South Carolina Sheriff Refuses To Lower Flag For Mandela
Sheriff Rick Clark of Pickens County, SC vowed to defy orders by President Obama to fly flags at half mast in memory of Nelson Mandela.
Clark made his promise in a Facebook post to keep flying the flag at the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office at full height.
“I usually don’t post political items, but today is different. I received this notification today, ‘As a mark of respect for the memory of Nelson Mandela, the President orders that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff effective immediately until sunset, December 9, 2013,'” Clark wrote. “Nelson Mandela did great things for his country and was a brave man but he was not an AMERICAN!!! The flag should be lowered at our Embassy in S. Africa, but not here.”
Clark said the flags at the Sheriff’s Office were at half staff Friday to mourn a deceased deputy. Clark said the flag would remain at half mast Saturday to mark Pearl Harbor Day. After that, he said, he “ordered that the flag here at my office back up” (sic).
