Ford has been dead for 76 days now. Why do businesses still have their flags at half mast?

[theaudacity]

Having the flag at half mast used to mean something. I remember when I was in junior high and the flag was at half mast from the Oklahoma City bombing. I didn't know what it meant, and I was moved by the gesture when I figured it out. Now, since September 11, it seems that on any given day for any given reason, you can find a flag at half mast. It is no longer moving. It no longer means what it should. If you fly a flag, fly it right.

[msongs]

1. maybe its for ford motor company, which is also dead? nt

[acmavm]

2. Because of the slow death our country's been suffering for the last

almost eight years.

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. It is still moving to me, when I realize that (here in Michigan) it is for

a soldier from Michigan that has fallen. It breaks my heart that it rarely flies full mast anymore. :(

[Sonicmedusa]

4. They are grieving

The death of Democracy

[MADem]

5. BushCo gave him 30 days.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061230.html

Flag etiquette is DEAD, anyway. And the ones who killed it were the GOP, who waved it, misused it, and disrespected it for political gain.

Now, it's used as BUNTING, as CLOTHING, as NAPKINS...all of the big bozo no-nos. I'm waiting for the Independence Day toilet paper, frankly....

No wonder people burn the thing. It's like putting it out of its misery...

[benddem]

6. Everytime

a military person is killed in Iraq/Afghanistan who has Oregon roots, the Gov. requests everyone to lower flags to half mast.

[peace13]

9. Are you serious?

I think this is how it should be. Every time a soldier dies on foreign soil the flag should be lowered and then the sheeple would be reminded of what a huge waste of life this war is. Peace. Kim

[Bucky]

7. Mine's at half staff until January 09 (barring any Pelosification, that is)

I like that word... Pelosification.

[noonwitch]

8. Maybe they have other reasons for flying the flag at half-mast?

some people do over military casualties.

[SusanaMontana41]

10. Technically, it isn't half-mast

unless the flag is on a ship. On land, it's half-staff.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming ... :P

[beaconess]

13. Thank you - that's a real pet peeve for me!

[kestrel91316]

11. I can't remember the last time the flag at the fire station down the street

WASN'T at half mast. Seriously. And I've been driving the same route to work every day for 15 years.

There's ALWAYS some official or some cop or other they feel compelled to mourn publically. I think they must think it shows "patriotism".

[slampoet]

12. 90 days is the customary half-mast period,

...when a president dies.


It was the same when Nixon died back in 1994.

[Arkansas Granny]

14. Per the U.S. Flag Code the customary period is 30 days, unless

special decree from the President states otherwise.

"The flag shall be flown at half-staff thirty days from the death of the President or a former President; ten 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."

http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html

[ProudDad]

18. Does that mean

that when the blood clot, beer and pretzel take out bush and cheney it will have to be at half-staff for 30 days or 40 days?

[onenote]

15. did you bother to ask one of those businesses why?

Why do you think someone here is going to know?

[Joe Chi Minh]

16. It's OK. It's just so no-one's in any doubt that a leopard doesn't change its spots;

that they know no shame.

[ProudDad]

17. They're trying to bring back that f*ck - ronny ray-gun?

I've found right-wingers aren't very smart.