Flag Lowering: Avoid A Routine

In recent months, there has been a few overseas incidents that has prompted the lowering of the Canadian flag. The Government of Canada’s “Rules for half-masting the National Flag of Canada” are quite detailed and also include provisions for the “Discretionary Authority of the Prime Minister”. The government objective states in part that “the act of half-masting is a dramatic visual statement that speaks to the sense of loss that is shared by all their citizens.”

Hopefully, these latest terrorist incidents are not a sign of future events. Notwithstanding the seriousness of these atrocious acts that have resulted in the decision to lower the Canadian flag, the government may want to avoid creating a routine that may inadvertently desensitize Canadians to the significance of the “dramatic visual statement” objective. Once Canadians stop paying attention or simply shrug it off, the half-masted flag will have lost its importance.