What is your opinion on President Obama choosing to bypass the Traditional memorial day events at Arlington Cemetery.
ATRICLE - Availabe at the Washington Posthttp://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/05/obama-will-use-memorial-weeken.html?wprss=44
Obama to Skip Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery
Tuesday, 25 May 2010 03:43 PM Article Font Size
In a highly unusual move, President Barack Obama is going to skip the traditional Memorial Day event at Arlington National Cemetery to return home to Chicago for the long holiday weekend.
Obama sees it as addressing one of the great broken promises of his administration: his early pledge to return home to Chicago every six weeks or so, according to The Washington Post.
On Monday, Obama will make remarks at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and miss the usual tradition of presidents speaking at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day.
Instead, Vice President Biden and his wife will appear in Obama's place, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as holding a breakfast for Gold Star families -- families whose loved ones died in military service -- at the White House earlier that day.
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M$5 Answers
It's very rare that a President misses Arlington on Memorial Day, and usually for a national reason vs personal. Example, Bush in 1992 missed Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetary when he opted to pay tribute to our soldiers by going to the cemetary in Normandy, France (very poignant and what I believe most Americans would view as an acceptable exception to Arlington).
Sadly, it typifies this administration's attitude toward so much of what Americans hold near and dear. He just doesn't get it. But why would he, spending much of his youth being raised in a different country?
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M$BUT
In reality, he is visiting a NATIONAL Cemetery, Abraham Lincoln to be specific, and at the same time Biden is going to Arlington. Those that say he is not honoring our veterans are simply choosing to ignore the facts to find another reason to dislike Obama.
Much adeu over nothing, unless you would care to downplay the importance of Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/abrahamlincoln.asp
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M$
It's not about Arlington National Cemetery.
It's about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There is only one of these that is nationally recognized as the ultimate monument to our soldiers. That's why we guard it with a special squad.
Where is the tomb of the unknown soldier, which honors ALL the dead, where the ceremony is supposed to be? (hint: It sure ain't in Chicago)
The real insult to veterans was when first Bush sent VP Quayle in his place.
"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared' "
Once again here we go. I am not concerend with what others have done. I do find this though, that for some reason Obama supporters keep ignoring what I have asked. I am an independent and this is just nuts, but what I expected. What have you done for the country lately?
@maverick819, The question asks for our opinion. You are getting our opinions but just don't like them.
I see little reason to believe that you have thought about this independently or you would know that veterans are not all buried at Arlington cemetery and that it is not a consistent tradition of the Presidents to go to that particular cemetery. You are unduly influenced by the ravings of the conservative broadcasters.
Anyway, he's not the only recent President to do so, he's just following Reagan and Bush on this one:
"In 1983, President Reagan attended a Williamsburg, Va., summit and sent Deputy Secretary of Defense W. Paul Thayer to lay the ceremonial wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1992, President George H.W. Bush spent Memorial Day weekend at the Bush family's famed Kennebunkport, Maine, vacation spot, where he attended a wreath-laying ceremony at a local American Legion hall (and squeezed in a round of golf). Vice President Dan Quayle went to the Arlington ceremony. "
That's Bush 1, in 2002 Bush 2 went to Normandy instead, but Bush 1 just played golf in 1992.
Come to think of it, Bush was just following in the footsteps of that unpatriotic liberal Eisenhower, who also liked to play golf during the Memorial Day weekend and going to his local (Gettysburg) cemetery for a ceremony.
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M$
This is a completely loaded question. I don't understand why you've asked it if you've already answered it with the only answer you want to hear, as you've told others to "leave politics out of it" which is completely impossible. What else are we supposed to talk about? It is a politician and a political issue. and commenting that "what the other presidents did is irrelevant" is also pointless. If you want to vent and have others reinforce your own beliefs, that is fine. But I don't understand how you can ask people to answer the question and then say that their answers are irrelevant or bad simply because they didn't just rehash the same opinion you have.
"Why do you feel you need to defend this man?"
Maverick, he is going to a Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.
Why do people feel the need to attack him?
