Mr President, I'll fly my flag at half staff on July 4

[WebeBlue]

I was musing aloud yesterday with a post to DU on this; testing the waters, so to speak. I think the idea suggests itself so I decided to write the below and sent it out as ltte to publications in my state. Sent it out to my own networking. Time is short before July 4, so if you like the idea, please send it thru your own networking.

It would be an amazing thing as a visual to see and I think quietly meaningful. Thanks.

Mr President, I'll fly my flag at half staff on July 4

I was struck by the demeanor of the 700 soldiers in dress uniform attending the President's speech last night at Ft Bragg. They were polite. The singular time there was applause came at the prompting of a White House Advance team person.

The soldiers were the dignity and nobility in that room last night. Their Commander in Chief, our President seems to have a way with exploiting the dignity of our military and our loved ones deployed who are doing the grist of the 'hard work' . The litany of disrespect shown to our troops by this President and this administration is a wearisome and growing list.

There will be much said about the President's speech and I took my own notes. I will do as the President asked and fly my flag on July 4th. I will fly it at half staff in respect for the fallen soldiers, for the fallen ideals of what the United States of America has come to represent, and as an effort to represent with dignity the soldiers who fight under the auspices of our flag and do so in honor, integrity and good faith. They are doing their job and their Commander, the President, needs to do them justice by doing his job.

I will fly my flag for them, Mr President, in respect for them. I will fly it at half staff. Would that you would so order, in the deepest respect, that Americans fly their flags on the Fourth of July at half staff to honor the troops who are doing the job with their very lives.

I have checked the protocols regarding the flag and checked with my Governor's office and there is no penalty or wrongdoing if I choose to fly my flag at half staff and when I indicated my reasons for wanting to do so I was given a welcome to do so....

Lietta Ruger, military family, 2 Iraq veterans facing second deployments to Iraq

[ClassWarrior]

1. I'm with you Blue... Mine's already at half mast.

NGU.

[WebeBlue]

6. Thank you Class Warrior.

I was talking with my daughter on IM today and she (military wife) liked the idea as symbol of respect for the troops and said she will ask other military wives where she lives to fly their flags at half mast.

[Tempest]

2. Mine, just as it has been since the start of the Iraq war

Will be flying upside down.

[demo dutch]

3. I'm not flying anything until the war is over I don't believe in symbolism

that's a republican thing!

[Starone]

4. Mine's half mast

on behalf of all the soldiers Bush has sent off to death, and especially for the 17 killed yesterday. On this 4th of July I'm paying tribute to all the poor souls who volunteered to defend our country and ended up, because of the shrub, on a journey to hell.

[WebeBlue]

7. Thank you Starone. It is a journey to hell. n/t

[ClassWarrior]

5. Breathing's "a republican thing" too.

NGU.

[CityDem]

8. Great idea Blue

I was thinking of leaving mine in storage, but flying it at half mast is a much better idea. This is one of the reasons I love DU.

[WebeBlue]

9. Thank you City Dem, could be every flag at half mast makes

a statement in it's own right even if there isn't time before July 4 for it to be across the states as a national statement.

[dajoki]

10. what a great idea

i'm with you, mine will be half staff. i'm going to mention it to other people i know, can you imagine the message it will send? then i'll just wait for: why is your flag...:yourock:

[WebeBlue]

12. Thank you dajoki, Seattle PI just phoned me and

they will publish as ltte. Yes, I think the message it would send is the message.

[dajoki]

13. great

maybe we can get something started here.:think:

[ClassWarrior]

14. Mind if I pass it along to my email list, Blue?

NGU.

[WebeBlue]

15. Class Warrior; PLEASE DO!

and thank you very much. I got confirmation that our larger newspaper, the Seattle Post Intelligencer (Seattle area, Western WA) will print it as ltte. I also got confirmation from the Spokesman Review (Spokane area, Eastern WA) will not print it due to:

"Thank you for writing. Unfortunately, our policy is to not print letters from outside our circulation area. Feel free to contact us with any questions."

Interesting; and I'll leave it at that.

[ClassWarrior]

16. Thanks Blue. Should make for a great holiday email.

NGU.

[melissinha]

11. Mine has been upside down

since the January coronation... of course its a small one and its alongside my monitor..

got a new one and it was also place upside down...I think I might take it home and display it upside down.