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Half-mast or half-assed?
Dear Editor,
At the most inopportune times, my Peruvian wife will mispronounce an American phrase – as for instance: the custom of lowering Old Glory to half staff. In Spanish, the phrase is “media asta;” But, until I corrected her pronunciation, she would say “we are lowering the flag to half-assed” – which would invariably leave me LMAO. Considering how the tradition is presently practiced, I may seriously advise my wife to again use her erroneous expression.
The American flag is our nation’s sacred symbol of unity – not perfect unity, for sure; but nevertheless we strive for the ideal. As with most things tradition, eventually, a practice finds itself codified. So, Congress passed legislation – regulating the practice of how and when Old Glory is to be displayed, lofted, lowered, placed on a casket, and how and when it is to be set to half-mast on an occasion of national mourning. I suggest every American read the United States Flag Code, which “… establishes advisory rules for display and care of the flag of the United States … Section 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code. This etiquette is as applied within U.S. jurisdiction…”
Here is the part pertinent to the discussion:
Article 7. Position and Manner of Display
(m) The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.
On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff.
By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory.
In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law.
In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the death of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty, or the death of a first responder working in any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving in the line of duty, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff, and the same authority is provided to the Mayor of the District of Columbia with respect to present or former officials of the District of Columbia, members of the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia, and first responders working in the District of Columbia.
When the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, issues a proclamation under the preceding sentence that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession or in the District of Columbia because of the death of a member of the Armed Forces, the National flag flown at any Federal installation or facility in the area covered by that proclamation shall be flown at half-staff consistent with that proclamation.
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. … [End citation.]
Nowhere in the text do I find a direction to set Old Glory half staff for victims of “COVID-19,” “mass shootings,” etc. Yet such is now en vogue – which I opine is but a form of civic “virtue signaling.” Not to make light of pandemics or violence, but I am wont to remind Americans that abusing that which is privileged soon renders its custom meaningless. The same applies to calling every act of decency “heroic,” or declaring every person a “hero” for simply doing their job. When we abuse rituals of honor or overuse terms of esteem, we cheapen their value until they become meaningless clichés.
We also demonstrate hypocrisy. If you believe the hype, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 500,000 Americans. The last two “mass shootings” killed 18 individuals – including a police officer. At each instance, our civic leaders ordered the American flag flown half staff in memoriam. However, greater is the number murdered every day in Democrat-run cities. Far more are killed each year by drunk drivers. And the number of Americans who perish every day from various diseases is not inconsequential. Therefore, under the new standard, are we not obligated to fly the flag half staff for them also?
Is not the murder of babies via abortion a more legitimate reason for national mourning? The official count now exceeds 60 million since Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973. Do we not then have the most compelling cause to lower our flag for the lives taken by the most violent unjust act man has ever conceived? The point is that, under this new “woke” convention, the list of causes to fly the flag at half staff will grow until it no longer has meaning – then it truly will be a “half-assed” act of banality.
Bruce Desautels
Stratton, Nebraska