Flying American flag at half-staff too often loses meaning

If you're like many of us, you'll feel the hair stand up on the back of your neck when you see an online video of a protester standing on an American flag.

That's especially true for those of us who grew up hearing stories of wars fought to preserve all it stands for.

Seeing the flag at half-staff can elicit an emotional response as well, but more often than not, it evokes a question: Why are the flags at half staff?

We certainly have sympathy for the victims and families of the Orlando mass-shooter, for a group of Michigan bicyclists killed by a driver, a Blue Angels pilot killed while practicing for a show and for a group of soldiers killed in a training accident.

Those deaths were all occasions when the American flag was ordered to be flown at half-staff.

This is not to minimize the tragedy of the deaths, our desire to recognize the value of human life, or the sacrifices people made, particularly military personnel and law enforcement officers.

But it seems as if the flag is flying at half staff more often than not.

There were no official regulations for flying the flag at half-staff before March 1, 1954, when President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation outlining proper times.

The president has the freedom to order flags to half staff for other tragic events, but the original proclamation was more focused:

"The flag should fly at half-staff for 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels throughout the United States and its territories and possessions after the death of the president or former president. It is to fly 10 days at half-staff after the death of the vice president, the chief justice or retired chief justice of the United States Supreme Court or the speaker of the House of Representatives. For an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former vice president, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the majority leader of the House of Representatives, or the minority leader of the House of Representatives the flag is to be displayed at half-staff from the day of death until interment.

"The flag is to be flown at half-staff at all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels in the Washington, D.C., area on the day and day after the death of a United States senator, representative, territorial delegate, or the resident commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It should also be flown at half-staff on all federal facilities in the state, congressional district, territory, or commonwealth of these officials.

"Upon the death of the governor of a state, territory or possession, the flag should be flown at half-staff on all federal facilities in that governor's state, territory or possession from the day of death until interment.

"To be flown properly at half-staff, the flag should be briskly run up to the top of the staff before being lowered slowly to the half-staff position."

We have to wonder if seeing the symbol of the nation they hate lowered to half staff doesn't encourage terrorists who wish to do us harm.

Flying the flag at half-staff is entirely appropriate when Americans are called together for a time of respect and mourning.

Used too often, however, it's a symbol that loses its meaning.