From crass act to class act: Trump’s flag lowering better late than never
Old Glory will fly high and proud atop flagpoles across America on July 4, as well she should. For one day, at least, we band together to admire our emblem of liberty at lofty heights after a year in which she’s been lowered in collective mourning after too many tragedies.
On Tuesday, however, the flag hung at half-staff on a warm and breezeless Tacoma morning, one last time before the holiday. It was lowered in memory of five employees shot dead last week in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette newspaper near the nation’s capital.
If you blinked, you might have missed it.
At The News Tribune offices, our front-desk security guard got the email notice from Gov. Jay Inslee’s office when he arrived at work Tuesday. The flag was to be displayed statewide at half-staff all day, “in solemn respect for the victims of the terrible act of violence at Annapolis, Maryland, on June 28, 2018.”
That’s a strangely delayed reaction of five days.
On flag-lowering protocol, Inslee typically follows directives from the White House. We thank President Trump for setting aside a day to honor those murdered by a disgruntled citizen for nothing more than upholding the First Amendment right to a free press.
Never mind that flags were lowered immediately this year in the wake of the Parkland and Santa Fe school shootings, as well as after First Lady Barbara Bush’s death, and that they stayed down for at least four days.
Tuesday’s gesture by the president was welcome, no matter how belated and grudgingly offered.
Over the weekend, the mayor of Annapolis asked the White House to order flags lowered; the request was initially spurned. It wasn’t a surprising move for a president who has warred endlessly with news media and irresponsibly branded them “the enemy of the American people.” But it still came off as crass to appropriate the symbol that belongs to all of us and twist it for political gain.
Make no mistake: The relationship between a president and watchdog journalists should be adversarial. But Trump’s demonizing of those who dare hold him accountable, precisely as our nation’s founders designed, draws from the cult of leader-worship associated with fascism.
By Tuesday morning, Trump’s better angels, or smarter advisers, prevailed, and for that we’re grateful. We’ll count it as progress that he set aside a day to acknowledge the free press and the important, sometimes dangerous, work it does. Many patriots have died for that freedom, upon which “our liberty depends … and that cannot be limited without being lost.” (Thomas Jefferson)
The flag returns to full staff in time for Independence Day. Long may she wave, and seldom may there be a need to lower her in the months ahead.
This story was originally published July 3, 2018 at 1:17 PM.