Why are American flags flying half-staff?

[bufffbison]

is it b/c of the pope, or are people doing that, b/c of the disgrace of *'s approval rating? ....seriously, is it really b/c of the pope, or has something happened to our boys over seas and i know nothing about it?

[CubsFan1982]

1. The Pope.

As a token of respect to a foreign head of state, the flags remain at half staff until sunset tonight.

[lenidog]

2. Its because of the Pope

Since he is a head of state, so they fly the flags at half mast.

[Indykatie]

5. I Noticed Flags at Half Mast

while I was travelling in TN befoe the Pope died. I too wondered if I had missed something.

[lenidog]

12. That is intresting, I don't know why they would have been half mast

before that but if someone of importance in TN had dies say a former governor then that could have been the reason.

[IowaGuy]

3. Either that or Prince Ranier's death or even more likely...

the impending royal nuptials of Charles & Camilla....

[i miss america]

10. or perhaps mourning the death of our cherished democracy

[RC]

4. My question is did the flags fly at half staff

when any other Popes died? If not, why now?

[rsmith6621]

6. So We All Remember that

Shrubya.....went to Crawford after the Popes funeral.

Also cause we dont do the same for every soldier that has died fighting in the Bush Crime Familys War for OIL.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. No

nor for any other foreign heads of state, save probably Churchill....

Key word FOREIGN

And bush also never mentioned the head of state thing, if you get my drift

[Clarkie1]

24. The Pope is a "head of state" in name only.

Let's be real.

[Up2Late]

14. I doubt it, * is the first "so-called President" to go to a Pope's...

funeral While in office! NO, Carter DID NOT Go in 1978! :grr:

Sorry, I'm not yelling at you, just all the dummies who would flame me if I didn't make that clear.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. I'm not dummy

but hey, here you go... adjust your asbestos underwear...

:nuke: (We need a flame thrower in the smiley column)

:-)

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. The Pope

this is unprecedented, and this is for a religiious leader, if shruby had execitive ordered this for a foreign head of state... he just may be on thin ice... but right now the ice is cracking... first ammendment and all

[bufffbison]

9. maybe im just bring a prick or whatever

but i don't agree with US flags flying half staff, just b/c of the pope. i mean, if some individual believes he wants to, then fine. but the flags in my town, post office, and just about every government building is flying half staff, and to me that is against the seperation church and state..

[Clarkie1]

13. I agree.

With all due respect to the pope, the flag should not be flying at half-staff at government buildings.

[Up2Late]

11. Hey, If it's REALLY for the Pope "because he's Head if State,"

Are we going to KEEP them at half Staff for the Prince of Monaco? :shrug:He just died too, and he was the Head of State, Maybe we should raise some Hell if * doesn't order the same for him?!?

[zulchzulu]

15. Flag attendents are too lazy to pull flag all the way up

Ya just can't get good help these days.

[LiberalFighter]

18. Technically if they perform the half-staff they must raise the flag

to the top and then lower to half-staff

[Journeyman]

22. And when it's lowered at close of day, it must first go back to the top...

then lowered and put away.

Another interesting rule I learned sometime back is that, on Memorial Day, the flag is brought to full staff, then lowered to half-staff until mid-day, at which point it's raised to the top of the pole and flown there until close of day.

[rockymountaindem]

16. They've got the Canadian flag at half staff here too.

Up in Toronto

[prodigal_green]

17. because * doesn't understand

the first amendment. I'm a Catholic and I find it highly offensive that A) they're flying flags at half-staff (the Pope wasn't American) and B) they've spent taxpayer dollars on the chimp's attending the funeral. He should not have gone. No other president has ever gone to a pope's funeral. The pope couldn't stand the chimp. I was kinda hoping that he (the pope) would pop out of his coffin and slap the chimp, but alas, no.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. I'm Jewisn and I am with you

on the first ammendment bit

Shruby boy took an oath to protect and defend a constitution he despises

the only way, at least imo, he coudl raelly get away wiht it is... if the Pope was an American, the local boy who did good... and even then they are on real thin ice.

[Clarkie1]

21. LOL

I'm not Catholic and I hope I'm not being irreverant, but his really is cracking me up!

"I was kinda hoping that he (the pope) would pop out of his coffin and slap the chimp, but alas, no":rofl:

Edit: More seriously, I completely agree that this public display of deference to the Pope using the American flag is offensive.

[Generic Other]

25. Slapping the monkey! A helluva way to qualify for sainthood!

LOL

[Up2Late]

23. Here's a really great quote from Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher

in a new article from tomorrows "Guardian" called "US nuclear warhead plan under fire"


"...Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, a California Democrat and one of the party's leading voices on military issues, alleged that the administration was using the scheme as a cover for developing a range of "smaller and more usable" weapons which were blocked last year by Congress. "This administration doesn't take no for an answer," Ms Tauscher told The Guardian. "But every time we erect a fence they jump it." Congress blocked development funds for the proposed robust nuclear earth penetrator, a "bunker-buster"...:evilfrown: