toldailytopic: Flags at half-staff for Whitney Houston? Should government officially

noguru

Well-known member
Governor Wrong to Have Flag Lowered to Half Staff for Celebrities

"Yesterday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered all New Jersey State and American flags to be lowered to half staff on Saturday in honor of Entertainer Whitney Houston who passed away this week.

Last year, the governor did the same for Clarence Clemmons, the saxophone player for the E Street Band.

In January, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett ordered the state flag to half staff for three days in honor of Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno when he passed.

We take great issue with this practice.

Ms. Houston and Mr. Clemmons are both children of our great state and were both wildly successful. Each has made a significant contribution to music, culture, and the arts, and both are deserving of many accolades.

As a sax player myself I really liked Clarence Clemmons. I saw him a couple times in concert and he was an extraordinary performer, as was Ms. Houston.
 

elohiym

Well-known member
I don't think any celebrity is worthy of lowering the flag to half-staff. To me it just seems like that honor is due only to those who left a monumental effect on our nation (e.g. Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, etc.). I'm not sure I can think of any celebrity worthy of such honor.

How about Dorothy Height?

dorothy-height.jpg


"Upon her death, President Barack Obama ordered flags to be flown at half-mast on April 29, 2010 in her honor."
 

elohiym

Well-known member

toldailytopic: Flags at half-staff for Whitney Houston? Should government officially honor such people?



I'm against the flag being lowered to half-mast for anyone for any reason.

The tradition of flying the flag at half-staff began centuries ago, to allow "the invisible flag of death" to fly at the top of the mast—which signified death's presence, power, and prominence. In some countries, for example the UK, and especially in military contexts, a "half-mast" flag is still flown exactly one flag's width down from its normal position, and no lower, to allow for this flag of death. This was the original flag etiquette. However, with larger flags on shorter hoists on many public buildings, the practice of actual half-staff has become common, due to ignorance of the original etiquette and the common conception that flag is to be actually half way up the mast.​

I am opposed to blatant anti-Christian symbolism.
 

vegascowboy

New member
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
Do we prop up the wrong role models?

If the president of the United States (as well as others) can say that the Constitution is antiquated rubbish, then I don't suppose it is unreasonable to discover that certain people place their faith and love in the wrong role models.

Look at their "leader," and they will follow.
 

elohiym

Well-known member
Another undeserving person?

"As a mark of respect for the memory of Bob Hope, I hereby order... that on the day of his interment, the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on such day," Bush said.​
 

Tambora

Get your armor ready!
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame

toldailytopic: Flags at half-staff for Whitney Houston? Should government officially honor such people?



I don't know the official criteria for choosing whom to fly the flag at half-staff.

But I do know that when any of my loved ones passed, the last thing on my mind was whether a flag was flying at half-staff or not.
 

elohiym

Well-known member
"The Star Spangled Banner" is a charity single recorded by American singer Whitney Houston to raise funds for soldiers and families of those involved in the Persian Gulf War. Written by Francis Scott Key, "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the National Anthem of the United States. The musical arrangement for Whitney Houston's rendition was by conductor John Clayton. The recording was produced by music coordinator Rickey Minor, along with Houston herself.

Traditionally performed at sports games in the U.S., "The Star Spangled Banner" was performed by Houston at Super Bowl XXV in 1991. Houston donated her portion of the proceeds.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Arista Records re-released Houston's "The Star Spangled Banner". She once again donated her share of the royalties, as did Arista Records, towards the firefighters and victims of the terrorist attacks ...
 

elohiym

Well-known member
Some other interesting facts about Whitney Houston:

Houston was a supporter of Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid movement. During her modeling days, the singer refused to work with any agencies who did business with the then-apartheid South Africa.

.....

In 1989, Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children, a non-profit organization that has raised funds for the needs of children around the world. The organization cares for homelessness, children with cancer or AIDS, and other issues of self-empowerment.

.....

Later in 1991, Houston put together her Welcome Home Heroes concert with HBO for the soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf War and their families. The free concert took place at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia in front of 3,500 servicemen and women. HBO descrambled the concert so that it was free for everyone to watch. Houston's concert gave HBO its highest ratings ever.
 

kmoney

New member
Hall of Fame
Some other interesting facts about Whitney Houston:

I didn't know all that about Whitney. It is stuff like this that would make me support lowering the flag for Houston. I still think I lean against it but I'm less opposed to it knowing that she was this involved in charitable work. Someone needs to have done work that transcends having a great voice and being influential and popular in music to deserve this recognition.
 

noguru

Well-known member
I didn't know all that about Whitney. It is stuff like this that would make me support lowering the flag for Houston. I still think I lean against it but I'm less opposed to it knowing that she was this involved in charitable work. Someone needs to have done work that transcends having a great voice and being influential and popular in music to deserve this recognition.

I have met very few people that are all bad. And although sometimes great talent in a person can create a somewhat elitist stance on the world. I find it refreshing when people who have great talent also find it within their set of responsibilities to help others more in need. In the end Whitney was like anyone else. A person with some exceptional God given talents, but still a person subject to human weakness.
 
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