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Missouri County's Flags Lowered for Orlando After Dispute

Jacob Fenston
/
KBIA

A mid-Missouri county has changed course and lowered its flags in honor of the 49 victims in the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman said Cole County's public flags were at half-staff Tuesday despite earlier disagreement.

Flags weren't lowered immediately after President Barack Obama's proclamation to do so. A county ordinance calls to lower flags upon executive orders when military or government officials die or on days such as Memorial Day.

Opponents had raised concerns that lowering the flags too frequently could take away the honor of the gesture. Bushman disagreed.

Commissioner Kris Scheperle said he's sympathetic to family of the victims and later switched his decision.

Bushman says the initial decision wasn't unusual: Flags weren't lowered after attacks in Brussels or Paris.

 

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