A valiant effort Mr. Sharpe....I give you extra points for showing your sources. Using factual data is not the democratic way :) I'm also pretty sure the Government Printing Office doesn't hold authority over military policy.....sorry couldn't resist.
First the issue of the Air Force chap who was "doing it wrong". Actually, according to military policy, when in uniform and indoors, a military member is to stand at attention. A quick google search produced the following text from CAP.gov website (civilian air patrol):
"...Military personnel don't salute the national flag during indoor ceremonies when in uniform. When the National Anthem or "To The Colors" is played, personnel in civilian or military attire will stand at attention facing the flag (or the source of music if the flag isn't visible). When in civilian attire, come to attention, and place your right hand over your heart...."
And I realize you are not convinced by the CAP.gov website, so I did a little more searching. My computer almost melted when I went to this website...The New York Slimes even has a document from the Army that states this exact same thing....right HERE.
Now, onto the photo I posted. This was a good jab Eric, a quick low blow, you almost delivered it like a conservative radio talk show host. You know how those idiots do....toss the jab, then change the subject before anyone can figure out they are only telling half the story. We can only "assume" that the flag in the picture behind them is a backdrop and that there is another "real" flag off camera. But since I can't substantiate that claim, I'll concede this point. All the democrats in the photo were doing it wrong.
All the links you submitted to photos of people not doing it right. You are 100% correct, most Americans are either A. clueless or B. ungrateful. Can't argue you on that point. Few people show the proper respect.
Here's the kicker, I don't think any of the people in those photographs are running for the position of Commander-In-chief of the US Military. So if Obama was just an ordinary Joe, w/o a clue, he'd get a pass, but because he is a Presidential candidate, he gets a "F" for not knowing proper military protocol.
WARNING: Rabbit Trail Ahead....
Why is it that if you actually stand up and take your hat off and put your hand over your heart at a baseball game, people look at you like you some bigoted right wing nut job? You can be proud of your country w/o being a "ignorant ole' conservative". But it seems now days people associate patriotism with right wing lunacy. As for me and my boys, we will still stand up and take our hats off at ball games.
2 comments:
I think a lot of people get caught up in style over substance. A lot of those who oppose Obama criticize him for being just that style over substance. The issue of the National Anthem and a hand over your heart is a topic that makes for great debate but what substantial impact does it really have? In my opinion, none. If this were the Pledge of Allegiance this would be a different story but its not. As for the National Anthem I think most people accept that showing the proper respect, at a minimum means standing, facing the music or the flag when it can be seen, and being quiet until the music is finished.
With that being said why does this picture and Obama’s action or lack of action even initiate a question of him being Commander-in-Chief? Because Americans as a whole, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, anarchist whatever are big on symbols and we search for meaning in these symbols. We’re programmed that way by our media and our on the go lifestyles. And to me this is the tragedy because when we start to look for substance we see that a President’s responsibility as Commander-in-Chief is to lead the military and honor the service of our men and women in uniform. So when we look at the issues that surround those responsibilities we can really debate and create a dialogue around substantive issues. When we talk about deploying our forces to Afghanistan to root out those responsible for 9/11 or when we talk about the GI Bill and veterans benefits. To me there’s no question that Obama has proven with his judgment on these issues that he is prepared to lead as Commander-in-Chief. Its hard for me to support Senator McCain’s stance on being deployed in Iraq for 100 yrs. Now I know he didn’t mean waging war for 100 years but he is applying WWII ideology to 21st century conflict and to me that’s out of touch. We see him voting against the Webb GI Bill proposed by Senator Jim Webb because he feels there are too many benefits and that it would cause an exodus from the military, weakening the NCO ranks. Again, to me it shows a man who is out of touch. Senator Obama wants our military out of Iraq, not with a security presence staying for the foreseeable future. He wants an independent Iraq that is able to secure and govern itself and guess what, that’s exactly what the Iraqi’s want as recent developments have shown. Senator Obama supported the Webb GI Bill recognizing the benefits it provides to our service men and women and also recognizing the added benefits as a way to potentially bolster the ranks in a climate where recruitment is at an all time low. And last but not least Senator McCain has stated on numerous occasions that he believed we needed to attack Iraq. Although he has had serious differences with the Bush administration on strategy and operations he was behind the administration’s decision to attack. To me this all adds up to very questionable judgment for a man who wants to command our military. I can guarantee that those “poor people who cling to religion and guns” want to know that their sons and daughters in the military are fighting for just causes and not backroom lobbyist initiated conflicts. I can also guarantee that when their sons and daughters leave the military they want to know that their benefits will help open up opportunities for them and help them become productive civilians. When it comes to the question of Commander-in-Chief , as a former Marine, I want the President to have sound judgment when it comes to deploying our military, I want him to take care of the troops and honor the sacrifices they are prepared to make and the sacrifices they do make. To me that person is Senator Obama whether he has his hand on his heart during our National Anthem or not. Him not having his hand over his heart I can live with. Not providing comprehensive benefits for military personnel, believing unnecessary wars are necessary, and being stuck in the mindset of WWII and the Cold War when it comes to today's conflicts are much, much bigger issues to me.
This is probably the best explanation as to how somebody could support Obama's military leadership that I've seen.
On the issue of McCain standing behind Bush on going into Iraq; I still stand by my original post as to why we went in.
As for the GI Bill proposal that McCain voted against; On the surface, I have to agree, it seems like the antiquated GI Bill does need a boost. I for one would be an example of someone who could use the extra money to finish college. If this is as deep as it gets, it seems like McCain is off base on this. I'm going to do a little more research on the subject. Maybe he didn't want that mass exodus of NCO's like the article stated?
Back to the original intent of the post. My goal in this blog is to show the "left" how the "right" sees things and vice versa. This will bring us both more towards the middle I think. To a typical republican the little things like this National Anthem faux pas show a serious lack of presence and understanding. You are right about the fact that in general, just standing up and standing still is enough, but for someone running for President this isn't as trivial as it would be for you or me.
Obama may have grand plans, and the intention to execute those plans for the social system, health care, etc... We can agree to disagree on those topics, but there is just no way he is in anyway ready to be Commander-In-Chief. No more than Clinton was. Clinton was completely clueless, he faked his way in there, did nothing of substance, took us into to Kosovo in a very poorly executed manner (I know I was activated in the Military for a year).
Anyway, your comment is going to definitely make some people rethink some things and that is what it's all about.
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