# Why are the flags lowered today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317 "2007-05-16T13:50:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/1 "2007-05-16T13:50:15Z")
I’ve searched both the boards and Google but can’t find anything, yet. Both today and yesterday, I’ve noticed flags at half mast. I can’t figure out why. Is this a city or state thing? Do others out there have their flags lowered? What’s the straight dope here? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/2 "2007-05-16T13:55:00Z")
[QUOTE=Enderw24] I’ve searched both the boards and Google but can’t find anything, yet. Both today and yesterday, I’ve noticed flags at half mast. I can’t figure out why. Is this a city or state thing? Do others out there have their flags lowered? What’s the straight dope here? [/QUOTE] Seeing as how you hail from the enlightened state Kansas, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn they were lowered in honor of Jerry Falwell’s passing. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/3 "2007-05-16T14:00:06Z")
Sorry I haven’t changed my location. I’ve actually noticed it in Independence, MO, which is about 60 miles E of Lawrence. And yeah, I thought about Falwell, but I didn’t even want to consider that a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/4 "2007-05-16T14:04:42Z")
I don’t know about Kansas, but some states do it for each military person killed in combat. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/5 "2007-05-16T14:05:54Z")
Peace Officers Memorial Day. ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/6 "2007-05-16T14:07:13Z")
Deleted - My error in not looking at the date of my information. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/7 "2007-05-16T14:07:51Z")
[Flags at Missouri state facilities will fly at half-staff today for Peace Officers Memorial Day, Gov. Matt Blunt’s office said.](http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070515/NEWS01/705150418/1007/NEWS01) That was published sometime yesterday, but it may refer to today. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/8 "2007-05-16T14:08:07Z")
[QUOTE=Enderw24] I’ve searched both the boards and Google but can’t find anything, yet. Both today and yesterday, I’ve noticed flags at half mast. I can’t figure out why. Is this a city or state thing? Do others out there have their flags lowered? What’s the straight dope here? [/QUOTE] > **[Flag Notifications](https://oa.mo.gov/facilities/facilities-operations/flag-display/flag-notifications-old)** > > If your company/agency would like to receive flag notifications by e-mail, please sign up by clicking here. Individual addresses must be used for enrollment to receive flag notifications. Distribution lists are not supported and should not be used... > [@](#): > > By order of the Governor, all flags at all State facilities will be flown at half staff on Tuesday, May 15, in observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Flags will remain at half staff until dusk on May 15. I figure someone out there hasn’t got around to raising it back up to normal height yet. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/9 "2007-05-16T14:08:36Z")
I think they’re still down for Virginia Tech victims here. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/10 "2007-05-16T14:12:38Z")
That’s why I love this place - I was just about to post this question having noticed the flags in DC on the drive home last night, and was all set to get righteously outraged if they were for Fallwell. Most were back up to the top of the flaggstaff this morning, though some of the (non-governmental) ones were still down. On a total tangent, and I know I could look it up but seeing as I am here, how long do flags stay at half mast for different categories of people? After Ford’s death they seemed to be down for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/11 "2007-05-16T14:41:14Z")
Thanks Squink and ExTank! I managed to Google up Peace Officer’s Memorial Day but it was for 2006. I guess more than one flag holder’s been lazy as I’ve seen it at half mast on multiple buildings today as well. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/12 "2007-05-16T14:47:21Z")
I noticed the flag in front of the local cop shop at half-staff yesterday, before any of the Falwell stuff came about. It hardly makes me blink anymore; seems like they lower it for every little thing. When I was a kid it seemed to take something major like a dead president to lower the flags. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/13 "2007-05-16T15:09:28Z")
[QUOTE=villa] On a total tangent, and I know I could look it up but seeing as I am here, how long do flags stay at half mast for different categories of people? After Ford’s death they seemed to be down for a long time. [/QUOTE] From the Flag Code: > [@](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/14 "2007-05-16T15:12:04Z")
Thanks - I feel terribly lazy asking rather than looking it up, but that is probably because at the moment I am terribly lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/15 "2007-05-16T15:25:36Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] From the Flag Code: [/QUOTE] If I’m reading that link right, Mr. Moto, I’m presuming that except for the President, Vice President, and Chief Justice, one must die in office to trigger automatic invoking of the Flag Code. If Sandra Day O’Connor dies, Mr. Bush would have to call for half-staff commemoration by Executive Order; the Flag Code doesn’t invoke it for her. But if John Paul Stevens dies, it does. Likewise if Messrs. Rumsfeld and Gonzalez are out playing golf together, and a terrorist caddy shoots one, Mr. Rumsfeld as a former Cabinet officer would not get automatic half-staff recognition but Mr. Gonzalez as a current Cabinet officer would. Is that how you read it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/16 "2007-05-16T15:40:00Z")
[Here’s a link.](http://www.legion.org/?section=our_flag&subsection=flag_code&content=flag_code) Reading the while thing shows that a presidential declaration is needed at all times, at least for official display of flags at half-staff. A governor’s declaration suffices at the state level, and officials can designate the display for officials or events not listed because of a provision listed later in the code. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/17 "2007-05-16T18:19:49Z")
I called the editor of a Kansas newspaper and he said the flags are at half mast in Kansas because of the deaths in Greensburg, Kansas. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/18 "2007-05-16T19:06:40Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] I called the editor of a Kansas newspaper and he said the flags are at half mast in Kansas… [/QUOTE] Unless Kansas has developed a vibrant seafaring industry recently, I hope the editor was bright enough to say that they were flying at half-staff. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/19 "2007-05-16T21:16:36Z")
[QUOTE=Enderw24] I’ve searched both the boards and Google but can’t find anything, yet. Both today and yesterday, I’ve noticed flags at half mast. I can’t figure out why. Is this a city or state thing? Do others out there have their flags lowered? What’s the straight dope here? [/QUOTE] Were you on a ship? ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-flags-lowered-today/404317/20 "2007-05-16T21:28:51Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Unless Kansas has developed a vibrant seafaring industry recently, I hope the editor was bright enough to say that they were flying at half-staff. [/QUOTE] I have no doubt he is a serving member of the Royal Kansas Navy, the great seafaring state they are. I for one never miss the annual Kansas Regatta. I especially enjoy the sloop races.