Why Do We Fly Flags At Half-Staff? | Answers With Joe

[@havek23]

I think half-staff draws attention to the flag even being there and makes you wonder what happened. I don't really notice flags if they're full staff, so just noticing it is nice

[@KevinsDisobedience]

Before I read Joseph Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces", I couldn't have cared less about this sort of symbolic gesture--that included the myriad of symbols surrounding weddings, funerals and graduations, but he helped me understand that our ceremonies are akin to rites of passage. The outward sign helps affect a real inner transformation. It prepares the psyche for what is to come. Perhaps this is why passing the flag flown at half staff gives you a hollow feeling in you stomach. You know what it means, both consciously and unconsciously.

[@joescott]

Interesting thought...

[@antikyla]

My head spins every time I research flag etiquette, I too cringe at the thought of why the flag is not full staff. I work at a county building and it seems the flag sits at half staff constantly, makes me kinda sad. That is until I realize that the guy in charge of the flag is on vacation or has more pressing grounds keeping tasks than the position of the flag. The golden arches that I drive past on the way to work has a better gauge on current tragedies, go figure.

[@witlessfop36]

Never heard the term ‘half staff’ until this video, it’s always ‘half mast’ in Britain, maybe because of our naval heritage? I know I’m late with this, working my way through Joe’s back catalogue.

[@Green_Shortz]

I feel like the BTW cam ought to be B&W. I sorta feels like a security cam, maybe the flashing REC in the top corner too. Nah, too cheesy.

[@stepsondeck17forever76]

why do we drive on parkways and park in drive ways?

[@rico_1617]

Stepsondeck17 Forever top 10 questions science still can’t answer

[@youtoober2013]

@@rico_1617 Few realize that the question is actually answerable. The words “drive” and “park” existed long before automobiles. Remember, whenever you write or speak, you’re voting with your vocabulary. Languages evolve over time and a given term’s meaning is subject to dramatically change based on the whim of its users. Back in the 1800s, for example, “parking” meant planting trees, flowers and other bits of vegetation. A “parking place” therefore, had nothing to do with stationary vehicles. Instead, it was a location specifically designed to encourage diverse, extensive plant growth for non-agricultural purposes. We call these areas parks today. Yet, many were soon commandeered for an entirely different objective. Historian Kirk Savage writes, “By the turn of the century, such parking areas were sometimes used to hold horse-drawn carriages on special occasions...When automobiles started to overrun cities in the early twentieth century, parking areas were given over to car storage and the word began to refer to the cars themselves rather than the trees and grass they were replacing.” During this transitional period, America’s "parkways" also began taking shape. Metropolitan reformers-who feared the health costs of industrial growth-started establishing wooded parks within cities nationwide, hoping their trees would make urban air more breathable. As automobiles rose in popularity, special car-friendly routes were carved through such parks. Unimaginatively, these were named “parkways”. So parkways have nothing to do with the actual parking of vehicles. But what about “driveways”? Well, that particular word’s been around since at least 1884 and has essentially meant the same thing ever since-namely, a path that connects somebody’s private property to a public road. However, while lengthy driveways were once the norm (and, hence, enabled more driving), today’s average specimen is little more than a dinky personal parking station.

[@Rydo416]

youtoober2013 You could’ve just shortened that into 1 paragraph

[@lailahgraves9151]

@@youtoober2013 in conclusion, you have great writing skills.

[@pokeroryx]

@@Rydo416 3 sentences doesn't even count as a paragraph

[@billyinfante]

I pass by the largest flag in Dubai everyday going to work. Its at half-staff right now because the son of the Sheik died... So tomorrow as i pass it i will be imagining Dubai's largest invisible flag of death waving above it... Creepy way to start the day! Thanks Joe!

[@joescott]

+billyinfante Ha! That's funny. That's cool, I didn't know I had a fan in Dubai! I'm international baby!

[@murpheyslaw2778]

I would error towards being more respectful whenever it is in question.

[@342wru89fsdfdssdf54e]

Can you do a video on The Double Slit Experiment?

[@joescott]

+MLP Luigi One of my favorite topics!

