What We Have Here Is A Complete Lack Of Respect

I do try not to get into discussions of a political nature with people around me. Nothing good comes of it...especially between friends.

Today at work though, some colleagues and I were discussing the recent use of slurs to refer to the President by Republican representatives in Congress. It struck me that unlike any previous President, Mr. Obama faces a complete and total lack of respect for the office of the President, just by virtue of the fact that he, an American black man, inhabits it. Why is blatant racism on the part of our country's leaders being tolerated? Why is President Obama not standing up and saying, "I am the President of the United States, and you will treat me with the respect this office deserves"?

I find that this idea of a complete lack of respect really speaks, in my mind, to the all out sand box war we are seeing within Congress. Republicans aren't fighting Democrats - they're fighting something they're not quite comfortable with. See, no one questioned that President Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas. No one questioned that President George W. Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut. In fact, to my knowledge, no one has questioned the location of birth of any previous President of the United States. Our Founding Fathers were born as British subjects prior to the formation of the United States. What makes their births any more legitimate than that of President Obama? The only difference I see is that Mr. Obama is black.

I find it appalling that Americans are so quick to jump to such disrespect as is being afforded the President. I find it amazing and frustrating that people that are otherwise decent individuals actually believe...I mean, they ACTUALLY BELIEVE that Mr. Obama's birth certificate is a fraud and that there are factions of terrorists within the state of Hawaii that assisted his parents in a massive conspiracy to cover up the true circumstances of his birth. Come on...let's think about this for a minute like the Mythbusters...so, if Mr. and Mrs. Parents of Obama knew that their bouncing baby boy was going to become the President of the United States in 2009 when they had him in 1961...are you with me so far?  Right.  So, the parents knew that their son would be elected the President of the United States in 2009...yeah, I can't get passed that - how would they have known? How could they have known? Therefore, how could they have concocted such a massive and far reaching conspiracy to hide the true circumstances of his birth?

Yep, I'm stumped too.

What I'm trying to say here is that President Obama was elected to his office...just like most every President before him. The majority of the Electoral College thought he deserved the office. Mr. Obama deserves the respect of the office of the Presidency of the United States. You may not agree with his politics. I may not agree with his politics. But he is the President of the United States...and that is to be respected.

Happy Birthday Mr. President.