FLAG AT HALF STAFF HAVE SOME

COMPLAINING OF IMPROPER ETIQUETTE

 I have posted a comment left at  Fox Sports Blog which caught my eye and inspired a rebuttal from yours truly. You may see it differently. That's why we are who we are. The following comment concerning  NASCAR'S response to the death of Mr. Bill France Jr.  posted June 5th, 2007 on theFox Sports Blog of Ms. Lee Spence:

Flag etiquette
I realize that Bill France Jr. was a god send for Nascar and the sport would not be where it is today if not for him, but the lowering of the flag to half mast in his honor was out of place. I hope this was an oversight and not Nascar doing it just because of Nascar arogance. I dont believe his passing will ever be looked at as a national holiday. Look up flag etiquette on the Internet and this is what you will get.

The flag may be flown at half-staff by Presidential proclamation or by proclamation by your state governor.

On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon.

Your flag can be flown at half-staff upon reliable information that a past or present President or Vice-President has died (see Section 7m below).

By statute, the President is requested each year to issue a proclamation requiring government buildings to half-staff the flag and inviting all the people of the US to do so as well, on the following days:

May 15, Peace Officers Memorial Day
Sept. 11, Patriot Day
Dec. 7, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Section 7m of the Flag Code (see below) reads:

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 Governm

Last edited by jeff71159 on June 5th at 7:40 AM.

My Comment to jeff71159:

Jeff71159...Well done sir. The fault in your comment is that most any institution may place the flag at half mast to honor a particular major, influential contribitor to that institution or appreciated persons of any stature. I am a Viet Nam vet and thought nothing in error when I first viewed a photo at Dover Downs International Speedway with the flag at half mast. I knew and know little of Mr. France but am finding he was, indeed, a giant behind the sport of NASCAR. Watching the race Monday I could tell this man must have done for NASCAR something to the extent of what all the great men and women throughout our history had done and that is affect a nation. There is "formality" sir and then there is "fanatisism". I loathe to mention the catastrophic events recently where the flag was lowered to half staff without the President of the United States approval and the many local institutions throughout this country who have lowered the flag to half staff in honor of a pillar, founder, or appreciated person or persons who have passed either in an untimely manner or of natural causes. There's "the book", sir, then there's the American Way.