Austin, Nevada. United States of America.

I write this on January 9, 2025, the day of President Jimmy Carter’s funeral. Jimmy Carter died on December 29th, 2024. He was 100 years old, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, a dedicated man who worked alongside his wife in public service and advocacy for human rights and humanitarian causes throughout his life (Habitat for Humanity being only one of them).

He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1946 with the distinction of being in the top ten percent of his class. His service in the US Navy included being selected to join the nuclear submarine program, where he and 23 other sailors opted to expose themselves to radiation to rectify a partial meltdown of an experimental nuclear reactor at Chalk River Labs in Ottaway, Ontario, Canada. As a result, the core of the reactor was successfully removed. Source: (https://www.warhistoryonliune.com/featured/jimmy-carter-us-navy.html).

Jimmy Carter was a humble man of faith who continued to teach Sunday school during his presidency. These are just a few examples of his character and place in our country.

This post is both meant as a tribute to President Carter and as a question for my community. You see, Mr. P. and I just returned from a tour of our town and were not able to spot a single American flag flying at half-staff. We were not out on a mission to check on flags. It is our usual practice to get out and about on our days off together, and today I was not working at the library because it was closed in remembrance of President Carter.

We were out in the cold bright light of a January day to take in the beauty of our town and the mountain trails and to get a little exercise.

Driving through the park at the top end of town I remarked, “Look. Someone forgot to place the flag at half-mast.” It didn’t strike me as that odd, just an oversight perhaps. Afterall, county workers had the day off, perhaps they had forgotten.

But after our walk we were intrigued enough to actually look for American flags being flown at half-mast. We did not find a single one anywhere in our town. There were a few empty flag poles. All the rest of the American flags were flying high.

I am deeply hurt. Why is not one American in this town following protocol?

Really. Please tell me, friends.

Here are the rules for flying the American flag at half-staff according to Veterans Affairs at https://www.va.gov>opa>publications>celebrate>halfstaff.pdf.

“An easy way to remember when to fly the United States flag at half-staff is to consider when the whole nation is in mourning. These periods of mourning are proclaimed either by the president of the United States, for national remembrance, or the governor of a state or territory, for local remembrance, in the event of a death of a member or former member of the federal, state or territorial government or
judiciary. The heads of departments and agencies of the federal government may also order that the flag be flown at half-staff on buildings, grounds and naval vessels under their jurisdiction.
On Memorial Day the flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon only, then raised briskly to the top of the staff until sunset, in honor of the nation’s battle heroes. In the early days of our country, no regulations existed for flying the flag at half-staff and, as a result, there were many conflicting policies. But on March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the proper times.
The flag should fly at half-staff for 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and its territories and possessions after the death of the president or a former president. It is to fly 10 days at half-staff after the death of the vice president, the chief justice or a retired chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, or the speaker of the House of Representatives. For an associate justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former vice president, the president pro tempore of the Senate, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the majority leader of the House of Representatives, or the minority leader of the House of Representatives the flag is to be displayed at half-staff from the day of death until interment.
The flag is to be flown at half-staff at all federal buildings, grounds and naval vessels in the Washington, D.C., area on the day and day after the death of a United States senator, representative, territorial delegate, or the resident commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It should also be flown at half-staff on all federal facilities in the state, congressional district, territory, or commonwealth of these officials. Upon the death of the governor of a state, territory or possession, the flag should be flown at half-staff on all federal facilities in that governor’s state, territory or possession from the day of death until interment. The president may order the flag to be flown at half-staff to mark the death of other officials, former officials, or foreign dignitaries. In addition to these occasions, the president may order half-staff display of the flag after other tragic events. The flag should be briskly run up to the top of the staff before being lowered slowly to the half-staff position.”

So, I’m disappointed enough to ask . . .

Why is there not one American flag flying at half-mast in Austin today?