A Teachable Moment for Republicans and Democrats
by: Kenneth Simon ‘11The reaction to Joe Wilson’s outburst reveals the troubling nature of our discourse
The headlines after President Obama’s healthcare speech to a joint session of Congress had nothing to do with the fact that the public option will likely not be in a final healthcare bill as the President noted “the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage affordable for those without it” and only went so far as to say that a public option “is only a means to that end” and that his Democratic colleagues “should remain open to other ideas that accomplish our ultimate goal.” Instead, the headlines following President Obama’s speech centered on Republican Congressman Joe Wilson screaming “You lie” at the President.
There has been much written about Congressman Wilson and his decision to yell “you lie” at the President of the United States during a speech to Congress and he has been rightly criticized for this decision. Gallup released a poll showing that even “a majority of Republicans (52%) are opposed to what Wilson did,” but the simple fact is that Congressman Wilson has apologized and President Obama has accepted the apology.
So, any reasonable individual would think it is time to move on and find a solution to the healthcare problem that as President Obama noted means “every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage.” Instead, the House of Representatives used Tuesday afternoon to debate and vote on a resolution to admonish Congressman Wilson for his actions.
As it has been reported, the same characters condemning Congressman Wilson were quiet when Congressman Pete Stark (D-CA), on the floor of the House of Representatives, called President George W. Bush a liar twice and at one point accused President Bush of sending troops to Iraq to get their heads blown up for his amusement. There is no excuse for the behavior of Congressman Wilson, but the hypocritically sanctimonious nonsense from the Democratic leadership in Washington is indicative of the real problem in this country.
The Office of President is now seen as just another political office due only limited respect. Of course each political party adds importance to the office when their respective party is in charge, but I am reminded of a lecture by Roger Barrus, Elliot Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs, where he pointed out that one must give the same Presidential powers, and I would add respect, to the office of the Presidency whether or not one’s particular party attains it. One cannot argue that Presidents should wield strong power when their party is in charge, but take the opposite stance when the opposing party takes over. The same concept applies to the respect one gives to the office.
On a similar note, in a letter to the editor a few weeks ago, Conor Sanders correctly noted that “One of the strongest aspects of our college is the fact that regardless of where we stand or what we believe, there is a genuine respect for one another. It does not matter who you are, where you come from, or what you look or act like. We are all connected together by an indelible bond that we are Hampden-Sydney men, and that we must do our best to comport ourselves as honorable gentlemen.”
The President of the United States deserves the respect of every individual in this nation, not because he or she is a Democrat or Republican, but instead because he or she presides over the highest office our nation can bestow upon anyone and Americans should always hold the office in high regard. But, I believe there is something much more worrisome about the debate surrounding Congressman Wilson’s decision and that is the notion that race is the reason the President is facing such “torment.”
Maureen Dowd, New York Times op-ed columnist, asserted that Wilson’s rant was simply a result of the fact, in her mind, that “for two centuries, the South has feared a takeover by blacks or the feds” and that “in Obama, they have both.” Even former President Jimmy Carter has weighed in and believes that race is the reason for the tone against President Obama. Let me be very clear, there are still individuals with a blatant disdain for the notion of a bi-racial President, but the fact that the President is facing an intense challenge is not due to his race. Congressman Stark, I would venture to guess, did not attack President Bush in such a vile way because of his race.
Moreover, liberal Democrats have a tendency to call the Republican opposition to any minority politician or nominee racist. If one could only imagine the hysteria that would be caused if the same accusations were hurled at them as they opposed qualified minorities like Justice Clarence Thomas and former Appeals Court nominee Miguel Estrada. I just find it truly offensive that we must revert to same old tired attacks of yesteryear to gain political points.
It is a fact that President Obama received more white votes than Senator John Kerry did in the 2004 election and so I find it terribly ridiculous to contend that the reason President Obama is facing such a challenge is because of his racial background.
President Obama coined the phrase “teachable moment” during his own time of rhetorical blunders when he asserted, without knowing all the facts of the case, that police had “acted stupidly” in arresting Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. This moment is undoubtedly a teachable moment for both Democrats and Republicans: the Office of President should be given respect. This respect does not mean quietly going along with injurious policy; even President Obama said, “If you misrepresent what’s in this plan, we will call you out.”
The problem was not that Congressman Wilson called out the President. Instead the problem was both the location and tone of the statement. If after the speech Congressman Wilson had said, “The President was not being forthright when he said this bill would not cover illegal immigrants” this controversy would have been avoided and this debate could have become substantive, not petulant and divisive. It is high time that the Office of the President be given the respect it is due by both Democrats and Republicans.
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