This is my Sheriff... Pickens County

I agree, Mandela was an amazing person, a great leader and I respect what he did. However, he was not an American, and there should be another way to show respect besides lowering our flag.

This is my Sheriff as well and I could not disagree with him more. This isnt the first time and wont be the last that our flag is flying at half staff for a foreign leader. Mandela is one of the greatest leaders to ever walk the face of the earth. My problem with all this is that like it or not and I am a Republican, but Obama was duly elected by the majority and as such issued an executive order mandating flags be at half staff through Mandela's funeral. Our Sheriff who is the chief officer of the law is knowingly and willingly breaking the laws of the land (an executive order is the law). He he thinks he is above the law, then the residents of the county should be as well. Just my opinion.

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But if it is going to be done for one it should be done for all

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This is the problem this International Flag lowering brings. Some type of other honor or recognition should be use. If Putin dies and we lower the flag to half mast, I'll start the revolution.

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well I did not see Obama issuing an executive order to lower the flag when Margret Thatcher

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An executive order is issued at the discretion of the executive. However, once it is issued, it is law.

And I sympathize w/ your disagreement. But obeying the law and professing your disagreement are not mutually exclusive.

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Mandela is one of the greatest leaders to ever walk the face of the earth.

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Seriously?

Exactly my problem. While I personally care less about the flag at half staff as I have more important things to worry about, I find it disturbing the person elected as the chief law enforcement officer of my county thinks laws do not apply to him. No matter how you look at it, an executive order is a law upon its issue, and Sheriff Clark is breaking the law in my eyes. Therefore how can he truly enforce laws in this county if he believes certain laws do not apply to him. I may feel that the speed limit doesn't apply to me, but his office is still going to issue me a ticket for speeding because its the law, so he should lower the flag as it is currently the law of the country.

Somehow I don't quite believe this particular Sheriff would climb on his soapbox to lecture us all on when the flag should be flown at half mast if a Republican president had issued the order.

Some people transcend nationality. Mandela was one of those people. Showing respect for what he did, not just for his country but for the furtherance of humanity as a whole, is never out of order. It's nationalistic BS like this that will continue to hinder mankind from moving beyond the "us vs them" mentality.