I told myself that I wasn't going to write about this. I said to myself, "Hey...everybody is talking about this, what more could I possibly add?" What am I talking about? After arriving in New York City to address the United Nations, President Obama stepped off of Marine One, the presidential helicopter. As President Obama stepped down, two Marines saluted the President. President Obama responded by saluting the Marines, unfortunately while with a cup of coffee in the same hand by which he gave the salute. Hold up....hold up...do you hear that? You don't hear that? It's the sound of the BOINGS from the boners of conservatives who literally stumbled over themselves to get in line and criticize President Obama, for what could be considered "bad optics", or perhaps even "bad judgement". I'm surprised the servers at Twitter didn't go haywire, as people, who obviously don't like the idea of President Obama even existing, couldn't wait to get their snarky remarks plastered in the "Twitterverse". "Just saw the #lattesalute. Mr. President, put down the damn coffee cup." comes from one Twitter user. Another Twitter user tweeted, "When trying to lead a coalition, show the world you respect the military...". Congressional Republicans are using this gaffe to raise money. And of course, you know Fox News has spent a significant amount of time, resources and precious oxygen on this issue. Frequent Fox News contributor, former Florida Congressman Allen West tweeted, "If there was any doubt as 2 the level of regard Obama has for the military, this latte salute seals to deal." The main argument(s) from conservatives or conservative-leaning people is that President Obama's lazily-nicknamed "Latte Salute" shows a level of contempt towards the military, and exposes an almost inherent level of antipatriotism. MY GOD...let's call our Congressmen and Senators, and demand hearings on this issue. In fact, lets go further...lets bring Congress back in session and call for the impeachment of the President on charges of treason. People...come on...CALM THE HELL DOWN!!!
Let's face it, people hate politicians and politics. We are at a point in our nation's history where political cynicism is at an all-time high. President Obama's approval rating, according to Gallup is at 43%, the lowest approval rating in his presidency. As for Congress, a July 15, 2014 Gallup poll has their approval rating at 15%. We can have a discussion another time about the level of contempt people have for politicians. It's open season on politicians, and any action that a politician does that can be perceived as negative, only serves to fuel the already high levels of contempt that people have for their elected officials. The problem that I have with this particular case is the over the top, hyperbolic, and more so...selective outrage when it comes to this incident. Are we that cynical about politicians, in general? And specifically, are we that cynical about President Obama? Let's delve into this further.
I have been studying presidential politics for a long time. In fact, it was one of my specialty areas while studying political science at Virginia Commonwealth University (Go Rams). In all of my studies, readings, reports, analysis, research, etc., I have never seen a president so scrutinized, criticized, and disrespected as President Barack Obama. Before I continue further...go ahead, get it out. "Marc...you're a liberal!!!" "Marc...you're a Democrat!!!" "Marc...you're a lemming!!!" "Marc...you're an apologist!!! "The only reason why you like Obama is because he is black. (Yeah, I put it out there)." "Marc...you think that all white people who criticize Obama are racist!!!" Now...have you gotten that out of your system? You feel good about yourself? Good...let's continue. The narrative that has been put forth is the disrespect President Obama allegedly has towards the military, which then puts his patriotism in question. The problem that I have with that narrative is that it is purely emotional, and can't be substantiated. Also, the same people who are charging the President with disrespect and antipatriotism, I will argue, haven't shown the same level of respect towards him. Here is an example. Since President Obama has been in office, people in general, the media, and especially the conservative media, continue to refer to the President as "Obama", which smacks of disrespect. You don't have to like the man, or share his views. But if you claim to be patriotic, at least show some respect to the office, and refer to him as "President Obama". When people call him "Obama", they are attempting to delegitimize his presidency. They don't like him being the president, so they have chosen not to acknowledge that he is the president. The presidency is bigger than one man or woman, but while this one man is the president, refer to him as such. I have criticized former President Bush many times. I have attacked Speaker John Boehner before. But when I did/do, I always used/use their titles, because I have respect for the responsibilities of their positions and the office as a whole, regardless of how I feel about their views.
