"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear ofthat party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group,of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
--President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1952
I had lunch today with 2 partners from my firm, one of whom is a very liberal democrat. He told us about a bumper sticker he saw on a "hippy van" the other day that looked just like one of those "W" stickers that all the republicans have, except, instead of saying "W The President" it said "F The President"...both he and I thought this was hilarious!
But, the partner qualified his story by saying that he thinks it's wrong for people to have bumper stickers criticizing the president, because, after all he is the president. Of course, I didn't offer a retort to that because, well, frankly he has money and I want it....but I will retort here, because none of you people have any money!
I think it's ridiculous that people think particular titles should immunize people from criticism. Just because Bush is President doesn't make him any less of a dick (that clause is gonna make my blog pop up when people search for porn! LOL), and it doesn't make him super-human. To think that we should throw everything we've got at him while he's running for Pres & then just toe the line if he wins is ridiculous. My goal is to make his title as worthless as possible. I didn't think he deserved it in 1999 when he started running, and I don't think he deserves it now. He's still openly criticizing me and my friends, so why should I shut up about him? In fact, even our Supreme Court has agreed with me on this, that is why public figures have a higher burden when charging slander or libel...because we are supposed to keep criticizing and questioning them, even after they have the title.
We had a similar debate at our school over Justice Thomas. He came to speak and one professor led a protest. Thomas criticized the professor and those of us who joined him saying that if our school keeps doing things like that no judges will ever come here and our school will get a bad reputation. Really, Mr. Justice? Judges would boycott our school because the 1st Amendment is live & well? Frankly, any Judge that would do that is one I don't want on my campus. But many students agreed with him, saying that he is a Supreme Court Justice afterall, and we should show him respect. Even though he shows no respect for women, homosexuals, poor people, or the bill of rights...we should all show him "respect" because of his title! That is ridiculous. My respect is earned, not by a person's title, but by their behavior. And if they made bumper stickers for every stupid son-of-a-bitch I know, Nemo wouldn't need tinted windows, she'd be covered in 'em! (Yes, my Nemo is a girl!)
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Our political views differ and I like debate, but now with your degree in debating and I have a B.S. of B.S. it's a little one sided now, but I'll try anyway. I agree with you on this to a point. Does the office make them immune to questioning? Hell no. I like George, but I still question and disagree with some things, if face to face I would disagree, but I still would show respect for the office. That is an area that most people can't walk the line. They either don't bash or don't tactfully bash. With my profession if I bad mouth the president I could get court marshaled, I hate that part.
I guess I've never really understood what "respect for the office" means...but given my problems with authority, I probably wouldn't be able to do that either! If it means saying things like "Mr. President" I don't think I could do that with a straight face, even to Presidents I like!! I do call my Professors by their titles, but mostly the white trash in me rules and I don't use titles! Oh well...I don't think I'll ever have to worry about the Court Marshall thing! Besides, I know a lot of good lawyers ;-) (Could you really get a Court Marshall just for something you said?? That is really scary.)
I actually went to both: the protest & Thomas' speech (that's how I knew he said the thing about Judges not wanting to come here). I wanted to hear both sides and form my own opinion on the subject. My conclusion: Thomas is full of shit! And Wilkes needs a public speaking lesson!! LOL (now that I am back at the top of all FBI watch lists again....)
Well, given that definition, I definitely don't have respect for the office! I don't think I could ever hold back a "Jack Ass" if I ever got close enough that he could hear me!
One of the best quotes I ever heard in a movie was from "Dave" with Kevin Klien:
"I was hired to do a job, a temp job at that."
A shame most politicians don't remember that they were hired to do a job, and it's only a temp job.
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