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Flag At Half Staff For WHO?

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#61
I was listening to Make It Plain the other night and the host was upset because people were focusing on her drug problem and not all the good she did, which went beyond music.

He mentioned her charity work and stand against apartheid in South Africa. Here is an article he wrote about it.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Maybe not half-staff worthy, but more than just another singer with an addiction.
 
#63
Jinro said:
And since when is a celebrity automatically a "hero"? You raise valid points, but they also apply equally to celebrities.

I rest my case.
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You shouldn't rest it just yet - since you don't make sense. Who called WH a hero? Who said you have to be a hero to have a flag flown at half staff?
 
#66
Jinro said:
Treating someone as a hero is essentially the same as calling them a hero.


And my sense is just fine, thank you very much.
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Flying the flag at half staff is not treating someone as a hero. It's an honor, bestowed on many.
 
#69
AnchorHoy said:
Secondly: Since when is a member of the Armed Forces automatically a "hero"?

That is a term that used to be reserved for those who were awarded a Bronze Star or above for actions in combat far and above the basic duties that they signed up for - including going into harm's way on a regular basis. Nowdays it is unfortunately also applied to every two-bit REMF who died in a car accident on an overseas base, 100 miles or more from actual combat

The mere act of serving in the Armed Forces does not make someone a hero and neither does the mere act of doing the job you signed up to do. IMHO the term "hero" is properly reserved for those who do Far More than what they agreed to when they signed their enlistment contract (or were Commssisioned)

I would submit that you will find more real "heroes" in your local Fire Department than you will on the average military base, and it is rare indeed that you will see those same firefighters get even a fraction of the recognition given to, say, a returning Supply Clerk who sat out their entire deployment in an air-conditioned office building in Kuwait or Germany
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I agree and I disagree. Heroism isn't just defined by receiving a Bronze Star or higher, the military has many Valorous medals to reward heroism. You do have a good point about the Supply Clerk sitting in Kuwait or Germany, flying around in ACU's at public airports being treated like they're Audie Murphy.

Granted, those Supply Clerks did serve the country more than WH.

HERO:
noun ( pl. -roes)
a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities : a war hero.
• the chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize.
• (in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semidivine origin, in particular one of those whose exploits and dealings with the gods were the subject of ancient Greek myths and legends.
• (also hero sandwich) another term for submarine sandwich .
ORIGIN Middle English (with mythological reference): via Latin from Greek hērōs.
Hero 1 |ˈhi(ə)rō| Greek Mythology
a priestess of Aphrodite at Sestos on the European shore of the Hellespont, whose lover Leander, a youth of Abydos on the opposite shore, swam the strait nightly to visit her. One stormy night he was drowned, and Hero in grief threw herself into the sea.
Hero 2 |ˈhi(ə)rō; ˈhēˌrō|
(1st century), Greek mathematician and inventor; known as Hero of Alexandria. He described a number of hydraulic, pneumatic, and other mechanical devices, including elementary applications of the power of steam.
 
#75
sandmangeck said:
Her addiction mostly harmed herself.
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That's one way to look at it.

But there are a whole bunch of people concerned about little things--okay they are big things to them--such as "image" and "example." It's that age-old argument about how public figures have a responsibility to be good role models. In this case, I guess there are a lot of girls and women who once looked up to Whitney for the positive image she portrayed through her music and videos. She was an icon of youth and innocence, feminine strength, common sense and responsibility, and that image transcended many cultural boundaries.

And then the embarassing and seemingly endless fall fraught with one bad choice after another. It was shocking and disappointing for many who once admired and idolized her, whether they had the "right" to feel that way or not.

Someone mentioned Ray Charles had the flag flown at half staff when he died. Fair enough, I've seen Ray, and it portrays a man who faced his demons, overcame adversity, and continued to deliver his talents right up until his death. That, combined with his overwhelming contribution to American pop culture, perhaps warrants some official state recognition.
 
#78
PacmanWhere was the outrage when they did this same thing for Sinatra? For Ray Charles?
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I don't have any "outrage" over this one. And I certainly don't find it surprising in a country where "reality star" is a viable career choice and something you can probably get a degree in at some major university.

But was she an icon in the same class with Ray Charles or Sinatra? Not really, she didn't break any ground, had a fairly short career, and really didn't stand for anything accept Whitney Houston.

Is it right? Probably not, there are certainly ordinary people whose lives are much more extraordinary than Whitney Houston.

I suspect it's a sadder commentary of a civilization on its last throws, then it is a condemnation of some current politician.
 
#79
From United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Section 175, "Position and Manner of Display", sub-paragraph (m):

(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 Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff. 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. As used in this subsection -
(1) the term 'half-staff' means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;
(2) the term 'executive or military department' means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5; and
(3) the term 'Member of Congress' means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
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So, according to United States Code, Governor Christie acted inappropriately.
 
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