Tonight on my Facebook, I posted the following: “Entertainer Darlene Love had this to say with all the hoopla surrounding the Whitney Houston funeral, “People should be kinder to entertainers because they always give 200%.” – Ms Love, 6354 American Service men and women have given more.” It caused a small ripple with a certain snappy-looking, otherwise conservative-ette friend of mine.
The issue at hand is that we have an issue with the willy-nilly way the flag is “staffed.” Staffing (or “staffed”) is a nautical term used to lower the flag to half-staff. My point is this, we have processes, procedures and criteria for displaying the flag, folding the flag, storing the flag, discarding the flag. The United States Department of Defense has a 1,027 page manual on each and every nuance of flag-everything – save for one, who gets the high honors of having the flag raised and lowered to half staff.
Look no further, I have all the answers.
First off, when a person is honored with the “staffed flag”, the raiser brings the flag all the way up the pole, pauses for 5 seconds and lowers it to half staff. That’s the rule. It’s in the 1,027 page manual.
Without mentioning Whitney Houston or Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey on my Facebook post, Mrs. Kim Lima posted the following: “I certainly don’t mean to offend anyone nor dismiss the gravity of a soldier’s death. I just don’t get why it needs to be a pissing contest. You can never compare an entertainer with a soldier. It’s apples and oranges. Whitney Houston was obviously troubled but also gifted and a proud New Jerseyan (who still chose to live here when she could have lived anywhere). A flag at half mast is not only to salute our military. She also made us all feel prouder during the first Gulf War with her stirring rendition of the star spangled banner. Really don’t we have way more problems in NJ to fix??“
First off, Kim Lima does not have to preface anything to me with “I certainly don’t mean to offend…” Her integrity, education and debate skills are only as powerful as her compassion (and passion) with regards to the debates she picks.
But she’s wrong, as is my friend Larry who wrote, Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston, was Whitney Houston’s first ever solo televised concert and DVD/video release. The DVD/video presents Houston performing live at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia on March 31, 1991. The video was originally released on May 14, 1991, and the DVD was released in 2002. The concert was dedicated to the troops, their families, and military and government dignitaries in honor of those returning from the Gulf War.“
I’m not going to Whitney-bang, here. I agree that the rendition of the National Anthem she presented at the Super Bowl WAS A GIFT to America – A GIFT, but I’m also of the opinion (the correct opinion) that Bob Hope should not have got the flag honor either.
The World Wrestling Federation has logged over 1,000 hours in Afghanistan and putting on full-feature shows with A-list entertainers. The WWE also gives admission to disabled vets to all their shows and not in the cheap seats; so if Vince McMahon was to find his fate at the wrong end of a pile-driver by The Masked Mighty-whatever, do we dip the flag for him? Where does it end?
It ends right here.
- A governor should have the power to honor a “favorite son” (or daughter) by authorizing the half-staff of a STATE flag
- The American Flag was authorized by an Army General, George Washington, and the first flag was military property; the raising/ lowering of the American Flag needs to have a military criteria built around it. A special committee needs to come up with that criteria and the Joint Chiefs of Staff need to sign off on that criteria, much like the gun salute – what that criteria is, resides above my pay grade
- The American Flag should be lowered in the event of a national tragedy, Two Words: “September Eleven”
What if… asks Mrs. Lima (an educator and mother), points out “Really Bruce? So when one of our kids died at my school the principal should have consulted the Joint Chiefs of Staff ?”
The short answer is yes (in my opinion); if it were lowered, would I raise a peep to a stink – ABSOLUTELY not. There is no greater grief than a parent losing a child and I’d be first in line to raise and lower if for a moment that it would offer an iota of relief of sorrow to those the child left behind, but what I AM saying, is that there is not criteria, and we need one.
When the time comes, I’m entitled to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery and I can think of no other place that I want to be at rest. I earned it. I’m taking advantage of it. Should Toby Keith rest next to me? Charlie Daniels? Joan Jett? ALL have done so much for the support of the Troops – more than I have, but a half-staffed flag? Should we just put in a Star Walk next to the Kennedy sites?
Listen, this is not about Whitney, let her rest. It’s not about what we would do as a community if a favorite son/ daughter passes. It IS about an honor that in the past 10 years, 6,354 people, everyday people without limos, posses, millions or mansions deserved – and we owe THEM this honor.
Someone said to me and I truly didn’t think of it that way…they drape the flag over those who come home in coffins and that is all they ask for Honor…point taken.
not sure about the 1027 page manual but if you read the actual law don’t see any provision to do it for any entertainer
United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag
§7. Position and manner of display
m. The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, or the death of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff, and the same authority is provided to the Mayor of the District of Columbia with respect to present or former officials of the District of Columbia and members of the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia. The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used in this subsection —
the term “half-staff” means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;
the term “executive or military department” means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5, United States Code; and
the term “Member of Congress” means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.