“The flag is a symbol of our country, representing freedom and patriotism and liberty, and is supposed to be lowered to honor those who have served,” Fried said at the time. “To lower the flag for somebody who has spent his entire career talking hate and bigotry and dividing our country and spewing conspiracy theories is not the way we honor those who have fought for our flag.”

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Buffett, a part-time Palm Beach resident who died this month from cancer at the age of 76, was a champion for the preservation of manatees, co-founding the Save the Manatees Club that became instrumental in protecting the vulnerable sea cows and their habitats.

Palm Beach County officials refused to obey the directive to lower the flag at the courthouse for the bombastic talk-show host.

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Every nation has its flag that represents the history, culture, and heritage of the country. Curaçao is a young country compared to other nations, but it still has a strong history and patriarchy that is reflected in its flag. Each year we celebrate the Curaçao flag on July 2nd, but before we begin the festivities it’s good to first learn about the Curaçao flag and what it represents so we can truly honor it.

While Florida's state’s flag protocol says that beyond tragedies such as mass shootings, it’s appropriate to lower flags at half-staff to honor well-known public officials, and active-duty military members or law-enforcement officers who die in the line of duty, it's not the first time DeSantis has seemed to veer from that protocol.

Even the points of the stars in the Curaçao flag has a special meaning. It represents the 5 continents from which a large part of the community comprises of.

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As a nation, we know the importance of our flag and the meaning it has in our everyday life. That’s why every year on the 2nd of July we celebrate our flag with pride and joy.

"Everyone hold your breath … thank you Ron for making the right decision to order the lowering of Florida’s flags in Key West & TLH in honor of a tremendous Floridian," Fried posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis has ordered some U.S. and Florida state flags to be flown at half-staff to commemorate "the life and legacy" of Jimmy Buffett, the "Margaritaville" singer who died last week.

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Then, in a state where we're not really surprised by anything anymore, Fried, who in 2022 ran and lost in the gubernatorial Democratic primary with hopes of unseating DeSantis, on Thursday thanked DeSantis for lowering the flags for Buffett.

Fast-forward two years. After Buffett died, Fried, who is now the head of the Democratic Party in Florida, asked DeSantis to order the flags flown at half-staff for the music star, whom she called a “true Florida icon.”

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“For so many of us, (Buffett’s) music is the soundtrack of our endless summers,” Fried said in her request. “Jimmy’s lyrics pay tribute to the history and culture of our state — his memory will live on in piano bars and boat radios for generations to come.”

Nikki Fried, who was Florida’s secretary of agriculture, and the only Democrat in the Florida cabinet at the time, said it was inappropriate to lower the flags for Limbaugh.

The flags were to be at half-staff from 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, to 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 8, because "it’s always five o’clock somewhere," according to a release and a nod to one of Buffett's hit songs.

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The Curaçao flag’s design is simple, timeless, but represents the most important elements of the island. It consists of three unequal horizontal stripes at a ratio of 5:1:2. The upper left corner contains two stars diagonally set below each other; the upper one smaller than the one below it.

Our nation might be young, our island might be small, however, our pride and love for Curaçao are big and present. As a country that was once a colony and blended under a collective name, having our own flag always had extra meaning to it. An extra value!

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Adopting a new flag was an idea that the community could surely stand behind, including the international public. After all, the competition for a new design drew almost 2,000 submissions. A special ‘Flag Committee’ was created to choose what would be the new flag.

Curaçao used to be a Dutch colony as was Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Maarten, and Sint Eustatius. In 1954 they formed the Netherlands Antilles/Dutch Antilles and were a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Netherlands Antilles had its own flag that was used on all formal occasions. While being part of the Dutch Kingdom the country felt that it would be more patriotic if it could use its own flag. Now, even after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles on 10-10-2010 and becoming an independent constituent country of the Dutch Kingdom, the flag of Curaçao is still a valuable part of the identity of the island.

In the end, the winning designer was the young, 18 years old, Martin den Dulk. His design, that became the new Curaçao flag, was unveiled for the first time on July 2nd, 1984. This day became the first ever Flag Day to be organized on Curaçao.

The upper, thicker, stripe has an ultramarine color and represents the blue sky, while the thinner bottom stripe of the same color represents the blue sea. Of course, the piercing bright sun can’t be left out and is well represented in the flag by the middle yellow stripe. The big white star is Curaçao, while the small star is Klein Curaçao.

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You’ll notice that during every formal ceremony when the national anthem is sung, everyone will stand up and face the flag with the respect it deserves. It’s something they grew up with. They sang at school during the start of the month, at official events, and you’ll even hear it on the radio at noon. The voices of everyone singing the anthem will give you chills because most ‘Yu di Kòrsou’ will know the song by heart.

Get ready for an adrenaline-packed adventure with our off-road jeep safari tour! For 4 hours, you’ll traverse the rugged terrain and soak in the breathtaking beauty of Curaçao’s East side. Our powerful jeep will take you to hard-to-reach spots, offering a unique way to experience the island. On this Half-Day Island Safari & Snorkel Tour, you’ll uncover hidden gems, take in stunning 360-degree panoramic views, and be entertained by our expert guide who will share captivating stories about Curaçao’s rich wildlife and history. This is the ultimate tour for adventure seekers, nature lovers, and snorkeling enthusiasts!

The Importance of the Flag Our nation might be young, our island might be small, however, our pride and love for Curaçao are big and present. As a country that was once a colony and blended under a collective name, having our own flag always had extra meaning to it. An extra value! You’ll notice that during every formal ceremony when the national anthem is sung, everyone will stand up and face the flag with the respect it deserves. It’s something they grew up with. They sang at school during the start of the month, at official events, and you’ll even hear it on the radio at noon. The voices of everyone singing the anthem will give you chills because most ‘Yu di Kòrsou’ will know the song by heart. As a nation, we know the importance of our flag and the meaning it has in our everyday life. That’s why every year on the 2nd of July we celebrate our flag with pride and joy.

When GOP radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, also a part-time Palm Beach resident, died of lung cancer at 70 two years ago, DeSantis ordered flags be flown at half-staff in Palm Beach town hall, the West Palm Beach courthouse and at the State Capitol in Tallahassee in honor of Limbaugh.

DeSantis justified lowering the flags for Limbaugh by saying the talk-show host was “an absolute legend. He was a friend of mine and just a great person.”

Discover the unique and colorful city center of Willemstad, Punda! Immerse yourself in a story full of history and culture as you learn about the past and present of this unique place. Meet the locals and entrepreneurs and listen to their fun anecdotes. Your eyes will quickly be drawn to the breathtaking murals by talented local artists, bringing the neighborhoods to life with their vibrant colors. Our enthusiastic guide will take you on a journey through the history of the beautiful monumental buildings, proudly part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Explore the charming inner streets of Punda and admire the colorful 3D artworks that add an extra dimension to this unique experience.

According to a release, DeSantis' office on Thursday Sept. 7 ordered the lowered flags at the Monroe County Courthouse in Key West, Key West City Hall and the State Capitol in Tallahassee.