A recent photo shows President Obama saluting Marines while talking on his cell phone -- what was thought to be highly disrespectful by some Marines, but mainly opponents of the president who have freely questioned his citizenship and distributed photos of him dressed up as an African tribesman and pimp (respect is a one way street with them). In other words, these people are just looking for material ... Tuesday will contain some Obama hating, just like yesterday and tomorrow. Anything fresh and new will do.
The tradition of presidents saluting is fairly recent; Carey Winfrey notes that it goes back to Reagan. Winfrey adds that he is uncomfortable with the practice: "For nearly three decades, I’ve felt conflicted about presidential salutes. After all, my United States Marine Corps instructors drilled into me the idea that “you never salute without a cover” which, in civilian, meant without a hat. My fellow Marines and I were also informed, in no uncertain terms, that we weren’t to salute out of uniform. (I don’t think that presidential blue suits, white shirts and red ties quite qualify.) So whenever I saw a president stepping off a helicopter and bringing hand to brow, my drill instructor’s unambiguous words came back to me with much of their original force."
We have to ask ourselves how these traditions came to be and whether they even make sense. The irony is that Obama's critics had no issue with Bush's one dog salutes, which were breathtaking in their lack of formality but certainly entertaining. Remember, if you're a Republican this behavior is easily excusable because no one will ever question your devotion to your country and our men and women in uniform.
4 comments:
i served 12 years in the united states navy and i can tell you that NO ONE salutes while holding a cell phone. it's very disrespectful. also, i do not see anything wrong with bush saluting while holding his dog. in the military, we ALWAYS carry any items (bags, a box, etc.) in our left hand, so we keep our right hand readily to salute an officer as we walk past each other. bush did the right thing by having his dog in the left hand and salute with his right hand. now, talking on the cell phone is extremely unprofessional (according to military courtesies and standards) and to be saluting. obama should have dropped the phone down to his side and rendered a proper salute.
I appreciate your thoughts on this and thank you for your service. I can't help but make the distinction that the president, while serving as commander-in-chief, is not a man in uniform. So why is he beholden to the traditions of those in uniform? Is he even worthy of those traditions? I will go back to Carey Winfrey's observations; he was told that you never salute without a cover or salute out of uniform. To me, this means that presidents since Reagan have been doing something without thinking about whether it is proper. I should also note that Obama is holding the phone in his left hand in the photograph in question, while saluting with his right. A person with a squirmy dog in their left arm or a cell phone near their left ear is by any definition distracted ... in both instances I see a very preoccupied leader who's issuing a hasty salute, while never asking himself if such a salute is even appropriate. People tend to view this through partisan glasses but there's no question that Bush and Obama's behaviors are equivalent.
@anonymous so u see nothings wrong with W's fucked up, damn near doubled over salute while holding a dog? It wasnt a proper salute to begin with! Then again, you were a nasty Seamen, you all arent the biggest on customs and courtesies, just look at how nasty you all even blouse your boots! #USMCVet
@anonymous so u see nothings wrong with W's fucked up, damn near doubled over salute while holding a dog? It wasnt a proper salute to begin with! Then again, you were a nasty Seamen, you all arent the biggest on customs and courtesies, just look at how nasty you all even blouse your boots! #USMCVet
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