MARBLEHEAD — One of the nation's most patriotic towns is attracting national attention after Marc Shea of Gravity Fitness reported that a few of his customers have rejected the appearance of the American flag in their gym.
And they've done it, he said, in no uncertain terms.
"You might as well have put a Jesus cross in my face," one angry woman told Shea, 23, co-owner of the Tioga Way gym. Another called the flag a hindrance to the air flow, writing, "It really creates an unpleasant atmosphere."
Another complained that it blocked her view of the television. That was "the one valid complaint" about the flag, gym worker Michelle Mastronardi said. The flag has since been moved. But it's not coming down, says Shea, who has posted a sign thanking customers for their support.
The overwhelming majority of his customers approve of the flag, Shea said, and no one has complained since he went public with the story.
Some of the hostile remarks came via nearly a half-dozen signed notes — Shea declined to release the names of his dissatisfied customers. Others were made orally, including the charge that the flag was as intrusive as a religious symbol in the gym.
"Some people were positive about the flag," employee Debbie Morin said, "and some were negative."
"Unfortunately, none of them said they loved the American flag, but can we put it somewhere else," employee Joyce Colahan said.
Shea said he was stunned by the criticism. "This is a pretty patriotic town," he said. Most of his clients come from Marblehead, Swampscott and Salem, taking advantage of what he calls top personal trainers.
"'The Spirit of '76' is here at Abbot Hall," said Mastronardi, a Marblehead native.
Acknowledging there are diverse views in the town, she said, "A lot of people's sons and daughters are doing tours of duty in Iraq under that flag. It's sad they have to complain about it."
Working on the stationary bike yesterday, Billye Robbins of Salem shook her head at the controversy. "I think it's a good addition to the gym. A great reminder of our historic legacy and our freedom and the men and women who fight for our freedom."
Veteran John Crowley, on the treadmill, offered enthusiastic agreement. "I speak for a lot of veterans," he said, adding that Green Beret Chris Piper of Marblehead, who died in Afghanistan in June 2005, once worked out in the same gym (under different management).
Frustrated by the negative response, Shea called a local radio talk show on Monday and the story took off, carried on blogs and a few media outlets. "It's been a pretty crazy last couple of days." He expected to be interviewed this morning by "Fox & Friends," a national cable news program.
Phone calls have come in from as far away as Los Angeles. A National Guardsman dropped by to present Shea with a plaque marking his support for the flag and those who serve under it. He's heard from mothers, daughters, fathers and sons of military men and women, all expressing support for the flag and the man who put it up.
The decision to raise the flag was entirely spontaneous, Shea said. "I found this big American flag in the back of a closet, and I hung it up on the ceiling." He has been running the gym for less than a year. A Winchester resident, he dropped out of a law enforcement course at Northeastern to work at Gravity Fitness.
Shea hopes to return to law enforcement, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a Somerville patrolman.
All of the flag critics were women, Shea said. Sometimes they made their complaints in front of his staff, and he cited more than half a dozen instances. Meanwhile, he said, the woman who brought religion into the controversy had behaved "outrageously" in the past, rifling his desktop during a dispute over air conditioning.
He added that he was willing to lose a few customers if that's what it takes to stand up for the flag.
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