Flag at half staff for Whitney Houston

[mamagardener]

The governor of New Jersey has ordered flag flown at half staff to honor Whitney Houston. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this? I always thought it was for purposes to honor sacrifice or people who have done good things for their community or country, not a celebrity.

 

[GaNewChick]

Whitney Houston has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities through the years mainly for children with aids and cancer. She donated $110,000 to a pediatric hospital in Newark, proceeds from the National Anthem in 1991 went to the Gulf War soldiers and their families, again in 2001 after 9/11 she re-released with the proceeds donated to the fire fighters of New York , she donated to the Mother Hale House in Harlem, donated 2 Lion cubs to the Bronx Zoo. All proceeds from the Premiere of the Body Guard went to a childrens aids charity. When she married Bobby Brown, she requested that all gifts be waived and to donate to a charity for children.

She could have kept every penny for herself.

I'm sure I could come up with more that she has done not only for her own communtiy but across the country. Hats off to the Governor for allowing her a moment. Celebrities have the means, power, and money to do far more than we ever could. Thanks to them for being generous with their money.

Sean Penn went to Haiti 2 years ago to volunteer for 2 weeks after the earthquake. He is still there, living in a rented house shared by many (his bedroom is 5 ft by 10 ft) he sleeps on a cot. He manages a tent village there and has helped 50,000 homeless people transition to new homes. He has 20,000 more to get in permanent homes. What a grand thing to be able to do ... to have the time and the money to be able to afford to leave a life here and go help these people.

 

[Royd]

We have come a long way from the days when the flag was a symbol of honor and pride, and the sight of it provoked such feeling in a person's heart.

Remember Barack Obama standing with his hands by his side, during the playing of the National Anthem, during the '08 campaign, while the rest of the crowd placed their hand over their hearts?

How about the desecration of the flag by dissident crowds, such as OWS?

How many slimy, self enriched politicians get a half staff flag, at their demise?

What about the flying of the Mexican flag above the American flag, in schools in the southwest and west, on Cinco de Mayo?....Not even an American holiday.

So, in light of the fact that nothing is what it used to be, and that by the design of social engineering, what does it all matter?

 

[Royd]

Absolute bull crap. Just another way to take away honor from those who deserve it. A death from drug overdose is a shameful death. It should never be celebrated.

If every person who got a half staff flag, had their closets opened and the skeletons shaken out, how many of us could meet the definition of honorable?

 

[swift4me]

Her charity is admirable, but not in the same ballpark.

Bono, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, George Clooney and the likes have all done some good things with some of their money, but not the same things as the people we have traditionally honored by putting the flag at half mast. Sorry, but I dont give someone creedence in world politics because they are famous or have money to throw around. Many of the greatest philanthropists are unknown in their time. Unfortunately we now live in an inch deep-mile wide world of information.



Pete

 

[sourland]

I feel that it is absolutely ridiculous, but that is what our governor is all about.

 

[KristyHall]

Nothing at all...maybe with a bit in the newspaper or naming the wing of a pediatric ward to which she donated funds. But to place a national or state flag at half mast for her just takes away the honor or significance of the thing when it is normally reserved for those who have actually served their country or state in some self-sacrificing way.

What it says to me is that her financial donations puts her on equal footing as someone who may have sacrificed their life for many and it cheapens that sacrifice.

But...hey, who cares? She was famous, rich and had a God given talent that she wasted with drugs, domestic violence and court appearances. Why not have her honored as a roll model for the youth of the day? Good idea!

I don't necessarily agree. If this is how the state chooses to mourn her, let them. A person doesn't have to die, or do something physical to be a hero. Many soldiers and police officers and other people have done great things have also done terrible things. Police, fire fighters, military, do not have a monopoly on doing good things and touching people's lives. Many people who have never lifted a weapon has done much for others. One doesn't have to jump on a grenade and die in some sort of physically grand way to be a hero, to have sacrificed themselves. Look at Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and other great orators, humanitarians, and pacifists.


I am also concerned with the tone of your post about the domestic violence common. It almost sounds like you are saying someone who has been a victim of domestic violence is somehow a waste or lesser? I may be misreading.

That being said, I am not one who follows stars, and watches much in the way of TV or movies, so her death has had little impact on me. It doesn't mean it hasn't had an impact on others.

 

[cupman]

This is what I've gotten from this thread so far

-Whitney Houston commit suicide or overdosed doing drugs - although no cause of death has been announced
-We don't care about soldier's deaths because NJ flew the flag at half staff for a singer.
-Celebrity donations don't count because they are rich therefore their generosity is diminished and probably just for PR.
-Vague attempts to turn this into a right wing/left wing argument by Royd. shocking.
-Honoring a music legend promotes domestic violence and drug addiction.

We don't even know why she is dead. The random rambling section has really become a sensationalist lynch mob. She isn't even in the ground yet, maybe we should hold our judgments until the details come out. But that's probably asking for too much.

 

[Capvin]

As usual, some of the comments here are pretty distressing and seem a bit overboard. If you live in New Jersey and you are familiar with Newark and the Oranges, then I would be very suprised if you would question the Governor's descision to order the flags flown at half staff. You should know that the flags were flown at half staff for Sinatra (not exactly a Saint) and Clarence Clemons of E Street band fame and many others like them without any fuss or comments. Whitney Houston was a hero (albeit flawed) to many, many people who lived in Newark and the Oranges. Before her death you could see her name prominently displayed on schools, hospitals and other places where she generously gave time and money. To liken this decision as a slap in the face to the great men and women who have otherwise served this country is a very flawed and pathetic arguement.

 

[Capvin]

No, the point was not whether your point of view regarding this decision was "flawed and pathetic." A lot of people disagreed with Christie's decision and a lot agreed with it. Neither opinion was flawed and pathetic. What I said was flawed and pathetic was to say that to fly the flag at half staff for Houston and others like her demeaned the great men and women who served this country. Nothing of this sort could ever demean them and this act by Christie certainly did not. As for the rest of what you say we entirely agree. The Flag Code has nothing to do with anyone's arguments for or against the decision to fly the flag at half staff. That was my entire point.

Well, seeing as we aren't exactly in a court of law but on a chicken forum, my trying to get the argument to stand up in a court of law isn't really relevant, now is it? The point in question was this: Was our point of view flawed and pathetic?

Apparently many in the US do not think so or there wouldn't be such a media buzz. Apparently the Flag Code doesn't state it either, as clearly written above.

Your opinion, however, is your own and the only thing for which you have any support of your claim that our viewpoint is flawed and pathetic. In a court of law you are certainly entitled to your opinion and on a chicken forum you are indeed, again, entitled to your opinion.

As are we.