The troops and their supporters are such whiners

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Algernon Moncrieff (1,837 posts)

Stars & Stripes: No explanation by Obama on flags not lowered to half-staff for Chattanooga shooting

WASHINGTON — The White House provided no explanation Monday amid questions over why the president had not ordered flags across the nation to half-staff in the wake of a Chattanooga, Tenn., shooting that killed five servicemembers.

Spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama offered condolences last week and may speak to veterans at VFW conference Tuesday about the shooting, but he had no further comment.

Obama has issued presidential proclamations that lowered flags at federal facilities and military bases after many mass shootings, including attacks at the Washington Navy Yard, Fort Hood in Texas, and Sandy Hook elementary in Connecticut. The lack of a proclamation following the deaths of four Marines and sailor in a possible terrorist attack Thursday by a 24-year-old Muslim man rankled some and spark online outrage.

“I don’t have more information about the status of the flag over the White House,” Earnest said, responding to a question at a daily briefing Monday with the press.

Complete story at LINK

Algernon Moncrieff (1,837 posts)

2. It's the "Outrage D'Jour"

People are citing all of the other times the flags were ordered lowered by the WH, and are upset no such order came this time.

gollygee (18,164 posts)

3. How common are mass shootings these days? Have flags been lowered for all of them?

Because it seems like they'd be lowered all the time. Should it be different if the victims are service members? Was it lowered for the people killed in Charleston? Because that was also a terror attack.

oldandhappy (3,735 posts)

4. yes!

So many shootings, how do you decide? Military at home or abroad? Federal? I live in southern CA. Deaths of border patrol officers usually result in a few local flags lowered but not state-wide and certainly not nation-wide. Donno.

bvf (2,601 posts)

5. Something innocuous, probably.

Someone dropped the ball. It's not as if Obama gives a personal order, I imagine. Proclamations notwithstanding (per the article), does anyone here know the actual protocol offhand?

Outrage du jour is about right.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026993966

[Carl]

It would be a greater surprise if Odumbo showed respect to the service men.

[SVPete]

The President of the US is the Commander in Chief of the US military. Obama is demonstrating, once again, that he doesn't give half a @#$% about the men and women he commands. Were it not for our military folks' loyalty to the US I would fear what the consequences of Obama's disdainful disregard might be!

[Big Dog]

If some peter puffer was hit by a bus on the way to a St. Patrick's day parade, the Emperor would order flags to half-staff for a week.

Five service members killed in a jihadist attack on American soil- not so much.

[Rebel]

Ilsa (36,254 posts)
7. ITA. PBO has his plate loaded and this detail has escaped him.

But it won't escape the daily rantings of the haters who screech that the President hates the military.

Thanks for reminding everyone what his priorities are, shitstain.

[txradioguy]

Riddle me this DUmmies...why does the CINC go out of his damn way...stop everything he's doing to call some pole smoking athlete and congragulate them on their "courage"...but hasn't found the time in his..*ahem* busy schedule to call the Stienle family or say anything publicly about the death of four Marines and a Sailor?

Lower the flags don't lower the flags...makes no difference to me.  But at least have the decency to contact the family members.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Lower the flags don't lower the flags...makes no difference to me.  But at least have the decency to contact the family members.

Why should he?

It's not like their his sort of voters.

[txradioguy]

Why should he?

It's not like their his sort of voters.

Stienle's parents are San Francisco libs...they'd pull the lever for a third Obama term if they could.

He's been too busy to call them.  Luis Guiterrez is calling their daughter's death a "small thing".

[HawkHogan]

Thanks for reminding everyone what his priorities are, shitstain.

Exactly.  He didn't forget to turn the White House into a giant rainbow, but it's just "oversight" that he forgot to lower the flags?

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Exactly.  He didn't forget to turn the White House into a giant rainbow, but it's just "oversight" that he forgot to lower the flags?

They had to pre-plan for that, stage the equipment, do the wiring, etc.

It took a lot of planning and effort, it wasn't spontaneous.

That underscores the callousness shown those killed by his core constituencies.

[Airwolf]

Anyone want to bet that if Al Sharpton that they would be screaming to all corners of the Earth for the flag to be lowered even though he didn't qualify for the honor?