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When does a flag go to half-staff?

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by CentralIllinoisan, Apr 21, 2007.

  1. CentralIllinoisan

    CentralIllinoisan Active Member

    Serious discussion only, please. Mrs. CI and I were driving around today and wondered: "What threshold does an act have to cross to deserve the American flag be put at half-staff?"

    I likely will be in the minority, but do the Virginia Tech shootings deserve a national half-staff? It seems a little much for me. I probably can be persuaded; the incident did send shockwaves through the entire nation, so one could argue it's needed.

    What do you guys think?
     
  2. RokSki

    RokSki New Member

    Re: When does a flag go to half mast?

    I could see a national half-mast, because it's the worst shooting of its kind, ever, right?
     
  3. Birdscribe

    Birdscribe Active Member

    Re: When does a flag go to half mast?

    Well, first of all, it's half-staff. Half-mast only applies to a ship.

    That aside, that's a good question, CI. I remember when JFK Jr. died and you had several places lowering it to half-staff. I was outraged, because to me, the son of a president doesn't warrant such treatment unless he himself was a president or other dignitary.

    In fact, I got so pissed, I called my congressman and the manager at Rockefeller Center (which was the most egregious offender). Assclown told me he didn't have to answer to the likes of me and hung up on me.

    To me, it's an honor you don't trivialize. Not that they're trivializing it here; I have much less of a problem with this than doing it for a dilettante like John-John.
     
  4. RokSki

    RokSki New Member

    Re: When does a flag go to half mast?

    Good for you. I didn't realize this happened. Total BS, IMO. And I liked the guy, but that's crap. What's next, lowering it for Madonna? Give me a break
     
  5. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    Re: When does a flag go to half mast?

    I think it should be a local thing, mostly. I don't think ALL flags around the nation should go to half-staff for much beyond a presidential death or a declared national emergency (esp. natural disasters like Katrina or the '94 Northridge quake).

    One could argue that Virginia Tech was a "national" situation, because those kids were from all over the place, and it seems like, with any school that size, everyone knows (of) someone who goes there or has a connection to there.

    But for celebrity deaths, etc., I can understand the sentiment if there's some kind of very unique, very special connection that really touches that community (I'm thinking of Babe Ruth's funeral in N.Y., something of that nature.)
     
  6. My understanding is President Shitforbrains called for the half-staff.
    If you have a flag pole, I believe you are always supposed to honor that.
    Now, I don't think he was right to order it in this case, but he did.
     
  7. spup1122

    spup1122 Guest

    I think in this case, he was right. In others, I'm not so sure.

    I think this could be viewed as a tragedy of our nations youth beyond the obvious tragedy of losing that many lives.
     
  8. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    http://www.homeofheroes.com/hallofheroes/1st_floor/flag/1bfb_disp4.html
     
  9. audreyld

    audreyld Guest

    Half-mast also applies to naval institutions on land, like the USNA.
     
  10. Montezuma's Revenge

    Montezuma's Revenge Active Member

    When you run out of Viagra?
     
  11. westcoastvol

    westcoastvol Active Member

    When Julianne Moore puts her clothes back on.
     
  12. dooley_womack1

    dooley_womack1 Well-Known Member

     
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