In the grand scheme of things, a simple flag lowering ain't much but it is a vital way of visually expressing a community's pain and brings about healing of the collective psyche.
There apparently was no proclamation from San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee ordering that all flags on municipal property fly at half-mast out of sympathy and solidarity with the dead or maimed 100-plus queers, straights and a lot of Latinos.
Why the omission of an order to bring flags down in San Francisco, if for no other reason than in cooperation with President Barack Obama's proclamation to fly flags on federal government land and buildings at half-mast?
He did however, and appropriately so, declare official City mourning with the lowering of flags after the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting of 2012 and the passing of Nelson Mandela in 2013.
I emailed a whole lotta folks in various mayoral advisory positions asking why he forgot to issue a decree lowering flags on _our_ public property for a few days over the Orlando tragedy, and didn't receive a response.
You can read Mayor Lee's releases and proclamations here.
1 comment:
Mike, I like your blog. Nice work brother!!
Here's a tip you might appreciate. I was in Fisherman's Wharf a few days ago filming MUNI tracks and I noticed a distinct lack of rainbow flags. I guess gay pride is a Market Street Castro Street thing. Very Ghetto...
I think the whole Embarcadero ought to be flying the colors!
Your old friend,
John E on 17th Street
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