<p>The United States has a long history of flying the stars and stripes at half-staff in honor of the dead. We do so on Patriot Day, on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, and following the death of presidents and other important figures as an honor.</p>
<p><em>But what does it mean for our country when the American flag is constantly flown at half-staff? ;</em></p>
<p>In wake of the terrorist attack last week that killed over 80 people in Nice, France, President Obama has issued a half-staff order lasting until sunset on July 19th. This is the <em>eighth time</em> in the past year that President Obama has lowered the flag in response to a terrorist attack.</p>
<p>According to a database kept by Mother Jones website of mass shootings, Barack Obama has had ;as many mass shootings as the last three presidents combined (even corrected per Snopes.com writeup). ;</p>
<p>Flying the American flag at half-staff constantly indicates that the United States is in distress. The flag at half staff is not an accident or a coincidence, these are real tragedies.</p>
<p>And it is a clear sign to our enemies that they are winning, and a clear sign to the American people that our country is struggling.</p>
<p>America is the most powerful the world has ever seen. One wonders if the world has changed so much that our country could be in a constant state of ;mourning. Have we fallen that far?</p>