I anticipate getting the question a couple of times today: “Why are the flags at half staff again?” Almost every time the flags are lowered someone asks me that. I don’t blame everyone for not knowing, as the flag flies at half-staff in Wisconsin almost as much as it does at the top of the pole.
Today, the flag is being lowered in honor of former State Senator Mike Ellis. Yes, Ellis died two weeks ago, but there is finally a public memorial service today–so that is why Governor Scott Walker has ordered half-staff. Before that, it was lowered for almost a week after a Milwaukee Police Officer was shot to death. And before that it was for the Sun Prairie Firefighter killed in the explosion. And before that it was another police officer killed in the line of duty. And before that it was the return of the body of a soldier killed in Afghanistan. And before that it was the death of another former lawmaker.
While it seems nice that the Governor would bestow such an honor on public servants, how much of an “honor” is it if the vast majority of people driving by those flags have no idea who, what and why there is such an honor? You could walk through downtown Neenah today and ask 20-people why the flag is at half-staff and I’d bet 19 of them couldn’t tell you why–and those are the folks that Mike Ellis used to represent in the Legislature. So how many people in Milwaukee, Wausau, La Crosse and Superior would even have a clue?
What’s more, in these hyper-partisan times, you are opening the door to arguments about what level of public service deserves having the flags lowered. Did a former Democratic state lawmaker die that didn’t get the half-staff tribute? Is the Governor playing political favorites? Can we get PolitiFact on the investigation into this?
Personally, I think the American flag should be lowered only in periods of national mourning. 9/11, the Space Shuttle disasters, the death of a President–and only by order of the President. If governors want to lower their own state flags, they can do that (however, how many people and businesses fly state flags?). If we are going to drive by a tribute, we all should know why that tribute is being done.
