Chris Christie defends lower flags for Whitney Houston

Politico ^ | 16 Feb 2012 | TIM MAK

[ntnychik]

Whitney’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner is the last time I heard it sung right that I can remember. That respect for our country deserves some respect for her.

[Hot Tabasco]

and then she committed suicide.

I could accept the rest of your comment but not the above........No evidence whatsoever. It's just a tragic accident......

[Buddy Sorrell]

This is what you get from Ann Coulter’s beloved Chrissy Fatturd. He is no conservative.

[entropy12]

If you are tolerating Obama as your president in spite of his admitted use of cocaine, and Clinton who claims not to have inhaled, and Bush-43 for his arrest on drunk driving, then why is it a big deal about a singer abusing prescription
pills which is all they found at her death location?

[ExpatGator]

Chris Christie is a blithering idiot. As an old sailor, I have some very choice words that I will keep to myself so that I am not banned. However, I am thinking them VERY LOUDLY!!!

[onyx]

Was she a role model for anyone?
Did she serve her country?

Christie is pandering.

[entropy12]

Your racism comment falls flat since they lowered the flag for Frank Sinatra as well.

[Sudetenland]

As I remember it (and I want back to double check just now) her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner was just as offensive as her life-style was. I don't care how many people praise a singer's version of the national anthem, if they jazz it up or stylize it, then they are not singing it to honor our nation, they are singing it to aggrandize themselves.

The Star Spangled Banner does not have grace-notes in it. All that warbling that these modern day singers use to "make it their own" is disrespectful and revolting. I have had to quit watching the beginning of many sporting events, because most singers don't know how to sing the national anthem and they "jazz it up" to suit themselves.

Give me a straight singer who sings the anthem straight every time.

[Organic Panic]

I’d rather have flags at half staff for Whitney Houston than Jack Murtha (that disgusting military hating vile man)

[mass55th]

Bully for her. I didn’t realize that donating proceeds qualified one to have the flag flown at half-staff when you died. I guess I should have known better, since the new norm is having a Naval ship named for you because you got shot in the head.

[Rebelbase]

Did TN fly flags at half mast when Elvis died?

[mass55th]

"It's just a tragic accident...... "

Being a dope addict is an accident?

[microgood]

His order was criticized both by those who thought that the honor should be reserved for recently deceased soldiers, first-responders and elected officials, and by those who thought it was wrong to honor an alleged drug addict.

Everyone in this country is a drug addict except the Mormons. Of course the most popular one is caffeine. Besides, after her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, she deserves a place in American history since noone has ever or will ever do a better job than that.

She may have fallen, but on that Super Bowl day in 1991 she achieved a level of perfection very few humans ever do, and that definitely puts her in front of first responders and elected officials.

Americans admire talent, and she was the most talented singer of that generation and may the most talented ever.

[madison10]

I’m not so sure she committed suicide without “assistance.”

The State of New Jersey and its governor can do what they wish. They were proud of who she had been.

[entropy12]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1QmeEdFOSc&feature=related

Whitney Houston sings Star Spangled Banner...above link.
Absolutely beautiful....singing talent in droves.
My all time favorite rendition of National Anthem...below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-BCPymjGI4&feature=player_embedded#!

[OldPossum]

The problem is that these “popular singers” lack the pipes to sing The Star Spangled Banner correctly. They simply don’t have the vocal range to sing it and thus they “jazz it up” to disguise their vocal inferiority.

That’s why I would prefer that it be sung by singers who are either opera singers or have that kind of voice.

Luckily, I cannot stand sporting events, so I neatly avoid the problem.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

I’ve never struggled with drug or alcohol dependency ... and for that I’m thankful.

Whitney was who she was, for good and at times for bad. She was enslaved to alcohol and
drugs - and an abusive husband. I don’t pretend to know why or to judge her for her struggles.

I feel for her. I also admire the amazing talent she was. I hope she turned to Christ and found
peace.

I have no problem with honoring the good parts of her life, while grieving for her dependency
and failures.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Everyone in this country is a drug addict except the Mormons.”

You do know that Utah has the nation’s highest rate of prescription drug use...? Mormons prefer to use legal drugs to escape.

[OldPossum]

Your racism comment falls flat since they lowered the flag for Frank Sinatra as well.

It's not racism if it simply acknowledges something.

As for Sinatra, I didn't know about that and I appreciate the information regardless of the spirit with which it is offered.

[newzjunkey]

That you still had respect left for Christie is a concern, but I must disagree with your point.

As the article notes, this is normal for New Jersey who honored a Springsteen band member the same way last year.

While not the choice I'd make, it's not my place to tell New Jersey how to handle memorializing its prominent citizens and that's exactly what she was.

Most of all, however, I'm thoroughly and utterly DISGUSTED at the dehumanized, crass, empty moralizing over this deceased person on FR since she died. It's perverse, pathological and beyond the pale.