I was going to just step away from the conversation, but sometimes I just can't help myself. Yep - that darn Styrofoam salute. Tonight, I'm wondering, on Wednesday, what it is exactly that defines disrespect.
I'm sure you saw the video, stupidly posted on the White House Instagram page, of the President leaving his helicopter with a Styrofoam cup in his right hand, tossing out a quick salute with that same hand, as he was just about past the Marines at the bottom of the stairs.
This can only be a sign of the apocalypse, right?
President Obama is not good at protocol, sometimes. George W. Bush, who saluted his Marines with a dog in his arms, wasn't always good at protocol either. I mean really, does this look respectful? Or does it look like he got caught almost forgetting to salute, and did the best he could under the circumstances?
And for both Obama and Bush, isn't there someone who can make sure they don't have anything in their hands when they're in a saluting situation? And really, you'd post that if you worked at the White House?
Really?
Here are some other questions that come to mind when I think about this:
Did Sarah Palin and all the rest of them apologize to all of our soldiers current and former, living and dead, for the countless thousands of lost opportunities for saluting that occurred before 1981 when Ronald Reagan decided to salute everyone he saw? Of course not.
Is everyone who is so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute equally up in arms about the disrespect shown our country because a shockingly significant portion of Americans don't bother to vote in local, state or national elections?
Is anyone who is so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute clamoring for an end to the disrespect that is the violence committed against Americans by Americans, such as the sexual harassment and abuse of our soldiers by other soldiers on military bases, or of citizens by law enforcement officers?
Are the politicians who are so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute appreciating the disrespect shown to Americans through the gross amount of money and the influence of special interests that has been encouraged to infest our political system?
Are the people who are so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute blind to the disrespect shown daily to gay Americans? Muslim Americans? Female Americans? Non-white Americans? Native Americans? Poor Americans? Older Americans? Veterans?
Do the people who are so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute really think that this was even in the top ten most disrespectful things that happened in our country at the exact moment the half-hearted salute occurred?
Please -- we have so many more important things to worry about to restore respect within our country and for our country. If you're not as worried about those as you are about this, you're not worried about the right things
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| sodahead.com photo |
President Obama is not good at protocol, sometimes. George W. Bush, who saluted his Marines with a dog in his arms, wasn't always good at protocol either. I mean really, does this look respectful? Or does it look like he got caught almost forgetting to salute, and did the best he could under the circumstances?
And for both Obama and Bush, isn't there someone who can make sure they don't have anything in their hands when they're in a saluting situation? And really, you'd post that if you worked at the White House?
Really?
Here are some other questions that come to mind when I think about this:
Did Sarah Palin and all the rest of them apologize to all of our soldiers current and former, living and dead, for the countless thousands of lost opportunities for saluting that occurred before 1981 when Ronald Reagan decided to salute everyone he saw? Of course not.
Is everyone who is so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute equally up in arms about the disrespect shown our country because a shockingly significant portion of Americans don't bother to vote in local, state or national elections?
Is anyone who is so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute clamoring for an end to the disrespect that is the violence committed against Americans by Americans, such as the sexual harassment and abuse of our soldiers by other soldiers on military bases, or of citizens by law enforcement officers?
Are the politicians who are so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute appreciating the disrespect shown to Americans through the gross amount of money and the influence of special interests that has been encouraged to infest our political system?
Are the people who are so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute blind to the disrespect shown daily to gay Americans? Muslim Americans? Female Americans? Non-white Americans? Native Americans? Poor Americans? Older Americans? Veterans?
Do the people who are so up in arms about the Styrofoam Salute really think that this was even in the top ten most disrespectful things that happened in our country at the exact moment the half-hearted salute occurred?
Please -- we have so many more important things to worry about to restore respect within our country and for our country. If you're not as worried about those as you are about this, you're not worried about the right things
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