Stars & Stripes: No explanation by Obama on flags not lowered to half-staff for Chattanooga shooting

[Algernon Moncrieff]

WASHINGTON — The White House provided no explanation Monday amid questions over why the president had not ordered flags across the nation to half-staff in the wake of a Chattanooga, Tenn., shooting that killed five servicemembers.

Spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama offered condolences last week and may speak to veterans at VFW conference Tuesday about the shooting, but he had no further comment.

Obama has issued presidential proclamations that lowered flags at federal facilities and military bases after many mass shootings, including attacks at the Washington Navy Yard, Fort Hood in Texas, and Sandy Hook elementary in Connecticut. The lack of a proclamation following the deaths of four Marines and sailor in a possible terrorist attack Thursday by a 24-year-old Muslim man rankled some and spark online outrage.

“I don’t have more information about the status of the flag over the White House,” Earnest said, responding to a question at a daily briefing Monday with the press.

Complete story at LINK

[oberliner]

1. Many states have issued such an order

Connecticut, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida - I'm sure there are others.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

2. It's the "Outrage D'Jour"

People are citing all of the other times the flags were ordered lowered by the WH, and are upset no such order came this time.

[cwydro]

16. South Carolina lowered theirs after the church massacre.

Does seem a bit odd.

[gollygee]

3. How common are mass shootings these days? Have flags been lowered for all of them?

Because it seems like they'd be lowered all the time. Should it be different if the victims are service members? Was it lowered for the people killed in Charleston? Because that was also a terror attack.

[oldandhappy]

4. yes!

So many shootings, how do you decide? Military at home or abroad? Federal? I live in southern CA. Deaths of border patrol officers usually result in a few local flags lowered but not state-wide and certainly not nation-wide. Donno.

[ck4829]

6. Yep. We might as well keep all flags at half-mast until we go for a certain amount of time without

one of these shootings.

[treestar]

8. Maybe there is a rule about the military

I don't think it lowered every time someone dies in a war. Funny it is the right wingers who would want to consider it that, given the shooter was Muslim.

[Erose999]

14. Are we in a war now? I don't think we are, its hard to tell with all the air strikes here and

"combat advisers" there these days.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

9. They were lowered for Sandy Hook

Some are outraged because flags were lowered when Whitney Houston died.

[Maeve]

11. Obama didn't do that for Whitney--Chris Christie did

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/chriskyle.asp

[Algernon Moncrieff]

38. Thanks. I appreciate that clarification

Although, when one confronts a conservative with Snopes, one gets lectured on how it's a George Soros funded tool of Satan.

[cwydro]

17. SC ordered flags half staff after Charleston.

But nowhere else I know of.

[bvf]

5. Something innocuous, probably.

Someone dropped the ball. It's not as if Obama gives a personal order, I imagine. Proclamations notwithstanding (per the article), does anyone here know the actual protocol offhand?

Outrage du jour is about right. Wait for some to start comparing this oversight (if that's all it turns out to be) to Trump's slap at McCain.

[Ilsa]

7. ITA. PBO has his plate loaded and this detail has escaped him.

But it won't escape the daily rantings of the haters who screech that the President hates the military.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

10. Well, it didn't escape anyone's notice on Facebook

It's about every third post I see in my newsfeed

[bvf]

19. Lots of outrage?

I don't do FB, so excuse me if that's a silly question!

[Algernon Moncrieff]

31. I do FB - yes -- at least as of this morning -- lots of outrage

[geek tragedy]

22. you have a pretty rightwing newsfeed nt

[Algernon Moncrieff]

28. Actually, the first 2 posts I saw on that were from people that voted for Obama and support Hillary

...but my news feed runs the spectrum, as one doesn't choose one's relatives or high school classmates. I don't base friendships on politics.

[Erose999]

12. We should just put up a chalkboard with "__ days with no mass shootings" instead of lowering the

flag. That might get the point across better.

[Maeve]

13. Snopes has one explanation--line of duty deaths

are usually not followed by lowered flags.

http://m.snopes.com/2015/07/19/chattanooga-flags-half-staff/

[bvf]

18. Thanks.

Apparently it's not a cut-and-dried decision, if the speculations toward the bottom are to be believed (workplace violence = no?)

Given how thorough the Mikkelsons usually seem to be, I'm not at all confident that there's a formal protocol published out there (though I may go looking with more time).

[Ghost in the Machine]

15. It is up to the Governor of each State that the fallen hero was from to lower the flag because they

are considered "killed in the line of duty". IF it were up to the White House, the flag would be at half mast EVERY DAY.... especially during war time. Was the flag lowered during the Bush Misadministration?? No? I didn't think so. Where was the outrage over *that*, since it was HIS war??

Peace,

Ghost

[Horse with no Name]

20. In my opinion, lowering the flag for these casualties minimizes the other military casualties

that occur every day.

Were the lives of the service members on base more important than those serving in forward areas?

[Ghost in the Machine]

23. I don't think it would minimize the other casualties... some die in car accidents while "in the line

of duty", but these 4 were killed in a terrorist attack, practically in my back yard. I live about 50 miles from where it happened, and my County borders Hamilton County, which is Chattanooga.

Sometimes, even if the flag at the Capitol of the State isn't lowered, it is at the County Court House where the service member was from.

Peace,

Ghost

[LeftinOH]

21. During the Iraq war, were flags at half-staff every day?

Because, following the 'logic' of lowering flags for the Chattanooga victims, flags should have been lowered to half-staff for every fatality.

[bvf]

24. It's been lowered.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141152558

Cred to Omaha Steve.

No explanation for the wait, unless it had something to do with Congress coming back to warm their seats...

[B2G]

25. The one over the White House has not

only the Capitol building.

[bvf]

26. Cripes. My bad. Thanks for the correction. n/t

[seveneyes]

29. Obama orders flags to half staff at White House for Chattanooga victims

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/21/politics/chattanooga-victims-white-house-flag-gop/index.html

[B2G]

32. Yes, now he has. nt

[bvf]

33. TY for the update.

Also just heard on NPR.

[tularetom]

27. I'm glad all the other problems in the US have been solved

and the only thing we have to worry about is whether or not flags were lowered after another mass shooting.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

30. There are other problems. I also receive FB posts on Muslim-free gun ranges

[bvf]

36. Admittedly, it's a sidetrack.

But still one worthy of comment, obviously.

[KamaAina]

34. "a possible terrorist attack"?!

Based on what? That the shooter was Muslim?

[seveneyes]

35. I don't think he was a sincere Muslim

I'm fairly sure being a Muslim does not include killing innocent people.

[KamaAina]

37. There is a small fringe that thinks it does

they've misinterpreted the concept of jihad rather badly.

Best fatwa ever issued: by the Spanish council of imams against -- wait for it! -- Osama bin Laden, for a specific violation of Muslim canon law involving putting one's own wishes above Allah's after the 3/11 bombing in Madrid.