I recall when John Glenn passed and we were at half staff for a week... I cant help but to feel like this tradition is one that only serves to lower moral for an excessive period of time. I can get behind lowering the flag for a day to honor the fallen, but this business of doing it for a week for anyone outside of maybe a sitting or past President has to stop! No disrespect to the departed, but if they dont also feel like keeping a flag lowered for an entire week is a little vane, then perhaps they do not merit the respect of having the flag lowered at all! Good people all over the country die every day, Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents, Drs and very important people in all walks of life will eventually pass! Do we lower the flag for these people at all? No we dont! We have funerals and morn in our own ways.
My point here is this, for the moral of the rest of the nation who is alive, this week long lowering of a flag for one man or woman outside of the leader of the free world is getting out of hand. I can recall during Obamas Presidency the flag was lowered so many times that at times it felt like it spent more time at half staff than it did sitting on top where it aught to be!
I can tell you as a red blooded American that I dont like to see the flag at half staff, especially for extended periods of time. Shame on anyone who would bestow such sadness on Americans, who in the end will ultimately die soon enough themselves.
What say you?
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
It's a sign of respect, & appreciation for the person lost, to lower the flag...
Mr. McCain served in Nam, & flew countless missions. His policies in politics hay have been his biggest obstacle in success, regardless of the represented party.
The Dems & Republicans aren't so far apart in their policies, but the representatives of each, draw the temporary dividing lines...
It might be a good idea to revisit things like the "Pentagon Papers"...And then you might even remove your flag for the shame of our leaders, & the deaths of countless, deceived civilians & military folk...
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
I know what it means to lower the flag Rastus, I order my son to do it all the time and explain to him these reasons on a regular basis. If you would like to take time out to lower my flag on 9/11, I can fully explain it to you as I do my son - while youre wheeling it down.. But dont forget to top it before you bring it half staff! Another story Ill tell you when you complete the task.
But I am glad you bring it up... Take 9/11 for example, many GOOD PEOPLE died in that, yet we lower the flag to them for only one day? These people werent POWs! They were normal people like you and I going about their daily lives! And they arent coming back to complain about it either Rastus!
So what I am saying, is outside of perhaps the current or past Presidents, such a display (for a week) only disrespects all of the other very important people with whom only will see one day. I am not apposed to showing respect for a week, but a lot of people will agree its not good for moral and only a really vane person would want everyone around them grieving for any longer than the respect portion. I acknowledge his service, his sacrifice! We should all be so lucky to not have to worry about it anymore, yet we must move on and get back to our short lives as quickly as possible. If you die on a Sunday or youre having a big fancy funeral then we can lower the flag on the day of your internment.
In fairness, and jest - if I ever turn out to be somebody I dont want anyone to have to greave for me who isnt at my funeral. Id invite anyone and encourage anyone who needed a kick in the ass at my funeral to do so. I got married in Las Vegas because to me my wedding wasnt about imposing on my friends and family, it was about my marriage to my wife. If we had it our way we would have the kids tie us to a tree out back and set it afire and celebrate like the Indians or the Scotch do!
Maybe I really am a caveman...
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Well I guess the new norm for a President who has passed is 30 days at half staff... I am new to this whole half-staff business, was there ever a time in history where the flag was lowered 30 days for other Presidents that passed?
I know we have a George Washington day, and a Presidents day too.
RIP Mr. President Bush Sr.
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
I'm guessing that 3-days should be enough, once he's covered in dirt, & had the 21-gun-salute...
(I'm sure you won't even lower your flag when Mr.Obama passes...You'll likely put-up 2-more-poles & raise the 3-flags fully lol )...
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
I agree with Rastus. 3 days half mast is enough. Raise it again to let it stand for the USA. After 3 days your worm dirt anyway and don't care.
Dad had a 21 gun. Joined the Navy at 15. Fought Sea of Japan on subs. Actually was on Silversides, one of 3 top WW2 subs. Pretty cool. A recent book " The War Below" by James Scott is awesome. Has a section about half way mentioning Silversides and 2 Japanese prisoners. Actually there were 3. Dad told me of it years ago. Good read Buddy. You would enjoy.
It is 30 days! Guess I must never have owned a flag before when a current or past President has passed!
I do not mean to sound crass, it is just that whenever I see the flag at half staff it just seems to bring my mood down. I guess I should have searched this topic at the start of the thread.
The flag at the Capitol Building flies at half-staff in honor of President Ronald Reagan, 2004
The United States flag flying at half-staff at sunset.
In the United States, the usual government term for non-nautical use is "half-staff." While the term "half-mast" is commonly used in place of half-staff, U.S. law and post-WW-I military tradition indicate that "half-mast" is reserved to usage aboard a ship, where flags are typically flown from masts, and at naval ships ashore.[56][57]
In the United States, the President can issue an executive order for the flag of the United States to be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States government and others, as a mark of respect to their memory. When such an order is issued, all government buildings, offices, public schools, and military bases are to fly their flags at half-staff. Under federal law (4 U.S.C.§ 7(f)), the flags of states, cities, localities, and pennants of societies, shall never be placed above the flag of the United States; thus, all other flags also fly at half-staff when the U.S. flag has been ordered to fly at half-staff. There is no penalty for failure to comply with the above law as to enforce such a penalty would violate the First Amendment.[citation needed]
Governors of U.S. states and territories are authorized by federal law to order all U.S. and state flags in their jurisdiction flown at half-staff as a mark of respect for a former or current state official who has died, or for a member of the armed forces who has died in active duty. The governor's authority to issue the order is more restricted than the president's, and does not include discretion to issue the order for state residents who do not meet the criteria stated. Since a governor's executive order affects only his or her state, not the entire country, these orders are distinguished from presidential proclamations.
Under 4 U.S.C.§ 7(m) and established traditions by Presidential proclamations, the flag of the United States is to be flown at half-staff on rare occasions, in the following circumstances:[58]
For thirty days after the death of a current or former president or president-elect.
On October 16, 2001, President George W. Bush approved legislation requiring the United States flag to be lowered to half-staff on all Federal buildings to memorialize fallen firefighters. Pub.L. 10751 requires this action to occur annually in conjunction with observance of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.[65] The date of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service is traditionally the first Sunday in October. It is held at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland.[66]
4 U.S.C.§ 7(m) was modified with new legislation signed into effect on June 29, 2007, by President Bush, requiring any federal facility within a region, which proclaims half-staff to honor a member of the U.S. Armed Forces who died on active duty, to follow the half-staff proclamation.[67]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-mast
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Well my flag is going to be at half staff for 30 days per the code...
I just find it amazing that some people in this forum have risen to nearly 4,000 post by posting news articles alleging to be all American pie, yet let me look like a fool since September 2018 when it came to proper flag decorum.
Just sayn...
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
No, I'd follow it as it is written. No flagpole right now but been thinking of one. Got a cement pad to do it on. No one can see it but us though, 300 yards from the road. But that's OK