Let's continue to talk about disrespect. Before he was president, and since he was elected, those on the self-righteous political right, have questioned this president's religious affiliation, and questioned whether this man was born in America. When first running for president, then-Senator Obama was "accused" of being a Muslim, as if being a Muslim is a crime. When did practicing Islam become a prerequisite to run for the Presidency? At last check, Article II of the United States Constitution said that a President needed to be at least 35 years of age, be a natural born citizen, and have lived at least 14 years in the United States. Also the First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." And as former Secretary of State Colin Powell so eloquently stated on "Meet The Press" in 2008, "...it is permitted to be said such things as, 'Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.' Well the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with a some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, 'He's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists.' This is not the way we should be doing it in America." Secretary Powell is right...it is not how we should be doing it in America. Unfortunately the ignorance and Islamaphobia concerning President Obama's faith continues. As reported in the Washington Post in July, 2012, a survey conducted by the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life, stated that "Only 49 percent of voters know that Obama is a Christian, and 17 percent continue to say that he’s a Muslim. Among conservatives, 30 say that he is a Muslim; among the most conservative voters that jumps to 34 percent. When Pew first surveyed this question, in 2008, only 16 percent of conservatives believed that Obama was a Muslim. Put another way, as conservatives grew more familiar with Obama, their view of his religious beliefs moved deeper into fantasy." Does this train of thought show respect towards the President of the United States? The same people who claim disrespect because of the salute gaffe...where was your indignation and outrage then? People questioned whether he was born here, and despite investigations and overwhelming proof to say otherwise, we still have people who question whether President Obama was born in the United States? WHERE ARE THE CHARGES OF DISREPCT and displays of outrage towards those who make baseless charges against our Commander In Chief?
Attacks and outright lies have been thrown towards President Obama in a way that borders on compulsive lying. Fact checking websites have gone bonkers in disproving the lies and litany of attacks made against President Obama. My personal favorite is the lie of President Obama's 2010 10-day mission to India, which was reported to cost $200 Million...A DAY!!! Conservative bloggers, pundits and news organizations, couldn't beat off fast enough, as they ran with this story that was first reported by a news website in India from "unnamed sources". The costs being reported, would have been more than what was spent, per day, during the war in Afghanistan. I ask again, WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE? WHERE WERE THE CHANTS OF DISRESPECT AGAINST THOSE WHO MADE BASELESS CHARGES AGAINST OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF?
Let us not forget one of the more disappointing moments in our country's history...a clear example of disrespect shown towards President Obama, and that is the 2009 State of the Union address. During the address, South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson, interrupted the speech and yelled "YOU LIE" at President Obama. President Obama didn't respond, and continued with his speech, while Vice President Biden looked down in shame, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi looked shocked and appalled. WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE? WHERE WERE THE CHARGES OF DISRESPECT REGARDING CONGRESSMAN WILSON'S ACTIONS? Fox News and other conservative media types spoke with pride about Congressman Wilson's actions, and a once unknown back-bencher congressman from South Carolina raised over $1 Million in campaign contributions due to his disrespectful actions.
It's one thing to smear President Obama, but to go after his family, is a clear example of disrespect. Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner attacked First Lady Obama, because of her campaign against obesity, saying that she was not in position to talk about health and obesity, because she has a "big butt". A sitting Member of Congress says the First Lady has a "big butt", and that doesn't qualify as disrespectful? Where were the shouts of disrespect? Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Ann Coulter have attacked President Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, in the media. Again, where was the outrage?
