did ask everyone to avoid profanity, such as "No More Bulls__t." and "F--k Your Feelings."

Andy

Which is how it should be. I will never under stand a person who would fly a flag that says F YOUR FEELINGS... it instantly makes me think they are an idiot. 

PickleRick

Lol...he said Karens.  I can 100% understand why people would fly F your feelings flags if I had to constantly deal with people who find anyting and everything offensive.   

When people impede on your right to free speech, as Americans, many of us take it personally.

Many times the ones who demand a Trump flag to be taken down also have a #blm or Coexist bumper sticker/mask/shirts or other display of causes/politicians they support.    Their idea of freedom of speech is one that only supports what they feel is right and anyting contrary is offensive and bigoted. 

It is very true that one person's constitutional rights dont end where another's hurt feelings begin.  It's sad to see Americans all over the country having to fight that.

Luckily around here the only jerk moves with flags we deal with is in sports.  About 3 years ago the South Carolina men's basketball team went to either final 4 or 8 and the womens team won the championship.

Once the men and women's teams made it into the sweet 16 you saw Clemson flags appear on cars and trucks all over town.  Clemsons teams didn't even make it into the tournament.  




I wasn't around in the 60s, was the cuture this divided back then?  

J3ff

PickleRick said:

Lol...he said Karens.  I can 100% understand why people would fly F your feelings flags if I had to constantly deal with people who find anyting and everything offensive.   

When people impede on your right to free speech, as Americans, many of us take it personally.

Many times the ones who demand a Trump flag to be taken down also have a #blm or Coexist bumper sticker/mask/shirts or other display of causes/politicians they support.    Their idea of freedom of speech is one that only supports what they feel is right and anyting contrary is offensive and bigoted. 

It is very true that one person's constitutional rights dont end where another's hurt feelings begin.  It's sad to see Americans all over the country having to fight that.

Luckily around here the only jerk moves with flags we deal with is in sports.  About 3 years ago the South Carolina men's basketball team went to either final 4 or 8 and the womens team won the championship.

Once the men and women's teams made it into the sweet 16 you saw Clemson flags appear on cars and trucks all over town.  Clemsons teams didn't even make it into the tournament.  




I wasn't around in the 60s, was the cuture this divided back then?  

For me I don't care about political parties when it comes to this issue. It shows a lower level of class when kids have to head out into their lives and see grown adults waving flags with curse words on them. They are told they can't say them and that it's not respectful, yet full on grown adults have 10 flags on their boats with these words all over them. It's just low class and the presidents name is on the same flag as well. 

It's just down right embarrassing for our country when pictures like this (from yesterday) are blasted all around. If it said Obama and "No More B--- S---" on it I would feel the exact same way. 

Handymans342

Damm that was a black dude too!

PickleRick

I don't find that boat offensive or distasteful.  Not my cup of tea.  If I had my boat at 3 rivers and the pens had just won the cup I wouldnt have that many pens flags on it.

Id have zero issues with an Obama or Biden boat set up like that either.

I think its good for Americans to take interest in politics and exercising their right to vote. I just hope they are basing their vote on the policies and principals of the person they are voting for and not just because Twitter/Facebook or some internet influencer told them who to vote for.

It made me sick when a politician told African American voters that they were not black if they didn't vote for him.  

LaRea

All right, if we could not stray too far into arguments about freedom of speech please ... what I'm trying to find out is:  Do boaters at your marina or club practice voluntary abstinence like they do at mine?  Or maybe the marina management actively promotes a particular party?  Or is it a free-for-all where every boater is shouting for attention?

Maybe this thread was a bad idea!  

boatman37

I have never noticed any political signs at our marina. Don't think we even have any boats with Trump flags either but have seen others on our river with them. They don't bother me and wouldn't bother me if I saw one with a Biden flag. It's freedom of speech. We do have quite a few boats with American flags. Don't hear much chatter about politics either but from the little I have heard they would be flying Trump flags if any. There is a guy at our marina that is black that is a nice guy. I have talked to him a few times (he isn't there that often). Saw him a couple of weeks ago and he was wearing a BLM shirt with a bunch of sayings on it. I still talked to him. I don't agree with his message but that doesn't mean I won't talk to him. He never verbally brought it up so to me it didn't make a difference. He was still the same nice guy I talked to the last couple of years.

