Gov. Chris Christie sparked a national controversy with his decision to lower flags to half-staff in honor of pop singer Whitney Houston, who died Feb. 11.
This week Associated Press reported a Michigan man set the New Jersey flag on fire in protest of the governor's decision.
Christie's office told the AP that the governor has ordered flags to be lowered for 31 servicemen and women, two first responders, six public officials and the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The other two times were for Morristown High School baseball coach Harry Shatel and E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, bringing the number of times the governor has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to 42.
The Star-Ledger editorialized last week that Whitney Houston deserved at least the same recognition as Clarence Clemons, who died last year, and that the flag should be lowered in her honor. Numerous readers have expressed views on both sides of the issue. Two of those letters are reproduced below.
Share your thoughts: Did the governor make the right choice ordering the flag to be lowered in honor of Whitney Houston?
Honor her loss
It is very sad that we lost the great singer Whitney Houston. Her tragic death saddens millions of people in the United States and around the world. Whitney Houston is a native of New Jersey. I personally support Gov. Chris Christie's decision to lower the U.S. flag in honor of this great singer from our own state.
Taj Ahmad, Parlin
Don't lower the flag
Gov. Chris Christie, who I support, is totally wrong to ask for our flag to be flown at half-staff for Whitney Houston. She was blessed with one of the best voices ever and we all loved her music, but she went down a path that we should not honor by illegally flying our flag. Please read below, taken from the rules of flag use at www.ushistory.org/betsy/faq.htm
"Section 7m of the Flag Code authorizes a governor to half-staff the U.S. flag upon the death of a present or former official of the government of the state, or the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that state who dies while serving on active duty."
A recent change allows governors to order the flag to half-staff to honor fallen soldiers from their state (see Public Law 110-41). The change was the result of governor proclamations, like this one from Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan.
Some object to this extension of a governor's authority because they feel half-staffing the flag for every fallen soldier can be seen as anti-war. Some feel that overuse cheapens the symbolic power of half-staffing the flag, traditionally reserved for political leaders.
Kenneth R. Vogel, Holland Township