2 cents in light of the most recent military funeral

With regards to the whole half-staff deal....

There needs to be a set protocol and set of standards. Every military death does not warrant half-staff. If it did, it would not have come up for much of 1939-1945, and likewise 1915-1918. Soldiering is a job with inherent risks. Making the choice to do so and subsequently dying in the process is a risk of the job and not unexpected. By making the switch now, what does that say about the deaths of each and every prior war dead? What of those who fought valiantly in numerous campaigns, and survived to die of natural causes later in life...same risks, different luck, no less heroic or important.

If a town wishes to make the honour, so be it...local decision, but natioanlly - keep it reserved for special occassions and incidents.....if evryone gets it - what makes it special - at which point, why bother.