I don't judge people by what they believe or what their opinions are but rather how they express them. We have had a few heated discussions on other forums that got a little nasty but then in another thread we all chat like we are buddies. Funny how that happens.

Dream_Inn

There was 4 Trump flags on boats in my marina today.  I think it's fine that they fly what they want. I avoid the topic with my fellow boaters, a lot them I know I'd disagree with.

RiverRat232

All of the people at our respective marinas have at least one thing in common. The love of boating. When I want to debate politics, I go to the political websites. When I want to get away from all of that, I go boating. 

04FV270riverrat

My marina doesn't have any political flags on the property, but we have 3 boats with Trump flags and 1 boat with a Biden flag. I don't understand flying a political flag either way. There were never political flags until recently. It doesn't make any sense to me to fly a Trump or Biden flag. I guess it's freedom of speech and that's cool, just my thing.

Willhound

To eeach their own I guess but I just don't get it. A flag or sign isn't going to influence who or what I support. If you have to advertise to others what your cause is what do you get out if it? It's like that geeky kid in the playground going "Hey! Look at me!"
LMFAO.

PickleRick

People fly what they support/believe in

I fly a Blarney bones (Irish pirate) and conch republic flag.  Many here probably dont know the history of the conch Republic but key West seceded from the USA back in the 80s and never officially rejoined.  You can get your own conch Republic passport in key West.  Many also probably dont realize that there were a lot of Irish pirates and sailors.  

Willhound

@PickleRick Yeah! See, that's fun. What boating should be. At various times I've flown pirate themed flags like " What goes on board stays on board " and "Show me your booty". Juvenile, yes. But meant for fun.

PickleRick

I don't take boating seriously....my boat is named "HEY YOU GUYS!"  

PickleRick

212rowboat

Dream_Inn said:

There was 4 Trump flags on boats in my marina today.  I think it's fine that they fly what they want. I avoid the topic with my fellow boaters, a lot them I know I'd disagree with.

operative word "disagree"... men once disagreed and shared six-packs, laughed over jokes, talked smack about sports, eyed the ladies, and all while disagreeing... it seems that time has moved on because a political discourse makes us enemies... enemies, if you buy into that crap.   

i run a website with a political board, and it has turned into an echo chamber of like minded people who reject positions others have by reducing them to 'stupid', 'evil', 'selfish'.... all the while those people have good cause for the positions they've taken, and it's explained by a simple observation "perspective".. where are you at when you make that determination?  does assuming a position place you at odds with another position so you reject it?  how does a position impact you or someone close to you? 

then... just let it be, man... so long as someone has taken a thoughtful position before putting it on blast i really don't care... it's their right and i right i've personally bled (and made a lot more folks bleed) to ensure continues... and something we should all be proud of- unless it is vulgar... there isn't cause for that. 

reneechris14

My marina has no rule about said signage and while at the dock there are no flags ( one guy has yellow dilly dilly flag ). But when we go down at the local anchorage the flags come out. I'm like most others if want good conversation don't talk politics talk about BOATS.

boatman37

Lady showed up on our dock this afternoon walking around handing out fliers. She handed us one and asked if we were interested in a boat parade. Then she said it was a Trump parade. She was from another marina. We took the fliers and said we might join in but mainly as an excuse to boat more...lol

Michael T

I WAS around in the 60's and in an American run school at the time. As always there was a lot of political discussion and Democrat & Republican supporters. There was discussion debate and even argument but at the end of the day everyone was an American first. My parents lived in Fort Lauderdale for almost twenty years. I have a lot of American friends and visit the U.S.A a lot. In the last 10-15 years I have seen a disturbing change. Political discussions, even if  once spirited, began to become arguments and that lead to hardening of attitudes. What were once political positions became replaced with contempt for the "other side". Congress was (IMO) a prime breeding ground for this climate of contempt. If you have contempt for others it is hard to find a common point of view or reach a fair resolution. Race and Financial status are becoming terribly divisive. IMO the average American is decent, good, generous, kind and would help a fellow American - any fellow American -  who needed it. IMO it is time these "average" Americans took back their country and stopped the manipulation of the nation by interest groups for political and financial gain. This has to happen before civil war breaks-out. 

randy56

I have not seen any political flags or signs  around boats or marina. That's tacky, I don't care who you vote for. Nor do I want to know. And you are not going to influence me by yours'. When I had my 270 I flew this one from time to time. We have a lot of American flag's I always flew one. 

Black_Diamond

Only on your boat at my marina.