RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Politics and Current Events Overusing The Tribute Of Flying Flag At Half-Staff?

Are We Overusing The Tribute Of Flying Flag At Half-Staff?

• NEW YORK (AP) -- Nearly every day, somewhere in the country, the Stars and Stripes was lowered to half-staff last year in one of the most significant official gestures of mourning and respect, an Associated Press analysis found.
  
  The centuries-old practice can be a visible, public answer to extraordinary loss...And some have questioned whether the country has lowered the bar on the lowering of the flag.
  
  The U.S. Flag Code allows presidents and governors to lower flags for officials, military members and certain occasions, though some states have their own broader policies. And even as some states have moved to tighten their rules, others faced criticism for withholding the tribute.
  
  The AP's analysis of proclamations from 50 state governors and the federal government found the Stars and Stripes were lowered at least someplace in the country on 328 days during 2015.
  
  Among the hundreds honored were victims of extremist attacks, fallen soldiers, long-serving politicians and such celebrities as baseball legend Yogi Berra.
  
  One honoree was a police dog shot in Ohio.
  
  Who gets honored, and when, can be controversial. Recent years saw tension over lowering flags nationwide for former South African President Nelson Mandela and in New Jersey for the Grammy-winning Whitney Houston .
  
  But setting limits can be thorny.
  
  Even denying flag honors to a convicted felon didn't fly in Rhode Island.
  
  Still, even experts say flag etiquette is, to some extent, a personal code.

Personally, yeah, it's gotten out of hand. In NYS it seems as if the flag is at half staff more than not, and most of the time you don't even know why.

Yes.

It used to be this rare occurrence that made us all ask our superiors which general died.

Now it seems like we have to lower it every time Barry stubs his toe.

It isn't just Hussein. The governors are all doing it too.