Local politicians don’t have a lot of say on the national stage. While their opinions may matter in their communities, they don’t get a lot of pull with members of Congress other than perhaps their own representation. If they want to make an impact nationally, they have to grandstand a bit.

One mayor is trying to do just that by vowing to keep the city’s flag at half-mast.

merican flags, lowered to show respect and mourning for mass shooting victims, will remain at half-staff in San Rafael.

“As a mayor you see it first hand,” Mayor Gary Phillips told KTVU, “and I said, ‘look I’m not putting this flag back up.’”

Phillips became San Rafael’s mayor in 2012, the same year as the movie theatre massacre in Aurora Colorado: 12 people killed and 58 wounded.

Then- and every time since- Phillips has ordered flags on city property lowered- but felt frustrated.
“Is that all we’re going to do, lower the flag, then a couple days later put it back up and everything’s cool?”, said Phillips.

This time, watching new tragedies in El Paso and Dayton, it dawned on him:
“I thought no, we’re not going to do that. We’re going to lower the flag as appropriate but I’m not putting it up until I see some action.”

Really, well…

Oh, he’ll get a bit of attention right now. Hell, I’m giving him some too.

By next week, no one will even think about Phillips. Meanwhile, folks driving through San Rafael will be confused as hell as to why the flag is at half-mast while it isn’t anywhere else in the entire freaking country. Someone will tell them, and they’ll roll their eyes, then drive on.

That is if they bother even to ask.

It’s especially dumb since “see some action” is awfully vague. What constitutes “action?” President Trump already had the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reclassify bump stocks as machineguns following the Las Vegas mass shooting. That’s already more “action” than was seen throughout Obama’s entire eight years in office. I suppose that isn’t enough action. So what is?

More importantly, who outside of San Rafael, California is going to notice one way or another? California is a gun control state and full of anti-gun communities. All Phillips is doing is preaching to the Bay Area choir.

Honestly, even as anti-gun grandstanding goes, this is pretty stupid. As I said, it’s preaching to the choir. At least Shannon Watts does her grandstanding on Twitter where people outside of her anti-gun bubble can see what she’s saying. It doesn’t always work out well for her, mind you, but it’s better than this nonsense.

It’s sad when I’m looking at an anti-gunner and telling them they could learn from Shannon Watts, but damn.

Of course, the people of San Rafael can put an end to this nonsense by voting Phillips out. I don’t know that they will, or at least not because of this, but it’s an option. I suspect, however, that they’re too affected by the anti-gun mania that surrounds the Bay Area of California.

Too bad, too. I bet it’s a nice place if you’re not pointing at laughing at the stupid.