Why Did Obama Skip Arlington?

[boedicca]

And some people criticize those of us who think Ethnic Studies Degrees are bunk.

 

[boedicca]

interesting that this troll thread was posted today given it's been proven, how many times? that bush and reagan both had their VP's go to arlington.

i guess they skipped it for the same reason.

nutters.

That's not the point at all.

I'm surprised by this letter to Obama. It casts a different light on his decision.

 

[Gatekeeper]

Well, one thing most of us know for sure, there isn't one proctologist in the world that would NOT recognize Mr. Obama.

 

[G.T.]

interesting that this troll thread was posted today given it's been proven, how many times? that bush and reagan both had their VP's go to arlington.

i guess they skipped it for the same reason.

nutters.

That's not the point at all.

I'm surprised by this letter to Obama. It casts a different light on his decision.

It does? How-so? Did he say he took it into consideration? Did you ask him if he did? Jesus Christ you need a therapist.

 

[Ravi]

interesting that this troll thread was posted today given it's been proven, how many times? that bush and reagan both had their VP's go to arlington.

i guess they skipped it for the same reason.

nutters.

That's not the point at all.

I'm surprised by this letter to Obama. It casts a different light on his decision.

It does? How-so? Did he say he took it into consideration? Did you ask him if he did? Jesus Christ you need a therapist.

Hey now...this is no different than believing 9/11 was an inside job.

 

[boedicca]

Sorry to disappoint, but Obama's personal decision to take a vacation in Chicago over Memorial Day is hardly the equivalent of 9/11. It's really amazing that you lefties equate criticism of one of Obie One's decisions with a Terrorist Attack.

 

[Flopper]

An interesting letter sent to Obama last year by a group of black academics and historians encourages him to not participate in the Memorial Day Ceremony at Arlington:

May 18, 2009

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

Since the administration of Woodrow Wilson, presidents have sent annually a wreath to the Arlington Confederate Monument. Prior to the administration of George H. W. Bush, this was done on or near the birthday of Jefferson Davis. Starting with George H.W. Bush, it has been done on Memorial Day.

We ask you to not send a wreath or some other commemorative token to the Arlington Confederate Monument during your administration or after.

There are several reasons as to why this monument, a product of the Nadir in American race relations, should not be honored, and we list and explain them in this letter.

The monument was intended to legitimize secession and the principles of the Confederacy and glorify the Confederacy. It isn’t just a remembrance of the dead. The speeches at its ground-breaking and dedication defended and held up as glorious the Confederacy and the ideas behind it and stated that the monument was to these ideals as well as the dead. It was also intended as a symbol of white nationalism, portrayed in opposition to the multiracial democracy of Reconstruction, and a celebration of the re-establishment of white supremacy in the former slave states by former Confederate soldiers. In its design it also tells wrong history, boasting fourteen shields with the coat of arms of fourteen states. Thus it claims that Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland were part of the Confederacy. They weren’t. ....

Dear President Obama: Please Don't Honor the Arlington Confederate Monument


More on this at DailyKos:

Daily Kos: State of the Nation



The optics here are not good.

I guess I am missing something here. The letter asks the president "not send a wreath or some other commemorative token to the Arlington Confederate Monument during your administration or after.'

Are we to assume this has something to do with the laying of the wreath at the tomb of the unknown solider or the observance program at the memorial amphitheater?

Actually I think the letter makes a lot of sense, but I don't know why the president would avoid the memorial day program do to this letter.

 

[xotoxi]

And some people criticize those of us who think Ethnic Studies Degrees are bunk.

Why do you think that?

You must also think that history and anthropology degrees are bunk.

 

[boedicca]

In the case of the historians who are promoting the theory that Arlington is a symbol of racism, their degrees are bunk as well.

 

[Ravi]

And some people criticize those of us who think Ethnic Studies Degrees are bunk.

Why do you think that?

You must also think that history and anthropology degrees are bunk.

People should get their ethnic history from Glen Beck. He's the only legitimate source and the only person that cares about black peoples history.

 

[boedicca]

You're mistaken if you think I pay attention to Glenn Beck. He's an infotainer, not a historian.

I prefer someone along the lines of Victor Davis Hanson.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

This is very sad if true. Our Veterans deserve better. He should have gone to Arlington. He made a big mistake not showing up. Many will never forgive or forget this snub. I thought it was true justice that his party got completely washed out in Chicago. I think someone up there wasn't too happy with this awful Hopey Changey decision. This guy needs to get it together. He just can't seem to do anything right at this point.

 

[boedicca]

He would do well to follow Clinton's example in this area. Clinton was criticized for not being properly supportive of the military. He did make an effort to show proper gratitude and respect - and participated at Arlington during each year of his two terms.

Presidents who are considered pro-military aren't subject to this scrutiny - rightly or wrongly, but that's the general situation.

For somebody who is supposed to be a political genius, Obama is completely tone deaf on this issue.

 

[Samson]

For somebody who is supposed to be a political genius, Obama is completely tone dear on this issue.

We're really in trouble when the President goes "Tone Dear."




BWAHAHAHAHA!!

Its tease the Boester Day!!!

 

[GHook93]

He honored our troops! The story is own, the right is being picky. If anyone believe he doesn't care about our troops, then they are as dense as the peace activist a few years ago then said the same thing about Bush!

I believe many things about Obama (most are negative), but the one thing I never believed was that Obama hates this country, hates the troops, doesn't have our best interest and is nothing less than true and honest to god patroit.

His policies are wrong, but I do thing he loves his country!

 

[bodecea]

How weird.

I wasn't aware of the significance of Arlington as being anything like a Confederate War Memorial.

I HAVE been there, and was struck with the irony of the land for the cemetary being confiscated from Robert E. Lee, and then being used as a graveyard during the Civil War.

Exactly. And having been involved with the scheduling of VIP travel in the past....I find it hard to believe that a trip such as Obama's to Chicago was scheduled in less than a month ahead. Emergency trips yes....such as this one, well ahead of schedule.

I smell bull pucky.

 

[boedicca]

The letter was from May 2009, not May 2010.

He had plenty of time make his plans in consideration of its contents.

 

[California Girl]

He honored our troops! The story is own, the right is being picky. If anyone believe he doesn't care about our troops, then they are as dense as the peace activist a few years ago then said the same thing about Bush!

I believe many things about Obama (most are negative), but the one thing I never believed was that Obama hates this country, hates the troops, doesn't have our best interest and is nothing less than true and honest to god patroit.

His policies are wrong, but I do thing he loves his country!

I'm sure he does love his country... I wonder when he plans to go back?






*Joke*

 

[Sky Dancer]

To Hawaii?

 

[boedicca]

He honored our troops! The story is own, the right is being picky. If anyone believe he doesn't care about our troops, then they are as dense as the peace activist a few years ago then said the same thing about Bush!

I believe many things about Obama (most are negative), but the one thing I never believed was that Obama hates this country, hates the troops, doesn't have our best interest and is nothing less than true and honest to god patroit.

His policies are wrong, but I do thing he loves his country!

I'm sure he does love his country... I wonder when he plans to go back?






*Joke*

I didn't say he doesn't love America. I said he was politically tone deaf and would be well advised to follow Clinton's example regarding Arlington.