By now pretty much everyone in the world that has a television or internet connection has seen the video of the Iraqi journalist throwing his shoe at President Bush. Now anyone that has read this blog for any length of time knows how I feel about Mr. Bush. Quite simply put I am not a fan.
I consider him responsible for curtailing our freedoms in this country, diminishing the image of the United States in the eyes of the world community and worse I consider him responsible for the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and Iraqis because of a war he started due to ego or oil or whatever but definitely not for the reasons he tried to give to the citizens of this country. I truly believed he should have been impeached for his actions as President.
But watching this video I was troubled. I know in the Arab world throwing you shoe at someone is considered the ultimate insult. I am an absolute supporter of Free Speech and realize that to have Free Speech you have to be willing to defend those words you deem insulting or racist or whatever objections you might have to them, but I can't place throwing shoes in the same category of Free Speech.
It the Iraqi journalist had stood up and verbally insulted President Bush I would have no problems, but the throwing of his shoes bothers me. I know most people have made light of the whole affair and even the President joked about it. But how could someone have time to throw his shoe at the President of the United States. What if it had been a rock? Or something even worse, like a knife. As much as I detest the President I would not want to see him killed. Where was the Secret Service when this was going on?
I consider the Dixie Chicks patriotic when they said they were ashamed that the President came from the same state as they did. So what is it about this that bothers me so much?
I really can't put my finger on it, but to me the throwing of the shoes at President Bush was not just an insult at the man but an insult at the Presidency itself. Insult the man, but not the institution is I guess my thought. The whole event has become nothing more than fodder for the late night comedians and a throwaway joke in the internet and I guess I just see more into it.
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2 comments:
Agreed. The whole incident has bothered me for the same reasons you describe here.
We have a poor representative in the office of the President. That he has diminished the office in the eyes of the world is discouraging.
Fortunately, we are now at T minus 30 days until Mr Obama takes the oath and begins the process of restoring respect to the office.
Travis,
I can't wait for Jan 20.
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