[@bentleyandgrantvideos1166]

It does seem that the flag is half staff quite often these days. I know that when I joined the military in 2007 the flag seems to be at half-mast every other day due to service members dying overseas.

[@GregsGarage]

I like the BTW cam. I learned something marginally useful with this one. I'll try this material out at a cocktail party Thursday morning. BTW... Why don't electric eels die when they're shocking their prey to death?

[@joescott]

+Greg's Garage Oooh, good question. Yeah, I haven't done a cutaway take in a while, thought I'd bring it back.

[@JuanAlcazar]

You know I've always wondered which was the right way to say it. Half mass or half staff, now I know. I like the second angle by the way (no pun intended). You should have some text that says "by the way" on top.

[@joescott]

Like a security camera?

[@JuanAlcazar]

Actually that would be an interesting way to do that. I was just thinking some font at the top corner but the security camera sounds better.

[@blakehanson2241]

This is an excellent video, thank you very much.

[@theseeker2360]

The first time he used that turn around from chair thing

[@chesterogilvie1393]

Great topic

[@dougp1171]

Thanks Joe, now I know. I'm a big fan of ceremony, rigmarole, as well as both pomp and circumstance. But I really think that flag lowering should be saved for the "bigs" or big events. I would have thought twice before lowering all of the flags in New Jersey for Whitney Houston, in her home town of Newark, Lower them all day. Should you consider how the person dies? What if an astronaut chokes on a hot wing?

[@joescott]

+Doug P That must be why there's not a Buffalo Wild Wings on the ISS. Yeah, I get annoyed when the flag is down because it's like they're screwing with you if it's not a big event.

[@wheeledgoat]

agree. i think a flag lowering should be something that has universal consensus... i.e. i should want to know about why the flag is at half staff when i see it, because i will certainly care about it. as it is now i dont even bother looking up why its at half mast because the reasons have gotten so diluted, i probably dont care.

[@youtoober2013]

Yeah, but the point is there isn't universal consensus. You know there's a problem when the fan even knows there is no real standard. Frankly it's audacious to call flag raising and lowering political speech (invisible death flag? wut?). I think it's a silly tradition, flags are nice, so keep them for aesthetics, otherwise... read the news.

[@amendippanesar]

Awesome...interesting info

[@brianreit8839]

Why arn't flags at half staff now? At least, for the health care worker deaths during coronavirus. Or is someone waiting for this to be over? It seems to be a to be one of those times...

[@alexisasamoah5925]

The flag doesn't fly away because of any bad weather or the air it is the soliders last breath when they are saving us from the war. :Edit Love Joy and good memories thanks for the likes😊

[@michaeldmingo1525]

What about upside down flags and what about flags that are the same upside-down as normal?

[@russellstuart9796]

Fun with flags

[@hoot1141]

The flag shouldn’t be lowered to half staff for any of the mass shootings or hurricanes. Yes, lowering it too often absolutely cheapens the gesture. Presidents are starting to do it to virtue signal. All that is true.

[@ssphoto66]

Too often it is lowered. It becomes less meaningful the more it's lowered. I checked today and it's for Rep. Dingell Jr. It's been down quite a while. It should be a state thing, not a national thing. Hate to be insensitive, but too much of anything is not good.

[@ileanamartin690]

Why is the Flag lowered today 12/08/2021

[@adamwest8711]

In these days of being bombarded with tragedies on a daily basis, you could justify never raising it past halfway, so I’m all for only for doing it for huge incidents only. For me, the death of some judge, whilst a very sad loss of life for their friends and family, is not a national event and shouldn’t really qualify...

[@bryaneagon3059]

It's been happening too much lately. I'm tired. It is demoralizing and they know it.

[@alliancenavy4593]

half staff should be made it to a law

[@tresparksst.bernard4902]

Help me I am in a movie in black panther

[@johnmoesche3959]

Flag football?

[@sabahjason1]

The tik tok generation won't check there Twitter is the see the flag half staff because they won't even notice .smh

[@FluffyBunny9002]

With the way the United States has gotten, they should just leave it at half staff.

[@KyGun]

After you got this wrong I stopped watching. You don't like not knowing things? . Then let me inform you of this. Half mast is only on a ship so when you drive by city hall you are seeing the flag at half staff. Big difference.