Earlier this morning I shared news from KTAR.com that Sheriff Arpaio refused to lower the flags in honor of Nelson Mandela’s death. Here’s the original post that I accidently removed instead of unpublished:
Guess who’s ignoring President Obama’s order to lower all the flags in the memory of former South African President Nelson Mandela?
A spokesman confirmed that Sheriff Arpaio was ignoring the order that all flags be lowered to honor Mandela, who passed away late Thursday at 95.
I don’t think it’s out of character, but I find this very disrespectful on various degrees. This is almost as bad as gloating about serving inmates 58-cent Thanksgiving dinners.
Someone informed me the link to KTAR link was down, so I called their KTAR newsroom to figure out what was going on. The newsroom representative stated that the Sheriff’s department requested that the story would be pulled from the website, but the KTAR newsroom rep was unable to give me a reason as to why. I sent an email to the Maricopa county public information officer asking them why they requested the story pulled from the site. The PIO replied, “Because the story was totally misleading and completely inaccurate.”
I’m still waiting for a response on what about the story was inaccurate and if the flags have been lowered. There is a sheriff in South Carolina refusing to lower the flags. CNN reported that Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark has refused to lower the flags because Mandela wasn’t born in the U.S.
“It’s just my simple opinion that the flag should only be lowered to half-staff for Americans who sacrificed for their country,” Clark told CNN affiliate WHNS.
I know when to admit when I’m wrong and publish a correction, but not until I get confirmation that the flags have been lowered.
UPDATE:
Lisa Allen, Maricopa county media relations, finally responded:
“The Sheriff was told about the presidential order late Sunday afternoon by a reporter who called him on his cell,” Allen said. “Flags were ordered half staff til Monday sunset.”
(via Talking Points)
This article appears in Dec 5-11, 2013.
What a class act. I’d say I was surprised, but then I’d be lying.
I hate Arizona.
Had Arpaio been in charge in 1945, I’m certain the flags would have flown at half-staff on April 30th….
Mr. Barajas should take a Civics 101 course at PCCC.
First, President Obama’s authority only applies to those jurisdictions under Federal control.
Second, his Proclamation only applies to those jurisdictions under Federal control. It reads in part as follows:
“As a mark of respect for the memory of Nelson Mandela, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, December 9, 2013. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.”
Although the Separation of Powers Doctrine may be rendered nearly ineffective today due to a severe lack of ignorance, but it does still exist.
As for lowering our UNITED STATES flag to half staff in recognition of Mr. Mandela, that would be a choice made by each individual in charge of flying it. If they refuse and do not like it, then the People can hold them to account.
RJ Fletcher: It’s part of the President’s traditional role as commander in chief to determine certain ceremonial issues. One of them is when to fly flags at half staff nationwide. Jurisdiction has nothing to do with it.
Arpaio is refusing to honor Nelson Freaking Mandela mind you. This is really no different than the conservatives who attack MLK day, or Black History month. I.e., people are pointing out that Arpaio is unable to see Mandela’s greatness because he’s racist, unless you missed the point also.
Just Another AZ PC-
If Mr. Barajas attends any courses at PCCC he would probably learn more about serial sexual harassment, unaccountable leadership, and board members that should have been resigned or removed before their college was placed on academic probation. Mr. Mandela was a great teacher, but we have civil rights lessons to learn in our own back yard, for example; PCCC.
You guys realize that Arpiao and some other sheriff in South Carolina are the ONLY ones to refuse to lower their flags to half staff right? You’d be hard pressed to find another leader in the last 25 years who is more near-universally respected than Nelson Mandela.
Several comments on RJ Fletcher’s comments:
1. The article by Barajas does not address the “right” to follow a Presidential Proclamation, but rather the “choice” not to follow it.
2. Separation of powers addresses the separation of executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government, and does not apply to whether a state or county governmental agency must comply. That issue is covered by the scope of Federal vs. state and local authority. While a different conversation, it does not apply to the article, because as stated before, Barajas is not refering to the right to fly or not fly at half mast, but rather the choice.
3. The statement about the Separation of Powers Doctrine being rendered ineffective due to a “severe lack of ignorance” is incorrect. RJ Fletcher’s comments prove there is no lack of ignorance at all.
Did Arpaio lower flags when Margaret Thatcher died?
You guys are so stuck in the ridiculous civil laws that you have totally lost track of the point(s). Joe is racist – we already know this – and he’s too unsure of his own position to allow his actions to be reported and can’t or won’t give a reason why. I think it’s obvious… He does not want to be known as the racist pig he is.
