I’ve been bothered recently by the frequency of our flag flown at half-staff.
Several weeks ago, President Joe Biden ordered flags over government buildings lowered to half-staff to mourn students and staff members killed during the March 27 Covenant School shooting In Tennessee.
I was heartbroken when I heard about the shooting but confused about why government flags should be lowered. I didn’t agree with it.
Please let me explain.
I grew up in a time before school shootings.
Raised in a military family I was taught at a young age our flag was to be respected.
The flag was made even dearer when a cousin, SSgt. Jackie Wayne Troglen, of the United States Air Force, returned home from Vietnam in a flag-draped metal casket.
As my patriotism grew, I learned a variety of flag protocols.
The large flag flown at our home was adorned with a golden, metal eagle at the tip, never touched the ground, always flew on special days, and was always respectfully honored as a symbol of America’s freedom.
The flag was even stored in a special place in our home when not in use.
If a president ordered flags flown at half-staff my family made sure our flag, attached to the right front porch post, was flown the same way.
I would even call my church secretary to let her know the flag at church needed to be lowered.
Then something happened.
Maybe it’s been my long illness or just American complacency.
And while my heart broke at the shooting news, I didn’t feel an urgency at lowering the flag.
I wasn’t the only one.
“I think the meaning is lost these days,” a friend said when asked her thoughts on the half-staff directive. “The flags seem to always be at half-staff for something.”
She was right.
She grew up in a time before school shootings.
I wanted to know the protocol for half-staff. I had flown our flag half-staff to honor slain police officers, space shuttle astronauts killed in flight, and the September 11 attacks.
I searched the internet. There was no set policy for half-staff until 1954 when President Dwight Eisenhower issued protocols.
Flags can be ordered flown half-staff for 30 days “when the whole nation is in mourning,” according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs website at https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/halfstaff.pdf.
It was different seeing it in black and white.
After reading the official protocols I felt bad.
My heart broke all over again as I thought about the Tennessee dead and all the teachers, children, and staffers killed for nothing more than attending classes.
I can no longer use the excuse that I was brought up in a time before school shootings.
I want to spread the word about the protocols.
I’m sorry Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9.
I’m sorry Mike Hill, 61.
I’m sorry William Kinney, 9.
I’m sorry Katherine Koonce, 60.
I’m sorry Cynthia Peak, 61.
I’m sorry Hallie Scruggs, 9.
I wish you had lived your life in a time without school shootings.
Forgive me?
May you each rest in peace.
And now I’m going to cry.
