Officials for a New Jersey County are confronted with growing criticism of their decision not to fly half the staff after the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to the orders of President Donald Trump-but they say that it was not done as an act of resistance.
The controversy, social media ignited at the weekend, because some residents of Bergen County wondered why flags were not lowered.
“I think they should have been reduced,” said Lorraine Wymbs. “I think people should be less divided and more united, that’s my feeling. And I don’t think we’re having it here.”
President Trump published a proclamation in the aftermath of the death of Kirk in Utah, as a way to honor the 31-year-old who was killed during an event at Utah Valley University. While the President’s proclamation ordered that flags fly half staff during the weekend, there were much curious why the flags of Bergen County were still flying to full staff.
But it turns out, despite the proclamation, experts say that the county has done nothing wrong technically.
“Is it a violation of the etiquette? Maybe … is it a violation of the protocol? No,” said flag expert James Ferrigan, known as a “vexilogist” or someone who studies flags and their symbolism.
“The executive order is really only binding on all executive departments and things under his direct control,” Ferrigan said. “Internal political subdivisions – just like states, provinces, municipalities – they have a large latitude of what they can and cannot do.”
The province went to social media to clarify its decision, and in an e -mail to NBC New York, officials said they did not make a political statement.
“The policy of Bergen County is to follow the daily flag status of the state of New Jersey … Before 12 to 14 September, the status of the state was ‘full staff’. The county of Bergen condemns all forms of political violence and rejects hatred in any form,” said a spokesperson for the district. “Our province is committed to bringing people together around our shared values and ideals. If the State had issued an order to lower the flag until Sunday 14 September, the county of Bergen would have reduced the flag accordingly.”
The province also pointed out that when David Ganz, who was said to the longest serving democratic member of the Council of Freeholders (now known as the Board of Commissioners) died in May, the province was not Lagte either.
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