3 ms·

One is reminded of the "flying flags at half mast" custom (in the U.S., at least), where it has happened more and more often over time. Should all flagpoles ju

One is reminded of the "flying flags at half mast" custom (in the U.S., at least), where it has happened more and more often over time. Should all flagpoles just be made twice as high, since some good person has died every day of the year? It's a hard problem. Fortunately, it is also a problem that doesn't really _have_ to be solved. Letting @dang (or whoever it is) decide is not a perfect system, but it's probably as good as any other. Imagine if either Biden or Trump died, the storm that would ensue if one side wants the black bar and the other is outraged at the idea.

wand3r 2y ago
> Imagine if either Biden or Trump died Please don't give me false hope like this
smeej 2y ago
The first time I remember flags at half-mast was after the shootings at Columbine in 1998 (I was living in that area of CO back then). The second time I remember was three years later in 2001. I thought back then that this only happened for community-shattering events. Everyone in that are of Colorado was affected. Everyone in the U.S. was affected. These days I've basically given up on even being able to find out why any particular flag has been lowered, because more often than not, it's just an isolated flag. I wish places that did it routinely had some sort of additional code system. Like, if fire departments want to lower flags to recognize the deaths of firefighters, it would help if there was a small secondary flag or something to help distinguish, "Someone from our department has died," vs. "Someone at another department nearby has died," vs. "Lots of people at a department far away died." I appreciate the expression of solidarity with their fallen comrades in any case. It would just be nice to be able to know which kind it is, or if it's something else entirely.
- 5555624 2y ago
  Typically, the American flag flies at half-staff or at half-mast when the country or a state is in mourning. The president or a state governor (or D.C. Mayor) can order flags to fly at half-staff. In most cases, an American flag flying at half-staff marks one of three observances: - The death of a government official, military member, or emergency first responder - A national tragedy - Memorial Day or another national day of remembrance Back in 1954, President Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the display of the flag, 19 FR 1235, 3 CFR. Whether everyone follows that is another matter.
  - smeej 2y ago
    I don't doubt that those are the official rules, but these days anybody with a flagpole apparently flies it at half mast whenever they're sad (or sometimes angry) about something. That's why it's gotten confusing.
lkdfjlkdfjlg 2y ago
> It's a hard problem Stop calling everything a hard problem. It's not a hard problem if it's irrelevant.

wand3r 2y ago

> Imagine if either Biden or Trump died Please don't give me false hope like this

smeej 2y ago

The first time I remember flags at half-mast was after the shootings at Columbine in 1998 (I was living in that area of CO back then). The second time I remember was three years later in 2001. I thought back then that this only happened for community-shattering events. Everyone in that are of Colorado was affected. Everyone in the U.S. was affected. These days I've basically given up on even being able to find out why any particular flag has been lowered, because more often than not, it's just an isolated flag. I wish places that did it routinely had some sort of additional code system. Like, if fire departments want to lower flags to recognize the deaths of firefighters, it would help if there was a small secondary flag or something to help distinguish, "Someone from our department has died," vs. "Someone at another department nearby has died," vs. "Lots of people at a department far away died." I appreciate the expression of solidarity with their fallen comrades in any case. It would just be nice to be able to know which kind it is, or if it's something else entirely.

5555624 2y ago
Typically, the American flag flies at half-staff or at half-mast when the country or a state is in mourning. The president or a state governor (or D.C. Mayor) can order flags to fly at half-staff. In most cases, an American flag flying at half-staff marks one of three observances: - The death of a government official, military member, or emergency first responder - A national tragedy - Memorial Day or another national day of remembrance Back in 1954, President Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the display of the flag, 19 FR 1235, 3 CFR. Whether everyone follows that is another matter.
- smeej 2y ago
  I don't doubt that those are the official rules, but these days anybody with a flagpole apparently flies it at half mast whenever they're sad (or sometimes angry) about something. That's why it's gotten confusing.

lkdfjlkdfjlg 2y ago

> It's a hard problem Stop calling everything a hard problem. It's not a hard problem if it's irrelevant.