Is your flag at half mast?

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I am curious as to peoples opinion on having their flag at half mast to honor the men and women that have given thier life in the war with IRAQ.



I travel over 60 miles to and from work, driving past dozens of commercial and residential flag poles. I have noticed that about 20% have the flag at half mast. Even among those that have a POW or Military flags along with their flag.



It sickens me to think that it hasn't even been mentioned, especially after all the talk about the Astronauts and how the media and Bush Administration made a big deal over flying the flag at half mast for them.



I have my flag at half mast because I feel it honors the men and women that have given their life fighting to protect mine( even if I do not fully agree with them being there in the first place).

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    I think it is probably ignorance more than intent--if i recall correctly, there are a bunch of rules about when a flag is flown at half-mast, and I suspect a lot of people (me included) never know if those have been shucked and you should just do as you will, OR if there is someplace where you can read up on what the Fed Govt is doing with its flags that day.



    i certainly wouldn't take the fact that everyone is not flying theirs at half-mast as a bad sign. Just be happy they have a flag.
  • Reply 2 of 17
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    Why do I hear a Viagra ad coming?
  • Reply 3 of 17
    the only rule i know about flying a flag at half-mast, is that you run it to the top of the flag pole, pause, and then take it down to half mast.



    half mast is a sign of mourning.

    the president can order all federal flags to be flown at half mast.

    the governor, the state. the mayor, city. etc.

    so in your home or workplace i guess you do what you please.
  • Reply 4 of 17
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    I don't buy the argument that people should "just be glad others fly a flag". Not even a little bit. [Few things] piss me off more than people who: leave their flag out at night without any illumination on it; leave it out in the snow and rain; leave it out so long as to let it get tattered / faded / snarled up on its post; fly tattered cloth flags on their vehicles, etc.





    I got two words for people like that: ignorant rednecks. I don't care if they have the right intention or not. If you fly a flag, do it semi-respectfully at least and take it in during inclement weather / at night. Oh and I've seen people pick fallen flags up off their driveways after it's been sitting there for three days and put it back up. Ignorant lazy asses, all....



    To answer the question about half-staff, the current situation is a grey area. One the one hand if you have a real pole (ie not a 5 foot extension for the side of your house like I have), and you know someone who is missing or who has been killed, there's nothing wrong with flying it at half staff. That said, there's nothing wrong with keeping it at full staff during times of war to show support either. It really depends on who you know / why you're flying it.
  • Reply 5 of 17
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    "I don't buy the argument that people should "just be glad they fly a flag";"



    By "Fly a flag" meant "fly a flag that doesn't look like sh!t".
  • Reply 6 of 17
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    Uh huh. I believe that...



  • Reply 7 of 17
    My US Marine Corps flag flies every day... if I had a flagpole, it would be at full staff.
  • Reply 8 of 17
    noahjnoahj Posts: 4,503member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Moogs

    I don't buy the argument that people should "just be glad others fly a flag". Not even a little bit. [Few things] piss me off more than people who: leave their flag out at night without any illumination on it; leave it out in the snow and rain; leave it out so long as to let it get tattered / faded / snarled up on its post; fly tattered cloth flags on their vehicles, etc.





    I got two words for people like that: ignorant rednecks. I don't care if they have the right intention or not. If you fly a flag, do it semi-respectfully at least and take it in during inclement weather / at night. Oh and I've seen people pick fallen flags up off their driveways after it's been sitting there for three days and put it back up. Ignorant lazy asses, all....



    To answer the question about half-staff, the current situation is a grey area. One the one hand if you have a real pole (ie not a 5 foot extension for the side of your house like I have), and you know someone who is missing or who has been killed, there's nothing wrong with flying it at half staff. That said, there's nothing wrong with keeping it at full staff during times of war to show support either. It really depends on who you know / why you're flying it.




    You are well menaing but wrong about some things about flag flying. There is nothing wrong with flying a flag in inclement weather for example, so long as the flag is all-weather material.



    Quote:

    Sec. 6. ? Time and occasions for display



    1. It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.



    2. The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.



    3. The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.



    If you want to know it all go here.



    http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html
  • Reply 9 of 17
    i've always wondered what percentage of people that fly a flag vote, or are registered to vote.

    someone get to work on this.....
  • Reply 10 of 17
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    Noah,



    I see your point, but somehow I'm guessing 95% of the people who leave their flags out during crappy weather have no idea what an "all weather flag" is, much less what the guidelines for flying a flag are....



    Personally, I just think unless you have a 20 foot mast pole in your yard and fly a true always-out, always illuminated flag (and raise and lower it appropriately), people should bring their $20 flags inside when it's extremely windy or raining (or nightfall). It takes 30 seconds and shows that you aren't just a flag-waving idiot but someone who knows it stands for something good, and as such you want to take care of it.
  • Reply 11 of 17
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    I don't know what the "rules" are wrt war time. I don't think you fly it at half mast for an entire war. You can't be in morning the whole time.
  • Reply 12 of 17
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    I don't know what the "rules" are wrt war time. I don't think you fly it at half mast for an entire war. You can't be in morning the whole time.



    Yeah, sometimes you have to be in evening, otherwise there's something wrong with the planet...
  • Reply 13 of 17
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    I don't have a flag so I can't really put it at half staff, or full staff... or anything else. I haven't seen any flying at half staff recently though, not since the Columbia disaster.
  • Reply 14 of 17
    mrbilldatamrbilldata Posts: 489member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    I don't know what the "rules" are wrt war time. I don't think you fly it at half mast for an entire war. You can't be in morning the whole time.



    You personally do not need to be mourning, but as a country I feel we certainly should be mourning the soldiers giving their life.



    I have an illuminated commercial grade polyester US flag on a 18 foot aluminum pole that stays up 24/365. I replace the flag every July 4th and have donated all of the old flags but one to my town.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MrBillData

    You personally do not need to be mourning, but as a country I feel we certainly should be mourning the soldiers giving their life.



    ...






    Sure but ... how long was WW2? Were we at half mast the whole time? I don't know.
  • Reply 16 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by M3D Jack

    My US Marine Corps flag flies every day... if I had a flagpole, it would be at full staff.



    So do you salute it?
  • Reply 17 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by GardenOfEarthlyDelights

    So do you salute it?



    Vigorously, I'm sure.
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