Lack of respect or just plain stupid?
 

Driving around today, I have been frustrated and saddened by the number of businesses that have NOT lowered their American flags to half staff to show respect at the passing of President Reagan. This is not simply tradition, but required by Federal law.

I understand that places closed over the weekend might not send someone to lower a flag left flying on Friday. I figure they get a pass until tomorrow.

In an ironic twist, the most frequent offender here appears to be McDonald's. When their CEO, Jim Cantalupo, passed away in April, many McDonald's franchisers had the nerve/ ignorance to lower their American flags in his honor. Somehow they don't seem to have the same courtesy or respect for the former President of our country.

I ask that each of you keep an eye out for flags at half staff over the next 30 days.

If you see a flag not properly displayed at half staff through July 4, please take a minute to ask the manager "WHY?".

Sadly, be prepared to receive a blank stare in reply :confused:

Federal offices are required by law to lower their flags at half staff. Private companies aren't required to so.

I won't get my own politics involved in this, but not everyone thinks that the late President was a great one.

So, I don't think it's a lack of respect nor do I think it's just plain stupidity. I think it's their right to express their own views and they shouldn't be forced to lower their flags just because the majority of America decides to mourn that way.

Whether one thinks Reagan was a great president or not, it is still a sign of respect for the office.

I haven't really been out this weekend since I've been sick, but now I'm curious to see how many people do or do not have their flags at half staff. Hopefully, there will not be a large amount of businesses that appear disrespectful.

I just hope that if governmental agencies and private business are displaying the flag, that there is a use of proper flag etiquette. I'd rather not see the flag, than see is displayed incorrectly or disrespectfully.

I had a lot of problems after the September 11th attacks with people displaying the flag, and the amount of merchandise with the flag on it. The flag doesn't ever belong on g-strings, doormats, or shoes. Went against a lot of what I was taught in Girl Scouts.

I would have expected everyone to lower their flags for LBJ just as I would have expected it for Nixon. It's not about the politics -- the guy is dead. It's about respect for the office.

It seems that we live in a time where we only respect the office if we agree with the man who occupies it. I'm not sure that is a good way for this country to go.

Be aware some will lower their flags to half-staff on the officially designated day of national mourning this Friday, when President Reagan's funeral service takes place.

The thirty-day period of lowering the flag to half-staff (it's half-mast only on naval installations and ships) only applies to federal and state office buildings.

I think that flags should be lowered out of respect, whether or not everyone agrees with everything a person did or didn't do.

I know it is not the same thing but my grandfather passed away last fall and he was a prominent figure in his community. Not everyone knew him and not everyone liked his policies but he was still a good person and the county he lived in lowered their flags and closed down the main streets in the town for the funeral procession.

When you have that much "power" and are involved in politics you are going to make a lot of enemies. I can't help but wonder what political figures are really like behind closed doors. Are they as good or as bad as we think?

Yes the flag should have been lowered out of respect. It wasn't, so remember those businesses and take your business elsewhere next time.

-Rudey

Last summer I was driving in upstate NY and all of the flags on the turnpike were at half-staff. I had no idea why so i asked the toll collector. She said that due to the murder of a New York City councilman, the flags were ordered to flag at half-staff. I felt stupid that I didn't know this. I know a local councilman is different from a former President, but maybe they just don't know.

SMACKS SELF IN THE FOREHEAD

Geez, how short sighted I am... what was I thinking??

In reading this reply, I am aware of an error in my original post.

Being disrespectful certainly does not preclude being ignorant, as well.

If a private business CHOOSES to fly the American flag, they do not have the right to make up their own rules. When a President passes away, the flag must be flown at half staff for 30 days per the US Code:

Sec. 5. - Display and use of flag by civilians; codification of rules and customs; definition

The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States. The flag of the United States for the purpose of this chapter shall be defined according to sections 1 and 2 of this title and Executive Order 10834 issued pursuant thereto....

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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are OTHER rules that apply to federal and military offices and installations. The above specifically applies to civilians and civilian organizations.

Mine is Down at Half Mast. Period.

It is out of Respect to not only the Office, but to a Good Man With a Big Heart for the People of the USA and the well being of the Country While He was there.:)

I hope All Do The Same.

i have no positive or negative opinions about reagan. probably because i was too young when he was in office to really form an opinion.

but i agree with everyone above who said you should have respect for the office. freedom of speech is great and all, but what would people from other countries think if we weren't respectful when our former president died? making a political statement in a time of national mourning isn't very appropriate. reagan wasn't active politically in the last decade, so you won't be protesting him.

as much as i am a bush hater and can't wait for him to leave office--i would DEFINITELY fly my flag at half staff out of respect for the president of the united states if he passed away.

What are you trying to say?? What the hell did that have to do with anything I said??

-Rudey

AAHHH-nold just lowered the flag at the capitol today. Of course, I don't think anyone was there during the weekend to lower it then. *shrugs*

Maybe those other businesses are just waiting. Maybe it's better to do it later than not at all. (i.e. waiting for Friday, etc.)

My daddy (and his dad, and my mom's dad, and three out of the four men in the next generation, as well as other uncles) are all former military. Our flag is not at half-staff because it does not GO to half-staff. It goes up, or it goes down.

thetalady, if you're that upset, why don't you call the police and ask them to enforce that law?

Guess I haven't seen any flags not at half staff. At least the ones that can be lowered.

Do you have the kind of flag that people put over garage or front doors?

Sorry. I think I have to add a third category to "disrespect" and "stupid."

The category would be "blissfully unaware."

Hey, not everyone was in the Boy Scouts.

No, we have the type of flag that gets mounted off your house or mailbox, which is also what we have at our second house. The flag is on the pole, the pole goes into a mount. I'm sure that my father wouldn't be flying the flag if he felt it violated protocol - like I said, he's served in the military (and he was an Eagle Scout :p) so he obviously has reason to believe it's okay.

I figure our police officers have plenty of more important things to do, what with homicide, burglary, and drunk driving, etc.

Besides, it is so much fun to see the shock slowly cross their faces when they realize that they should have lowered the flag days ago. You can almost see them thinking "Oh shit!" ;)

I feel that the flags should be lowered. I agree that some people couldn't get them lowered, or were gone for the weekend, etc, but it does bother me if people deliberately do not lower the flag because they disliked Reagan. It's about respecting a great leader, honoring his memory, and trying to comfort his family and the nation, not politics. And yes, there are plenty of idiots out there who have no idea what's going on in the world and that's why they haven't lowered the flag.

I do encourage everyone to gently remind their neighbors and local businesses about the flag-thing. It's very possible that they just genuinely forgot.

I agree with that, however, as I was coming to work this morning I did see a flag flying at full staff at the building of a major, nationally known company headquarters.

On closer inspection, it was attached at the top of the staff, and there was a ring on the bottom of the flag itself. In other words, there was no rope running to the bottom -- and no apparent way to display it half way up the structure.

So, the question is, would you rather see the flag displayed the only way it seems to be able -- or have the company take it down and not display it at all for the next month?

I've given this no real thought, but my snap judgement is that former President Regan would rather see the flag displayed -- no matter where it is on the staff.

We don't have a flag at my house, but if we did, it sure would have been lowered. I haven't seen one flag lowered...and I think it's a little sad.