Posted on 02/16/2012 3:16:48 PM PST by mandaladon
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Wednesday strongly defended his decision to have the state’s flags flown at half-staff for singer Whitney Houston.
Christie had been criticized for ordering flags at state government buildings to be lowered on Saturday, the day that Houston’s funeral services would be held in Newark.
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.
Christie said he didn’t believe that Houston’s history of substance abuse “forfeited the good things she did.”
“I am disturbed by people who believe that because her ultimate demise — and we don’t know what is the cause of her death yet — but because of her history of substance abuse that somehow she’s forfeited the good things that she did in her life,” he said, according to the AP. “I just reject that on a human level.”
“What I would say to everybody is, ‘There but for the grace of God go I,’” he added.
The cause of Houston’s death is not clear, and the results on the toxicology tests taken after she died are pending.
Christie, calling Houston “a daughter of New Jersey,” also noted the cultural impact that the singer has had.
The Republican governor pointed out that he had ordered flags flown at half-staff for New Jersey’s 31 service members killed in action and every police officer slain in the line of duty during his time in office, according to the wire service.
Last year, Christie ordered flags lowered to half-staff for Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
What is happening for New Jersey. Lower the flag for state wide sadness. not because some pop star died. I would not even lower it because some soldure or police officer dies. That sort of thing happens too frequently. The flag should be lowed at most 1% of the year.
So pick only events that are likely to happens at most 1% of the year of State wide significance. If its a major military conflict Only lower the flag in response to major defeats or mass causality of soldiers from the state. Again rarity is the key!
The flag Must be flying high & proud 99% of the time or lowering it matters little.
I never even heard her sing it, but as I understand it was good enough to be sold as a single (and that says something).
“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.”
You’re right; she was one vicious person donating the proceeds as she did.
You’re clutching at straws.
“I didn’t realize that donating proceeds qualified one to have the flag flown at half-staff when you died.”
She didn’t ask to have the flags flown at half-mast; I guess if she was mean enough to donate her share of the proceeds to the troops she definitely shouldn’t be given that honor. She was too mean-spirited...
Chris Christie is great at cutting spending but just can’t figure out ethical social questions. He’s an immediate gratification sorta humanist guy. Might explain his gluttonly problem.
Typical humanist. Who is he to judge lowering the flag for a singer who killed herself with drugs versus a lowering the flag for someone of National prominance who served our country? These people have no meaning in life beyond materialism and they puke their lack of dignity all over the nation. Whitney, a crack addict, is his hero.
Sure vote getter in the black community.
Sure vote getter in the black community.
Oh yeah, and I should add that, either you don’t know what the term “self-aggrandizement” means, or you don’t know what “vicious” means, because I never said she was “vicious,” nor did I ever say she was a bad person . . . only that her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner was intended for self-aggrandizement, not patriotism.
Sorry - the Jimi Hendrix doing SSB at Woodstock is one of the all time greatest versions. Every note of the stock melody is there...
And - You dont have to be singing the National Anthem to accuse some musicians of self-aggrandizement.
I could accept the rest of your comment but not the above........No evidence whatsoever. It's just a tragic accident......
I agree it could have been a tragic accident if, say, she slipped on the bathroom floor and cracked her head open... or...she could have cracked her head open by feeding herself lethal doses of poison. I await the results of the autopsy.
"She achieved a level of PERFECTION FEW HUMANS EVER DO."
"She was the MOST TALENTED SINGER of that generation and maybe the MOST TALENTED EVER."
Oh, puhleez....give me a break.
Am I on FR?
Easily the most offensive version I have ever heard—with the possible exception of Rosanne Barrs screeching. Yes Hendrix’s musicianship and ability to extract sounds from his guitar/amps was amazing, but it was offensive to do it to our national anthem—and he knew he was defiling it when he did it.
"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.You must write for the Onion. Whitney Houston wasn't even close to being "the most talented ever." How pathetic that your exposure to talent is that limited . . . or that skewed.
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."
Fortunately my understanding of the 10th amendment isn’t incorrect. Therefore I maintain my stance on the issue.
Agree - Talented - but not an enduring talent.
And she had clearly sacrificed her artistic drive to indulge in her wealth.
You can believe what you wish, I was only disputing to your assertion that Whitman lowered the flag to honor Frank Sinatra—which has absolutely nothing to do with the 10th Amendment.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.