Officers for a New Jersey county are dealing with rising criticism over their resolution to not fly flags at half-staff following the demise of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as per President Donald Trump’s orders — however they’re saying it was not performed as an act of defiance.
The controversy ignited social media over the weekend, as some residents of Bergen County puzzled why flags hadn’t been lowered.
“I think they should’ve been lowered,” mentioned Lorraine Wymbs. “I think that people need to be less divided and more united, that’s my feeling. And I don’t think we have it here.”
President Trump issued a proclamation within the wake of Kirk’s taking pictures demise in Utah, as a method to honor the 31-year-old who was killed throughout an occasion at Utah Valley College. Whereas the president’s proclamation ordered flags fly at half workers over the weekend, there have been many curious as to why Bergen County’s flags had been nonetheless flying at full workers.
But it surely seems, regardless of the proclamation, specialists say the county technically did nothing flawed.
“Is it a breach of etiquette? Perhaps…Is it a breach of protocol? No,” mentioned flag knowledgeable James Ferrigan, often called a “vexilogist,” or somebody who research flags and their symbolism.
“The executive order is actually only binding on all the executive departments and things under his direct control,” mentioned Ferrigan. “Internal political subdivisions – like states, counties, municipalities – they have a wide latitude of what they can and can’t do.”
“Bergen County’s policy is to follow the state of New Jersey’s daily flag status…for September 12 through 14, the state’s status was ‘full staff.’ The County of Bergen condemns all forms of political violence and rejects hate in every form,” a county spokesperson mentioned. “Our county remains committed to bringing people together around our shared values and ideals. Had the state issued an order to lower the flag through Sunday, September 14, the county of Bergen would have lowered the flag accordingly.”
The county additionally identified that when David Ganz, who was mentioned to the county’s longest-serving Democratic member of the Board of Freeholders (now often called the Board of Commissioners), died in Might, the county didn’t decrease flags as effectively.
