# Lower your flag to half staff, you morons! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 12, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072 "2001-09-12T13:47:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/1 "2001-09-12T13:47:20Z")
Bank One of Park Ridge has a very prominent building with a very prominent flag on top. They have yet to lower the flag. They have let the flag dangle by one corner in the past and now they are flying it high as if nothing is wrong in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/2 "2001-09-12T13:55:32Z")
Well, hopefully someone there is reading this, since it’s the only way to let them know about it. ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/3 "2001-09-12T14:02:36Z")
Call them. Call your friends, and have them call the bank. (Try to be polite and calm though: depending on how many people call them, they may start running short on patience and understanding.) * * * \<\< This post brought to you by the numbers ‘0’ and ‘1’. \>\> ---
**Author:** ![Hibbins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ce73a5/32.png) [@Hibbins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hibbins)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/4 "2001-09-12T14:05:01Z")
Consider the possibility that it may not be possible to fly the flag at half-mast. ---
**Author:** ![Kiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kiki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiki)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/5 "2001-09-12T14:17:34Z")
Yesterday when something was said to our head maintenance guy about lowering the flag to half mast his response was this: “Why? An elected official hasn’t died.” :eek: What and asshole! Awhile later our Executive Vice President told him to go lower the flag to half mast. I hope he got an ass chewing about what he said. He wasn’t a very popular person around the building yesterday! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/6 "2001-09-12T14:19:46Z")
The flag is not supposed to be flown at half staff until specifically ordered by the President or a state governor. [Details](http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/halfstaf.htm). ---
**Author:** ![They\_Call\_Me\_Sneeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@They\_Call\_Me\_Sneeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/They_Call_Me_Sneeze)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/7 "2001-09-12T14:29:40Z")
Maybe flags should remain flying high (full mast?) to show that America is still strong, America is still standing, and it will take a hell of a lot more than a terrorist attack to cow America into changing foreign policy, or anything else for that matter. Or something like that. Like - if a first baseman dies and the team plays on in honor of their dead friend. That kind of thing. -hijack- I dont know. I usually think that America is a land of narrow-minded-overly-religious-busy-body-conservatists (I’m young, I’m disillusioned, whatever - if your neighbor doesnt want to half-mast his flag, or wants to go by the half-mast-flying rules, that should be his business, for example) but the fact that so many people in NYC, DC and around the country are ponying up to do whatever they can has temporarily changed my mind. Human nature can be a beautiful thing. -/hijack- Anyway, that full-mast thing - just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/8 "2001-09-12T15:03:22Z")
I have seen both half-mast, and full-mast flags today and yesterday. I can see significance behind both. I feel sad and hurt for those who have died or been injured, but I also feel the surging patriotism of my fellows. I have not recently heard so much patriotic talk as in the past day. I see and hear Americans feeling proud of their strong and resiliant nation. I hope both sentiments can co-exist without hurt feelings on both sides. Apricot ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/9 "2001-09-12T15:59:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hibbins \* > \*\*Consider the possibility that it may not be possible to fly the flag at half-mast. \*\* If you aren’t prepared to fly your flag at half mast, you shouldn’t be flying one at all. ---
**Author:** ![KellyM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/57b2e6/32.png) [@KellyM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyM)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/10 "2001-09-12T16:22:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > \*\*The flag is not supposed to be flown at half staff until specifically ordered by the President or a state governor. > \*\* This represents General Eisenhower’s recommedations only; they are not law. There are specific regulations to be followed by government agencies (similar to General Eisenhower’s recommendations), but those only apply to federal government agencies. (States may have their own rules, which take precedence). It should be noted that the flags at the United States Capitol have been lowered to half mast, which would not be done unless ordered by the President or by the Speaker of the House. In any case, I believe that the death of thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of American civilians qualifies as a tragic event justifying a period of national mourning, and private citizens are quite justified in displaying their flag at half staff even absent a Presidential order. I cannot fault the President for failing to add “Oh, and by the way, please lower your