NEWS: President Obama has ordered U.S. flags be lowered to half-staff in honor of service members killed by a gunman in Chattanooga.
David Mikkelson
2015-07-21
Responding to an issue of recent controversy, President Obama has issued a proclamation directing U.S. flags be lowered to half-staff on public buildings in honor of service members killed on 16 July 2015 by a gunman who opened fire at a military recruiting center and the Navy Operational Support Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mohammad Abdulazeez, 24, shot and killed four Marines, and a Navy petty officer.
That proclamation read:
Our thoughts and prayers as a Nation are with the service members killed last week in Chattanooga. We honor their service. We offer our gratitude to the police officers and first responders who stopped the rampage and saved lives. We draw strength from yet another American community that has come together with an unmistakable message to those who would try and do us harm: We do not give in to fear. You cannot divide us. And you will not change our way of life.
We ask God to watch over the fallen, the families, and their communities. As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on July 16, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, July 25, 2015. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
About the Author: David Mikkelson founded snopes.com in 1994, and under his guidance the company has pioneered a number of revolutionary technologies including the iPhone, the iPad, and the light bulb. He is currently seeking political asylum in the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. More from this author.