N.J. governor under fire over decision to lower flags for Whitney Houston

Facing angry critics, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is defending his decision to fly flags at half-staff on Friday to honor late New Jersey native Whitney Houston.
The executive order, released by his office Thursday, cites the singer's ties to the Garden State, her remarkable voice and far-reaching influence in support of the move.
"Whitney Houston's vibrant and spectacular voice endeared her to countless fans in New Jersey, across the nation, and around the world," the executive order read. "(She) left a legacy in this State that will be cherished for many years."
The governor's decision to lower flags for Houston drew immediate ire from some social media users.
"I heard you also had the flags lowered to half mast for Whitney! Really? I fail to see the reasoning behind that," tweeted user @MrsTovmassian.
"Shame on you for ordering our flag to be flown half-mass for a singer who od'd! What about our soldier and real Heros?" tweeted user @Jaxio.
The governor, who is an active on the micro-blogging site Twitter, fired back.
"Every NJ soldier who has been killed in action during my Adm had the flags lowered in their memory. Learn your facts before accusing," he wrote.
Though no official cause of Houston's death has been released, many on Twitter contested Christie's decision because of the singer's reported battles with drug addiction over the years.
One user named @steakprincess posted: "She's not a fallen hero. I am not alone in taking offense to this. she's no role model. she's a dead junkie."

Christie was quick to respond, tweeting: "Flag being lowered for her cultural contributions as an artist & New Jerseyan. Her struggles w/substance abuse r a diff topic."
U.S. Flag Code, the federal law governing the use of the American flag, carries no punitive consequences and effectively serves as a guide to flag etiquette, according to the Steve Van Buskirk, director of programs for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). The code states the flag may be lowered to half-staff only under certain circumstances.