flags to half mast” to his address; I think he would probably considered that to be wholly unnecessary as any reasonable person would recognize that if ever there was a time to fly the flag at half mast, this would be it. There is no disrespect in lowering the flag to half-mast in recognition of this national tragedy. Leaving the flag flying at full mast does not express patriotism any less than lowering it to half mast. If anything, it expresses it less, in my mind, because it sends me the message that “I just fly this flag because having a flag makes me look good, but I don’t really care enough to pay attention to how I should be flying it.” I suspect this includes the branch of Bank One mentioned in the OP. If you are going to fly the flag, fly it with respect. Disrespect of the flag is a powerful message that one should not send unless one truly means it. I spoke to someone at the Park Ridge office of Bank One today about lowering their flag. I wonder if they have done so yet. ---
**Author:** ![Hibbins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ce73a5/32.png) [@Hibbins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hibbins)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/11 "2001-09-12T18:27:36Z")
> [@](#): > > If you aren’t prepared to fly your flag at half mast, you shouldn’t be flying one at all. Don’t tell me! Tell the idiots that have fixed flags. > [@](#): > > Leaving the flag flying at full mast does not express patriotism any less than lowering it to half mast. If anything, it expresses it less, in my mind… So which is it? It isn’t less patriotic or it is. Want my personal opinion right now, there are better things to be concerned about than how someone else is flying their flag. Take care of you and yours. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/12 "2001-09-12T18:40:24Z")
[hijack]If the flag is not flying on a ship, the flag is flying at **half-staff**. Ships have masts, the ground has staffs.[/hijack] Robin ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/13 "2001-09-12T18:58:17Z")
In the football-obsessed town where I currently reside, many local businesses voluntarily put their flags at half-staff when a _football player_ died. So I don’t understand why it’s such an ordeal to put it at half-staff for this terrible tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/14 "2001-09-12T19:17:09Z")
I believe I saw at the bottom of the CNN screen earlier that today has been declared a day of mourning. (By whom, I can’t recall – it may have been the president or it may have been the California governor, in which case it technically only applies to my state) Thus, flags should be at half mast. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/15 "2001-09-12T19:50:08Z")
my old man used to say i did everything half-mast. never made sense to me. maybe i didn’t hear him correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Hibbins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ce73a5/32.png) [@Hibbins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hibbins)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/16 "2001-09-12T20:02:00Z")
Thanks for the education MsRobyn. I don’t think it is an issue of it being an ordeal yosemitebabe. I think it is more an ignorance of proper flag etiquette. I have witnessed a number of American flags flying in front of business permanently attached at the top of a poll, as if they were a common banner. Now is not the time for “know-it-all’s”, now is a time for compassion, sympathy, and “understanding”. Even if the actions don’t make any sense. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/17 "2001-09-12T20:19:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > The flag is not supposed to be flown at half staff until specifically ordered by the President or a state governor. > > [Details](http://www.va.gov/pubaff/celebAm/halfstaf.htm). From the link: > [@](#): > > A relatively easy way to remember when to fly the United States flag at half-staff is to consider when the whole nation is in mourning. Seems applicable. ---
**Author:** ![Hibbins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ce73a5/32.png) [@Hibbins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hibbins)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/18 "2001-09-12T20:54:53Z")
I just re-read what I wrote there, and I think I came across all holier-than-thou. Sorry Not my intention. Wanted to say something like: Don’t waste your time arguing with someone who “doesn’t get it”. They’ll come around or they won’t. No need to upset yourself further. Wanted to be more elegant and to the point. Came across as hauty and superior. Again sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Carpenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Mr\_Carpenter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Carpenter)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/19 "2001-09-12T21:00:10Z")
I just bought a flag today and I’m be damn if I fly her at half mast until the President order’s it. “Fly proudly and erect, my Friend!!” ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2001, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072/20 "2001-09-12T21:04:14Z")
Gov. Keating of Oklahoma has ordered this morning that we are to fly all ours at half mast. I didn’t see any in Stillwater yesterday afternoon that weren’t, but he made it official. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lower-your-flag-to-half-staff-you-morons/81072.md?page=2)