On Thursday, President Obama enacted an executive order that all flags on public buildings and grounds, naval stations, military bases, and naval ships be lowered to half-staff to honor the anti-American communist, Nelson Mandela. On Friday, Pickens County, S.C., Sheriff Rick Clark declined to comply.
Clark told CNN affiliate WHNS the following:
“It’s just my simple opinion that the flag should only be lowered to half-staff for Americans who sacrificed for their country. I have no problem lowering it in South Africa in their country but not for our country. It should be the people who have sacrificed for our country. The flag at half-staff is for Americans’ ultimate sacrifice for our country; we should never stray away from that.”
On Saturday, Sheriff Clark ordered his department to lower the flag for the 72nd anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks, but Pickens said that he would have Old Glory at its regular height by Sunday morning. Obama ordered the flags to stay at half-staff until Monday night.
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