Why are flags at half staffed

[gopiscrap]

just drove by 3 businesses that had them at half mast

[senseandsensibility]

1. Cheney?

He was VP after all.

[gopiscrap]

3. Oh yeah forgot about that

I thought it might have been Repukes in mourning over the election results last night

[PufPuf23]

7. USA should be smudging anywhere Cheney tarried.

Smudging is the ritual burning of sacred herbs (white sage is an example) for spiritual cleansing or blessing.

Smudging GOP crap as a federal jobs program would burst some bubbleheads and do good.

Some are still following the PNAC/Cheney plan to remake the Middle East.

[Abnredleg]

2. Cheney's death /nt

[Jarqui]

4. They're for Cheney but in my opinion, not for what you might think

as a symbol of what he did to his country ...

[Irish_Dem]

5. Cheney deserves no respect.

He should have gone to prison for what he did to Iraq.

[Emile]

6. Darth Vader died.

[SheltieLover]

8. Darth?

[SheltieLover]

9. Maybe to commemorate the death of maga?

[lastlib]

13. Why would anybody mourn that??

Other than the cultmembers.

[SheltieLover]

14. Who is in control of all 3 branchs & scRotus?

[obamanut2012]

10. A former Veep died

[lastlib]

12. ....again.

I hope it's final this time......

[lastlib]

11. How did you drive by them at sea?

Ships have masts. Flags are flown at *half-mast* on ships. On land they are flown at *half-staff*. Minor distinction, maybe, but I'm that kinda guy.

[gopiscrap]

15. thank you

this is not my native language I spoke 3 other languages before English. I have always wondered about the difference

just as couch, divan, davenport and sofa

[lastlib]

17. Wow, you may be better at this than I am!

(BTW, I hope I didn't come across as too snarky--I didn't intend to be, just a bad quirk of mine sometimes!)

Fight the good fight!

[gopiscrap]

18. No not at all...I love it

I am still learning English even after all these years of being in the US

[LoisB]

16. Thank you for that clarification. I have never thought about the distinction and used both

terms indiscriminately. My bad.