Alysser - I for one, am not offended by anything you said, and I'm not personally offended by the flag issue either. I just don't think it's appropriate in this case.
However, I'm certain that most families of especially the war heroes that never received any recognition or a thank you, probably view it as a slap in the face. How many thousands gave their lives in numerous wars for our freedom, and their passing was treated as just another casualty, and received no recognition for their service? The 31 or so that Christie acknowledged is a tiny, miniscule amount. What about all the others? They were just as deserving, yet somehow missed out. That's what I find so sad about this whole thing. I married in to a large career military family, so I understand the feelings behind this. But life being what it is, in another month, this whole issue will probably be forgotten.