Tuesday, July 21, 2015

After Outcry White House Lowers Flag For Chattanooga Victims



The Hill: Obama lowers White House flag

President Obama has ordered flags at the White House and other public buildings to fly at half-staff after mounting criticism over the delay in honoring five armed forces members killed last week by a gunman.

Obama's proclamation calls for the flags to remain at half-mast through Saturday “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on July 16.”

“Our thoughts and prayers as a Nation are with the service members killed last week in Chattanooga. We honor their service. We offer our gratitude to the police officers and first responders who stopped the rampage and saved lives,” Obama said in a presidential proclamation released Tuesday.

WNU Editor:  When it comes to the White House and the Presidency .... everything is all about the optics. The President should never be the one to order such an action .... the impression is that it it looks like the White House staff is asleep and/or do no care.

More News On The White House Lowering The Flag For Chattanooga Victims

Obama orders flags to half staff at White House for Chattanooga victims -- CNN
White House flags to fly at half-staff in honor of Chattanooga victims -- Washington Post
Obama makes it official: Flags at half-staff for Chattanooga victims -- Stars and Stripes
Fox Reporter Asks: Why No White House Flag at Half-Staff After Chattanooga Attack? -- Newsbusters
Marc Thiessen: Why Won't White House Lower Flag For Dead Marines? -- Real Clear Politics

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Obama had to be shamed into doing the right thing.

Bob Huntley said...

If the White House flag were to be lowered for every tragic death especially those related to the military it would never fly at full mast. Perhaps that might be a good thing for a few decades to honour all those who died needlessly in Iraq and Afghanistan as well.

Unknown said...

20,000 soldiers and/or terrorists went though Al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan during the mid to late 1990s.

It was such a waste to shut them down. We should have just let them be and merely rebuild the twin towers.

There has been a good deal of time between the last death in combat and these 5. So that dog don't walk.

B.Poster said...

Prior to operation Iraqi Freedom Saddam Hussein's Iraq posed an existential threat to the United States that far exceeded the threats posed to the United States by Imperial Japan or Nazi Germany, had a de facto end to sanctions, had numerous allies around the world who could be counted on to harm America and its interests, and was on the cusp of a military breakout that would have made the threat even greater. Maybe we should have just let this one be as well.

If we keep just letting all of these threats be and continue to saddle our armed forces with ridiculous rules of engagement, we really want survive much longer. Of course this may be the plan of some folks. I suspect many Western European governments who are supposed to be America's allies would celebrate America's end.

B.Poster said...

You're right it should not be necessary for the President to order the flags flown at half staff. Such an action is common sense.

When singer Whitney Houston died, the flags were lowered to half staff but the President has to be shamed to do this for American heroes. Oh well at least we know where their priorities are.

Unknown said...

"Prior to operation Iraqi Freedom Saddam Hussein's Iraq posed an existential threat to the United States that far exceeded the threats posed to the United States by Imperial Japan or Nazi Germany"

I do not know, if it was worse than Germany or Japan.

"Saddam Hussein's Iraq posed an existential threat to the United States"

Saddam did pose a threat. Various criminal syndicates work with terrorists. There is no reason that agents from multiple foreign governments cannot use these syndicates and terrorists for their owns ends.

I don't think that the vast majority of Americans get it when it comes to espionage or what Saddam did or may have done.

Terry Nichols went to the Phillipines without his Filipina wife. He did not visit his in laws and he did not visit a fleshpot. Why was he there?

Was he having Filipinas to be his new wife? Or was he meeting with foreign agents or terrorists. If it is the latter and the Federal government knows it and is not following up or is not publicizing it, then they are A__ frackers. If terry Nichols met with foreign agents it would make all the difference in the world to political discourse in the U>S in a positive way. People would pay attention. Let me say it again. These guys are A__ frackers.

Well we know Mohammed Atta and other Muslim terrorists trained in the Phillipines or launched operations from there like Operation Bojinka.

Unknown said...

B Poster

I heard the flag lowering to 1/2 staff for Whitney was done in New Jersey on the order of the governor.

So we cannot law that at the pile at Obama's feet.