I saw a number of flags flying at half-staff today. Why? I hadn't seen anything in the newspaper about someone dying for whom the flag should officially be flying at half-staff. It seems to me this is getting out of hand. I was recently in Pocatello and found the flags there flying at half-staff because a popular and well-liked senior from one of the high schools had died.
I spent some time looking up flag etiquette tonight. Usually only the president of the United States can order flags to be flown at half-staff for something other than the death of certain federal government officials. Governors can do so for members of the armed forces who die in combat. But just because there is a tragedy somewhere? I don't think this is right. "If overused, the symbolic impact of half-staffing the flag would be lost." (flag code)
Joan Carlson
Kearns