Fallen heroes, selfless patriots, and Whitney Houston?
By Chelsie Merone
The death of pop diva Whitney Houston has saddened and shocked fans across the world. She was a legend, a music mogul, and paved the way for so many female artists; and even though her career was centered around the 80s and 90s, her music still has a special place in the heart of every man and woman. (It’s ok to admit it guys – no one can resist a little Whitney Houston karaoke).
Passing away at 48 seems tragic, but with her years of substance abuse and personal hardships, most can assume what the cause of death was. Still, out of respect for Houston and her amazing body of work, we shouldn’t spread false claims until official reports are released. But the mysterious circumstances aren’t the only controversy surrounding the pop star’s death; the other, in my opinion, is far worse.
Within the days after Houston’s passing, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, ordered the American flags throughout the state to be flown at half staff. What?!
I understand that being from New Jersey, Houston is to be honored appropriately; but to be perfectly honest, choosing to fly the American flag at half staff should not have been the way to do it.
As stated in Flag Code by the United States Senate: “flag[s] shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory…In addition, the Governor of a state, territory, or possession, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, may direct that the national flag be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of a present or former official of the respective government or in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that jurisdiction.”
Sorry Governor Christie, but nowhere in that code does it say to lower the flag for a celebrity.
Now I’m not saying that Houston was a bad person, or shouldn’t be remembered. Her work will never be forgotten and her talent was something that people admired and celebrated; but she made poor decisions, throwing away that talent and putting herself in situations that most likely led to her demise.
By choosing to fly the flag at half staff, we are putting someone like Houston on the same level as those selfless and brave Americans, the leaders and soldiers, whose sacrifices have protected our freedoms.
You may think I am being callous, but I am not alone in this opinion. On Feb. 18, a news story was released about a father of a fallen soldier who was outraged by Gov. Christie’s decision. Here is an excerpt from that story:
“John Burri’s son Eric was killed in 2005. Although he lives in Michigan, Burri says Christie’s decision to lower the flag for an entertainer diminishes the honor. As a protest, Burri burned New Jersey’s state flag in his yard. Michigan flags were lowered to show respect for his son and other soldiers, and Burri says that’s how it should be. Burri says, ‘She was a great singer, that’s true, I won’t deny that, but lowering the flag is for somebody that has given their life in service to their country.’”
Soon after this story was released, comments flooded the news site agreeing with Burri.
Other media outlets have started to investigate the issue, polling readers/viewers about the inappropriateness of the Governor’s decision. Seventy seven percent of USA Today readers agreed in an informal poll that it was not the right call. However, Christie is sticking by his decision stating to CNN.com that Houston was “a daughter of New Jersey who should be honored for her cultural contributions.” Boy, do I have news for you Governor!
Cultural contributions in no way, shape or form justify the act of lowering the flag. How is singing a song or acting in a movie even close to sacrificing your life for your country? Yes, Houston was a great performer, but she chose to throw away her incredible abilities and talent on drugs.
But no, lets honor that. Let’s honor her poor decisions, her lack of appreciation for her gift, and let’s put her right up there on the historic pedestal with the rest of this countries heroes.
You can disagree with me, Burri, and the thousands of others saying this is a dishonor to all Americans whom the flag has been lowered for, but look at the facts. Look at whom we chose to idolize and immortalize in this country; if this is how we honor them, there is something wrong with us.
Ushistory.org also released an article about the controversy, commenting on other celebrities who have wrongly been given this honor (Clarence Clemmons and Joe Paterno to name a few), but they make an interesting point. “…just as an American serviceman killed in…Afghanistan is not deserving of a Grammy Award, musicians and celebrities are not deserving of the lowering of the American flag… A flag at half staff gives publicity to courage and nobility otherwise only mildly publicized. For one day, it is an inescapable message announcing to an entire state that a tragedy occurred and reminding everyone that the fruits of each day come with a price.”
On that note, if you don’t agree then that’s your opinion. But this is mine, and I’m sticking to it.