Nation Mourns Charlie Kirk: Flags Fly at Half-Staff Amidst Complex Remembrance
Washington D.C.& Springfield, IL – Flags across the United States are flying at flags-at-half-staff-and-monuments-illuminated-in-remembrance-of-9-11/” title=”Governors Announce … at Half-Staff and Monuments Illuminated in … of …+”>half-staff through sunday evening, September 14th, in mourning for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a chicago-area native who was tragically shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.
President Trump issued a proclamation on Wednesday directing flags at the White house, all public buildings and grounds, and military installations nationwide to be lowered “as a mark of respect for the memory of charlie Kirk.”
The nationwide order coincides with a period of remembrance already underway in Illinois. Governor J.B. Pritzker had previously ordered flags flown at half-staff on Thursday for Patriot Day, honoring the victims of the September 11th attacks. He extended that order, lowering flags at state buildings from sunset Friday through Sunday, to specifically commemorate “victims of political violence.”
It’s crucial to note that these orders apply to flags displayed at federal and state facilities. Privately owned flags are not subject to these directives.
The overlapping remembrance periods have led to some localized variations. In Aurora, Illinois, Mayor John Laesch made the decision to return municipal flags to full staff on Friday, completing the city’s observance of Patriot Day.
“Lowering the flag is a solemn act that carries great weight,” Mayor Laesch explained in a statement. “The choice to do so should not be made cavalierly. Doing so diminishes the importance of the remembrance of tragedies like September 11, 2001.”
While the decision has drawn some questions from residents, Laesch defended the move, emphasizing the importance of honoring the 9/11 victims with a dedicated period of mourning.
keywords: Charlie Kirk, half-staff, flags, Illinois, Donald Trump, J.B. Pritzker, Patriot Day, 9/11, Aurora, political violence, remembrance, Utah shooting.
