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Friday, April 18, 2008
To Obama, it’s a political tool
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As a Southerner accustomed to a culture of God, guns and patriotism expressed as easily and comfortably as one’s preference for Fords or Chevrolets, I’m jarred by Barack Obama’s every attempt to explain his patriotism.
I don’t deny his patriotism.
I just don’t recognize his definitions.
In Wednesday night’s debate, he was asked a videotaped question by Nash McCabe of Latrobe, Pa. “I want to know if you believe in the American flag,” she asked. “I am not questioning your patriotism, but all our servicemen, policemen and EMS wear the flag. I want to know why you don’t.”
“I revere the American flag and I would not be running for president if I did not revere this country,” he said. In no other country, he continued, would “my story” even be possible. And then this, which is where the words begin to jar:
“What I’ve tried to do is to show my patriotism by how I treat veterans when I’m working in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee; by making sure that I’m speaking forcefully about how we need to bring this war in Iraq to a close because I think it is not serving our national security well and it’s not serving our military families and our troops well; talking about how we need to restore a sense of economic fairness to this country because that’s what this country has always been about, is providing upward mobility and ladders to opportunity for all Americans. That’s what I love about this country. And so I will continue to fight for those issues.”
This is not patriotism — or at least any form of it I recognize. Substitute any interest group — organized labor, trial lawyers, bartenders, Teamsters or insurance agents — after the phrase “I’ve tried to show my (compassion, support, patriotism) by how I treat (name the interest group) in the Senate. …”
Patriotism, then, becomes a political commodity. When a sufficient number of favors are bestowed on veterans, the dispenser of them is presumably declared a full-fledged patriot.
“Speaking forcefully” about ending a war in a fashion that dishonors the sacrifices of patriots who risk their lives is no virtue. The nation incurs an obligation, from the first moment it commits them to sacrifice, to preserve their honor. That means never putting them in a position where they are asked to betray the friends who trusted in us and our promise of freedom. Vietnam veterans will go to their graves with the mental images of vulnerable people betrayed when our nation broke its word. There’s certainly no peace in that.
It’s offensive to think that patriotism is balancing accounts in a ledger or bringing a quick conclusion, honorable or not, to any war. Or that political gibberish about “economic fairness” or “ladders to opportunity” connect in any which way with the motivating sense of duty that draws men and women to risk their lives.
Nor is there any understanding in the explanation of patriotism that Obama offers of why he tolerated for 20 years the virulent anti-Americanism of Jeremiah Wright or why he continued a friendship with William Ayers, a member of the radical Weather Underground.
The disconnect between both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and the boots on the ground could not have been more vivid than in their responses to questions about whether they would maintain an arbitrary withdrawal schedule despite the risks. “So you’d give some hard-rock pledge,” asked Charlie Gibson of ABC News that all troops would be out in 16 months and “that no matter what the military commanders say, you would give the order: Bring them home.”
Replied Obama: “Because the commander in chief sets the mission, Charlie. That’s not the role of the generals. …”
Yes, but …
It is ultimately not about presidents and generals performing roles. It’s about the sons and daughters of America and of our national honor and ultimately, of course, about national security and the world our children will inherit.
Patriotism in a president is not about calling ordinary soldiers heroes. It is not about giving them things of material value. Nor is it about putting them on an exit plane while the people they betrayed watch in horror at the emptiness of our promises. It’s about making it possible for those who answered their country’s call to duty to look themselves in the mirror for the rest of their lives.
That’s the America Obama doesn’t comprehend.
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DNA samples, air safety, truck lanes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thinking Right’s weekend free-for-all. Pick a topic:
Among the pork barrel spending inserted in this year’s state budget was $2,500 to help purchase materials and equipment for a commercial aviation museum in Clay County, population 3,180, south of Columbus on the Alabama line. The grant is presumably to foster preservation of Clay’s rich commercial aviation history. But with this kind of pork, who asks? It’s some legislator’s reward for voting as the leadership wanted.
The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute opposing tax cuts is the fat man opposing smaller portions of french fries. “These tax cuts will continue the erosion of the tax base, which means fewer people will be footing the bills or less dollars will be going to education, health care and public safety,” said Sarah Beth Gehl, the advocacy group’s deputy director.
Wonder how many of the women’s advocates expressing dismay at the gender imbalance under the Gold Dome would be thrilled to see more who are pro-life and social conservatives? Ah, that’s what I thought. It’s not women. It’s women with particular political leanings.
Two extraordinarily good bits of news concerning commercial airlines. One is Delta. (We love you, buddy.) The other is that not a single person died in an accident involving scheduled airlines in this country in 2007. Sure, our lives and schedules are momentarily ruined when American Airlines cancels nearly 3,100 flights affecting 250,000 passengers to inspect wiring. But nobody died in 2007. Credit the Federal Aviation Administration and the airlines. Wow. They’re achieving a safety record equal to nuclear power.
The feds intend to collect DNA samples from everybody arrested by any federal agency. Some express concerns about privacy and about potential for misuse of the information. Not a concern here. Existing laws prevent it from being used to identify genetic traits, diseases or disorders. A 2005 study in Chicago finds that 53 murders and rapes could have been prevented had samples been collected on arrest. Go for it.
Atlanta and Fulton County water customers may be asked to pay rates that are 15 percent higher to offset customers’ conservation efforts. Use less, pay more. No good deed …
Much as the private sector is a key player in the state’s transportation solutions —- toll roads, for example, and private bus operators —- the Georgia Department of Transportation gets good advice from its financial adviser, Aaron Barman of Royal Bank of Canada: Suspend consideration on projects like truck lanes until the DOT makes decisions on how high tolls should be and whether use by truckers should be mandatory. (To the latter, yes.) The DOT has to make certain that it has the people and procedures to manage private-sector contracts, keeping relationships at arm’s length.
Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine becomes the first Republican to jump into the 2010 governor’s race. It’s not too early. And it’s hard to argue with his logic that the next governor should be from a “neutral” corner —- that is, not part of the current leadership problem. Republicans who can’t deliver tax cuts to those who don’t hire lobbyists are probably not gubernatorial material.
Hamas officials said Jimmy Carter’s meetings with them boost their legitimacy. And they’re right. At least one Democrat, Barack Obama, got it right: “We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel’s destruction. We should only sit down with Hamas if they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel’s right to exist and abide by past agreements.” Which means we don’t sit down with them in Carter’s lifetime. Or Obama’s.
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