Because forcing a mother whose daughter is serving his country to take down an American flag just screams class. Debbie McLucas, whose daughter is serving in Iraq, was forced to take down her American flag at the Kindred Hospital after co-workers complained. Why? Because they found the American flag…offensive.

When McLucas came to work Friday, her boss told her another supervisor had found her flag offensive. “I was just totally speechless. I was like, ‘You’re kidding me,’” McLucas said.

McLucas’ husband and sons are former military men. Her daughter is currently serving in Iraq as a combat medic.

Stifling a cry, McLucas said, “I just wonder if all those young men and women over there are really doing this for nothing.”

McLucas said the supervisor who complained has been in the United States for 14 years and is formerly from Africa. McLucas said the supervisor took down Debbie’s flag herself.

“The flag and the pole had been placed on the floor,” McLucas said. But McLucas also said hospital higher ups had told her some patients’ families and visitors had also complained.

“I was told it wouldn’t matter if it was only one person,” she said. “It would have to come down.”

I’ll leave the irony of an immigrant to the country removing an American flag from display due to its offending people alone for now. It kind of goes without saying.

How exactly does this country’s flag being displayed offend people? Even some of the staunchest (credible) anti-war opponents didn’t remove American flags from display during the Bush years. It’s the symbol of this country — a country in which no one’s forced to remain — and not one political movement or organization. It should offend no one, regardless of their political beliefs or affiliations.

There’s also an American flag displayed outside the hospital that officials say will stay put. That didn’t offend them? That one’s okey dokey, but not the one displayed by a Blue Star mother? There’s something very odd there.

Update: The hospital is in face-saving mode after the story received nation-wide attention:

Wednesday morning, however, our story received nationwide attention.  We have received dozens of emails and comments from people who had something to say about it.  And a receptionist at Kindred’s headquarters told us they received many phone calls.

Then, late Wednesday morning, Kindred posted on its website a statement about the incident.  It reads, in part:  “The disagreement was over the size of the flag and not what it symbolized. We have invited the employee to put the flag back up.”

First of all, they were offended by the size of the flag? Multiple employees expressed offense at the fact that the flag was too big for their tastes? Second, if it was the size of the flag that offended people, why is it suddenly okay for display? What, have they trimmed it down or shrunk it?

The excuse is bunk. Kindred Hospital is yielding to pressure from a public a bit confused not only as to how Americans could be offended at their nation’s flag, but how the hospital could remove the flag due to some employees being offended at our nation’s symbolism. The whole excuse is a quick attempt to relieve the pressure and cover management collective ass.