@Adam Kinsey. Not sure, but he did lower the flags when Marge Schott died
I read that one of the speakers at the funeral is Raul Castro.
fraser007: You got my hopes up. I thought you meant Arpiao was no longer with us.
Why would we lower an American flag for a South African communist and terrorist sympathizer? (His best friends that he defended rigorously were Arafat, Ghadafi and Fidel Castro) How does that make Joe a racist?
“lack of ignorance”
Arizona and it’s leaders are not known for honoring the civil rights of their own citizens, why would you expect them to honor Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, or the Pope for that matter? Arizona’s flags should probably fly at half mast everyday until we get leaders elected that actually respect the God given Civil Rights of ALL citizens.
Please don’t leave this story hanging out there. Were the flags lowered or not? If they were then at least update.
Please validate whether this story was ever true. I see nothing about this story on any news source.
Thank you
Zed: *Hint* It has to do with ending Apartheid.
*2nd Hint* It also has to do with establishing freedom and democracy in South Africa, and successfully bringing reconciliation between people there.
To those who commented on my post, I think you missed the point. I was not supporting Arpaio’s decision, I was attempting to make an ironic comment about his politics as April 30th, 1945 marks the death of Adolf Hitler. Ignorance is evidently not limited to the right wing.
All these civic lessons and they do not seem to include freedom of speech. The fact that the sherrif’s office is controlling what a news agency is disbursing is completely ignored while we are lectured on state’s rights.
Many people would find anything racist that has anything whatsoever to do with any blacks. If you dont like obama or his policies you get called a racist when race has nothing to do with it, he is just a lousy president.
Yes, Mandela brought peace to South Africa, but through terrorism! He was an admitted communist and terrorist that plotted from his cell. Yes some of his biggest supporters were communists. Why should we lower the flag for him? No he was not an American and did nothing for America, yet obummer goes to his funeral. Margaret Thatcher was our closest allie during the cold wat and this idiot of a president sent no one! Was that disrespect called racist by whites? Btw, the separation of powers piece was right on. Too bad our schools didnt teach civics and government better, and with common core they are only going to get worse.
Arpaio sits in good company with another alleged toughest law man of a bygone era J. Edgar Hoover who only after his demise did the “real Hoover come forth from his closet”, one has to wonder what a psychiatrist/psychologist would diagnosis is wrong with a man who likes to put other men in pink undies, feed them twice a day, feed them green bologna, deny them medical care, have inmates die mysteriously under his care? Sadist, devotee of the Marquis De Sade comes to my mind, he was one demented fellow of his time and guess Arpaio is in our time, racist is the least of the dark demons lurking in Arpaio’s closet!
Elizabeth S.- you are partially correct; the state DOES have more rights than it’s citizens do (observe the attitude and case handling of the AZ atty gen’s office against civil rights – there must be a public case study of their claims mis-handling somewhere – maybe filed next to the 6,000 CPS records that were also mis-handled). The news agencies willingly look the other way – why do you think their anchor people suffer from depression or relocate employment after years in our media market? While Nelson Mandela is a civil rights hero to most, he is seen as the opposite by those who would seek to deny basic civil rights and revel in flying the flag at full mast at his departure.
I have reaching out to the Maricopa PIO, but they aren’t responding.
This is actually covered in the U.S. Flag Code.
From § 7, paragraph (m) “In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law.”
I don’t think Arpaio will get a visit from the secret service for not lowering the flag, but the choice isn’t exactly his to make.
The code does allow for private individuals to see it as just a guideline, and there are no consequences for refusing to do so. Arpaio is an elected official, so it would be prudent for him to comply, his personal opinions aside.
The Mandela is a communist/terrorist argument is asinine for a few reasons:
1) ANC is no more a terrorist organization than the Continental Congress. The argument for the ANC being a terrorist organization is that it occasionally attacked civilians, even though it’s military activities predominantly targeted government installations (police stations, military bases, etc). The Continental Congress argument links easily, because some US Militias attacked Tories, murdering some, and killing others. Mandela has never been linked to ordering an attack on civilians, although he supported violent action against government targets.
2) The ANC is a ‘communist organization’ because it received funding from the USSR. The Continental Congress argument works well here as well–you might as well call the Continental Congress a pro-Absolute Monarchist organization, because they took funding from the French. The political beliefs of the organization can be discerned from the policies enacted when it is in power. At least under Mandela, the ANC was democratic, principled, and committed to reconciling white and blacks who were at each others’ throats.
The story has been updated.
Who the feck is Mandala?