Half-Mast Question

[JRZ]

If there are 2 flags on the pole, American on top, state on bottom, when flying the flag at half-mast should the other flags be removed?

[NAVA1974]

The Flag Code does not address this, but common sense would dictate that if the pole is tall enough for both flags to fly half-staffed without the lower flag being too close to the ground or buildings, trees, etc., then it may remain. Others prefer to only fly the US flag when in a period of official mourning. The practice at the United Nations Headquarters in NYC is to half-staff the UN flag and remove the flags of the 192 member states.

[chrisbittick]

I was going to ask about the lowering of state & institutional flags...
but I just found out that the govenor &/or leader of each entity may
authorize the act.
I didn't realize that, and had pondered why all the Texas flags & different
church flags were all the same (@ 1/2 mast). Then I heard on the news
that the govenor had issued the statement...I'm assuming the church
leaders did so too.

[Peter Ansoff]

Chrisbittick: I'm assuming the church leaders did so too.

Chrisbittick raises an interesting point here about the church flag. (I'm assuming that we're referring to the Christian flag -- white with the red cross in the blue canton.) As far as I know, the use of that flag is not controlled by any particular authority. A quote from a book about the flag that appears on the Flags-of-the-World web site says:

"[The Christian Flag] is different from every other flag, religious or secular, ancient or modern. It is uncontrolled, independent, and universal. Unlike all national flags and all denominational flags of various churches, it has no earthly bonds or allegiances . . . Without limitation, it exists for all the world's people regardless of sex, race, national boundary, economic condition, affluence, or poverty, politics, slavery or freedom. It cannot be restricted by any nation or denomination. This unique, universal quality makes it like the air we breathe, belonging to all and yet owned by none. For those who want it, wherever and whenever, it is freely theirs."

This would imply that the decision about whether to half-mast the Christian flag is up to the individual or organization that flies it. There is a flag code for the Christian flag that was written in 1938 -- see information about it here:

Christian Flag Facts

but it does not address the half-staffing issue. (Interestingly, it also contradicts the US Flag Code on a couple of matters.)

Regards,

Peter Ansoff