The same people who criticized President Obama and Michelle Obama during the election as being un-patriotic or un-American have now become anti-American or unpatriotic themselves. And that includes the tea totting partiers, Rush Limbaugh and all their cohorts. While we have the right to free speech in this country, too much of a good thing can also be bad. We had free speech to burn the American flag during the turbulent 1960’s; freedom of speech for the KKK to burn crosses during the civil rights era. And now apparently, we have free speech to disrespect the President of the United States and the office of the Leader of the Free World.
Even in free speech, there are limits. We do not have free speech rights when there is libel and slander, defamation or pornography involved. And I suggest that we don’t need free speech when it goes beyond party differences but goes to the heart of the office of the presidency. As much as I was appalled during the election at the New Yorker magazine depicting Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as Muslim with a gun totting militant wife, I am more appalled now about the new free speech antics against President Obama. We’ve had cartoons portray the President of the United States as the black man in white faced “Joker”. When President Obama won the coveted Nobel Peace prize, every crude conservative berated him for winning it. And just last week, when President Obama visited Florida and stood beside Governor Crist, Republicans blasted Crist for even standing with the President. A poll out this past weekend ( October 31, 2009) shows 66% of Republicans disapproved of the Governor’s decision to even appear with President Obama. This type of portrayal does a disservice to our country in the eyes of the world. That’s what I mean by un-American and un-patriotic.
President Obama is the leader of our country, the Commander in Chief of our troops. For these renegades to publicly disrespect him is to disrespect our country. This goes far deeper than party politics. It’s interesting these same people criticized Rev. Jeremiah Wright for doing the very same thing they are now doing. If Rev. Jeremiah Wright could be labeled racist and Un-American for his comments, why aren’t the Limbaugh’s, tea totters and other crude Republican conservatives deserving of the same titles. They are after all becoming Un-American or Anti-American.
What do you think? Are Americans becoming Un-American?