Just admit it...you don't like the man. I get it. You never liked him, and you will seek out any opportunity to attack the man. If people have legitimate POLICY beefs with President Obama and the Obama Administration, that's fine. I have policy differences with the Obama Administration. As a citizen, it is your duty to question the actions of your elected officials. Whether he correctly or incorrectly salutes Marines, which by the way, he is not required to do, the level of disrespect shown towards him is incomparable and unparalled. President Grant was a drunk. President Harding had arguably the most scandal-ridden presidency in history. President Nixon...well...we know what he did. The conservative deity that is President Reagan, had the Iran-Contra affair, and President Clinton (who I am a fan of), was getting orally gratified in the Oval Office. You're getting pissed off at President Obama because of a salute gaffe? You say that he has no respect for the military. President Bush knowingly authorized military action based on false intelligence, and as a result, thousands of soldiers are dead, with even more casualties. Nobody ever questioned President Bush's patriotism or respect towards the military. President Obama however, brought back troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and is now developing a coalition of nations in the fight against the terrorist group ISIS. President Obama has been praised (and criticized) for being careful and deliberate in going to war. Putting soldiers in harm's way, is one of the toughest decisions that any president has to make, and being cautious shows restraint, and a tremendous amount of respect towards those that may be sent overseas to fight. Back to Congressman West, a 21-year veteran of the United States Army (Thank you for your service), questions President Obama's commitment and respect towards the military. Is this the same Congressman Allen West who was forced to retire from the Army because of charges of torture? He discharged his weapon near the head of a suspected terrorist he was questioning based on faulty intelligence that his battalion was going to be ambushed. The information that then-Lt. Colonel West forced from the suspect was "meaningless", and it was found later that no plans for attack or weapons were found to substantiate Lt. Colonel West's claims of imminent attack. He was fined $5000, and was able to retire with full benefits. Does he get criticized? NOPE!!! The military, which I respect, is the one institution of government that doesn't get criticized, despite having their own history of corruption, waste, and excess. They risk their lives for their country, and for that alone, people love them and will excuse most errors or mistakes they may make. The President of the United States, who also puts his or her's life on the line, works 24 hours a day/7 days a week, makes a salute gaffe, and the public decides to shit a brick.
Regardless of the evidence that I have provided, people will still concentrate on "Latte-Gate". They will still stimulate themselves by crying out that President Obama is disrespectful. They will "lie in wait", hoping for President Obama to mess up, providing them a reason to attack. People criticize him for wearing a tan suit. People questioned his patriotism as far back as 2007, because he didn't wear an American flag lapel pin. Really? So instead of listening to his views on foreign policy, the economy, etc., the public decides to focus on his fashion choices. Is this the direction our country is heading in? A public that is so cynical of politics, that we will find the most insignificant things to use as ammo against our elected officials. This speaks to a larger issue that I have been preaching about for years. A Democratic Republic like the United States, starts with the people. Let me repeat that...A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC LIKE THE UNITED STATES, STARTS WITH THE PEOPLE. The public hates politics and politicians. Who elects them to office? We do. Do you know who your representative is? Have you ever written your representative a letter? Have you called him/her? Have you visited their office or attended a town hall meeting? More than likely, you haven't, but the public then wonders why the political atmosphere is where it is. The answer... LOOK IN THE MIRROR. The apathy people have towards politicians, is symptomatic of slothful civic participation. As a result, people lash out like petulant children, who if they only cleaned their rooms, wouldn't be on restriction. Do your job as citizens. Engage in civic activities that those same soldiers you show so much respect for, are willing to die for. Learn how to drive the car that is politics, and keep your hands on the wheel. Stop looking to blame everything on the President, and on Congress. From time to time, measure your patriotism and respect towards government institutions. Just because you have a "Don't Tread On Me" license plate does not make you a patriot. Wearing a flag pin on your lapel does not make you a patriot. President Obama, at the end of the day, is a human being...he is prone to mistakes, just like you. Instead of attacking him, let's forgive him, move on to more substantive issues that face the nation, pray for our soldiers, and why you're at it...GO GET A LATTE.
That's the MARC UP!!! Meeting adjourned.
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