Tuesday, November 13, 2007

U.S. Flag at Half-Staff - Correction

The following posting has been corrected, in view of information received from the governor's office on November 14.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has ordered the lowering of the U.S. Flag in memory of M/Sgt. Thomas A. Crowell, 36, who died in Iraq in a roadside bombing on November 1, 2007. U.S. and Illinois flags are to be flown at half-staff on Illinois buildings from sunrise today until sunset on Friday. The Department of Defense lists Sgt. Crowell’s hometown as Neosho, Missouri, and he was assigned to Scott AFB, Illinois.

By the following I intend no disrespect to the late Sgt. Crowell. When the original article was posted, I believed that Governor Blagojevich had violated the U.S. Flag Code by ordering flags lowered in memory and honor of Sgt. Crowell and that he was doing so for an extraordinary and incorrect period of time.

In §175(m) of the U.S. Flag Code the Governor is authorized as follows: “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.”

The governor's office informed me today that approximately two months ago President Bush ordered that a State could lower the U.S. Flag after a member of its military unit died. I haven't seen the exact wording, but I believe it may mean following the death in combat of a resident of its state.

I detest this war in Iraq and the waste of lives it is costing us. The United States has been the cause of thousands of unnecessary deaths – U.S. citizens and civilians in Iraq.

Yes, we should honor Sgt. Crowell. I disagree with President Bush and believe we should honor him by flying the U. S. Flag at the top of the mast. Let all the world see that America is proud of its soldiers. Show that pride by keeping the flag high above the ground – at the top of the mast.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

You meant no disrespect but it sure worked out that way. If it was up to me the flag would be flown at half staff every day until the war was over. The service men and women mean more to myself and this country and state than any state "official" ever will.

Anonymous said...

Maybe you should go to Iraq and tell all the muslims to hug and get along. THAT would work! Maybe you could even go to Iran and ask them for all of their WMD's so as they can not use em. Gee, I wonder where those Iraq bombers are gettin all that stuff to make the bombs with?????

Gus said...

Let me be clearer about the war in Iraq. The United States invaded another country without cause. The President sold Congress a bill of goods. He failed to listen to experts who were telling him that there were no WMDs. Just picture the President with his fingers stuck in his ears. And now we are stuck in another Vietnam.
I certainly don't have an answer for how we should extricate ourselves. The scary part is that the U.S. Government doesn't have an answer! Soon the number of U.S. soldiers killed in this war will hit 4,000. The number of injuries? 20,000? Most of them serious.
I honor Sgt. Crowell for following orders. That's the honor and support due our soldiers. They do what they are told, even when the war is wrong.

Anonymous said...

What is your problem gus don't you have anything better todo. Hippies think the way you do are you a hippie. I have a brother that is serving and it bothers me that you post dumb liberal point of views. You need some serious help. Get a hobby or something to keep yourself occupied. I wish I had that much free time on my hands. Show some support for our troops.

Anonymous said...

Well, lets see now. We KNEW there were WMD's in Iraq back in 1991 but due to the liberals in France, Germany, Russia and CHina (who had MASSIVE contracts with Iraq) we were not allowed to remove them. We know that Iraq was pumping massive amounts of oil into Syria. Did you know Gus that a LOT of the so called insurgents are not even Iraqi citizens? I know that we found a roadway in northern Iraq that lead to Syria. The problem we have with you, and most news agencies, is that they only report what they WANT you to know. Unfortunately most of the aireal photos that show the weapons are classified, according to the pentagon. I have an idea Gus, you go to Iraq and give us a first hand account of what is going on. OH, and while yer at it, how about going to Africa too and tell us about all the ethnic cleansing that is occuring there as well in all of those muslim countries. Look at history and you will get an eye opener. Most muslims are VERY aggresive, and have a deep set hatred of anyone who is not of THEIR faith, even other sects. Vietnam was a perfect example of a POLITICAL run war. You can NOT attack ANYTHING here, here or here. And ya know what, that is where the enemy had its strongholds. You need to go talk to the men and women who are returning and ask them how most of the people OF Iraq feel about the U.S. being there. People seem to forget, this country was ATTACKED on September the Eleventh 2001 by a group who was funded by most of the countries of the middle east.

Anonymous said...

I think the sentence about gus and news agencies should be rewritten so the two are not seen as one.

Gus said...

Apparently, you (1:33PM commenter) believe that WMDs in 1991 meant they must still be there in 2002-03. Read Hans Blix's book, Disarming Iraq. Mr. Blix is a highly-respected lawyer who wrote that, as hard as they looked for WMDs in the places identified by numerous countries as key locations, they were not finding them. And WMDs haven't been found since. So the entire basis for our attacking Iraq remains suspect. How many billions of dollars later? Seems to me that you would have proof BEFORE you invade another country...

Anonymous said...

Highly respected lawyer. Now there's an oxymoron. No oxy for gus though.