Why don't flags fly at half mast for soldiers that die overseas?

[mmink15]

Is there an explanation? Other than that, due to our interventionist foreign policy, the flag would be at half mast every day of the year.

I really am curious as to the answer of this question.

[JS4Pat]

Priorities I guess...

They flew half mast in Buffalo yesterday for Tim Russert.

[pcosmar]

Most of them in my area have been at half mast for a couple years.
I keep waiting to see them raised all (or most) of the time.

[mmink15]

That's what got me thinking about it. It seems that it would be easier to get people to realize how bad our foreign policy is if they were faced with a daily reminder of the consequences.

[Kludge]

Good number of flag-flyers have had their flags half-mast since 9/11, some more joined after we invaded Iraq.

I retired my American flag for good this morning. Burned it and had a bit of a pity party for myself. Only the Gadsden flag flies at my house now.

[Carehn]

Good number of flag-flyers have had their flags half-mast since 9/11, some more joined after we invaded Iraq.

I retired my American flag for good this morning. Burned it and had a bit of a pity party for myself. Only the Gadsden flag flies at my house now.

it sucks because i love so much what that flag stood for. but i know that now it only stands for used cars and fat white kids who think they are black.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Priorities I guess...

They flew half mast in Buffalo yesterday for Tim Russert.

Yes. We reserve raising the flag half mast for important people. Listening to him, Tim Russert would have been against a flag being raised in such a way in his honor.
While the common soldiers are part of this nations military aristocracy, as apposed to The People's militia, they aren't part of the nobility who serve our nation as military officers. These officers are appointed by Congress to attend schools to learn how to rule over lessor commoner soldiers.
I guess one could say that these national traditions of the aristocracy should be considered horseshit by 98% of us. I know I do.
To me, the fact that young men give up their lives for no reason whatsoever is a lot more significant than the horseshit heaped upon us by those in the Aristocracy.
We should never forget that the king once used his nobility to divide himself from his people.

[Truth Warrior]

Bad PR reminders! War support suffers. Lesson learned in Viet Nam, don't show dead American soldiers, body bags, or flag draped caskets.

[asgardshill]

Minutae: The US national ensign (i.e. the flag) is commonly described as being flown at half-staff on land and half-mast aboard a vessel. However, most dictionaries use the terms interchangeably, so be edgy and call it half-mast on land if you want to.

As for the OP's question, "Why don't flags fly at half-mast for soldiers that die overseas", the current law and custom outlining when flags are flown at half-staff can be found here:

http://www.ushistory.org/BETSY/flagetiq.html


When to half-staff the flag

* May 15 — Peace Officers Memorial Day: half-staff from sunrise to sunset
* Last Monday in May — Memorial Day: the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon
* September 11 — Patriot Day: half-staff from sunrise to sunset
* December 7 — National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: half-staff from sunrise to sunset
* Upon reliable information that a past or present President, Vice-President, Chief Justice, or Speaker of the House has died
* Upon proclamation from the President (see next) or your state's governor

Governmental agencies do not routinely fly flags at half-staff for soldiers killed overseas because there is no law or custom mandating that they do so. Its never been the custom in the US for governmental agencies to fly the flag at half-staff for war casualties even during the "good" wars, unless they happen to fall under the circumstances outlined above. However, you as a private citizen can pretty much fly the flag any way you want to. There are no civil or criminal penalties in the US Flag Code for "misuse" of the flag or violation of flag etiquette, so go wild and break out those flag motif paper plates and napkins without fear of the JBTs hauling you off to jail.

[Uncle Emanuel Watkins]

Minutae: The US national ensign (i.e. the flag) is commonly described as being flown at half-staff on land and half-mast aboard a vessel. However, most dictionaries use the terms interchangeably, so be edgy and call it half-mast on land if you want to.

As for the OP's question, "Why don't flags fly at half-mast for soldiers that die overseas", the current law and custom outlining when flags are flown at half-staff can be found here:

http://www.ushistory.org/BETSY/flagetiq.html



Governmental agencies do not routinely fly flags at half-staff for soldiers killed overseas because there is no law or custom mandating that they do so. Its never been the custom in the US for governmental agencies to fly the flag at half-staff for war casualties even during the "good" wars, unless they happen to fall under the circumstances outlined above. However, you as a private citizen can pretty much fly the flag any way you want to. There are no civil or criminal penalties in the US Flag Code for "misuse" of the flag or violation of flag etiquette, so go wild and break out those flag motif paper plates and napkins without fear of the JBTs hauling you off to jail.

Because of my right to do whatever with my flag, I've decided to just fly it normally while honoring it. But please understand that this symbol is just a legal precedent. In fact, anything outside of the greater power of the self evident truths and inalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence are legal precedents which endanger our nation. These legal precedents make up the lessor corrupt power of tyranny.

[Mesogen]

Crap, should we just fly flags at half mast and upside down until our government stops raping the country and killing people for money?

[satchelmcqueen]

because they would be half mast all the time i assume.