Eisenhower missed 1 in 4 years.
Reagan, Bush and Bush 1 in 8 years.
5 misses in 60+ years.
There's more to it than just convenience of location.
Arlington is home of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Eisenhower, Reagan, and first Bush did not only go elsewhere once each, they simply did not have any such tradition. You are just making up facts to suit yourself. Clinton was the first President to go to Arlington every year. I guess Clinton is your hero?
The Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated to those soldiers who died and whose remains were not identified. It is not a monument to all soldiers who died.
He is going to Chicago for a family vacation. The tomb of the unknown soldier is not in Chicago, it is in Arlington. He is not willing to sacrifice a family vacation in order to show respect for ALL our soldiers.
Going to Normandy is certainly fine, fantastic in fact, but I did not know about the American Legion Hall . . . that burns me a bit.
What the other presidents have done is completely relevent. That many of them have gone to Arlington is the only rational reason to expect President Obama to go there now; but, the only reason they have gone to Arlington is that it is the National Cemetery nearest to the White House. But they don't have to go to that one, there are others all around the country which are just as deserving and appropriate. In the past, other presidents have chosen other cemeteries from time to time. It is only the constant, obsessive attacks on Obama for every reason that Fox et al. can come up with for copy that has led to this particular complaint being made an issue at all.
Ever heard of the tomb of the unknown soldier? Chicago is Obama's vacation. no respect.
Here we go. Just answer the question and leave other presidents out of this. I am not interested in them. They can all be wrong for that. Why do you feel you need to defend this man?
He flew to California to promote Barbara Boxer and he's hosting a tribute to Paul McCartney on Wednesday, 2010. He voiced his displeasure with the State of Arizona, and didn't even know that one of his staff members, Director of the Mineral and Mining Services, Liz Birnbaum had either been fired or resigned. A reporter told him during his press conference on May 27.
His decision to skip Arlington is just another slap in the face to not only the men and women currently in the service, but also to veterans, and to every proud American who support our troops even if they don't agree with governmental policies.
Maybe he'll use his time away from the Whitehouse and Washington to reflect on his job as president of the United States and Commander in Chief.
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M$Answer: "The respect and attention of the President of the United States, the importance (in the presidents mind) to be made a priority)."
Well, as long as Michelle and the girls are happy, I guess that's all that matters to good old Barry.
A man who never served his country refuses to honor those who have. Is anyone surprised? I suppose his speech writers told him that they couldn't fit in an apology for how bad America is, so he told them in that case, just forget it.
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M$
"A man who never served his country refuses to honor those who have." so visiting Abraham Lincoln National Cemetary is refusing to honor veterans . . . really? Isn't that a bit misleading?
Personally I would like to see presedents rotate locations and visit every National Cemetary they can that would be a fantastic tribute to the Veterans that served this great nation. I wonder how many National Cemeteries have never been visited by a commander in chief . . .
There are very legitimate reasons some do not like him *cough cough spending* this just does not strike me as one of them.
Washington is the capital, Arlington is the grandaddy. It is the proper place for the ceremony. You really think the choice of Chicago is just a random rotation? Really? Isn't that a bit misdleading? Would you be happier if I had written "A man who never served his country refuses to honor those in Arlington who have"? Obama obviously changed the venue of his "respect" in order to conveniently fit into his vacation weekend activities which include fund raising, photo ops, and Paul McCartney? Please. maybe next year he can find a cemetery in Hawaii so that he can fit in a visit between surfing and golfing.
So he is honoring only the Chicago soldiers, and disrespecting all others, who WOULD have been included at the tomb of the UNKNOWN soldier (which is in Arlington, not Chicago)? I'll buy that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_the_Unknowns provides a summary; but, you are simply wrong. The Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated to those soldiers who died and whose remains were not identified. It is not a monument to all soldiers who died. It is no more sacred than any other veteran's tomb.
I didn't say the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier represented all the dead (vs only the unknown dead). I only said it was the aspect of the ceremony that makes it sacred, and there is only one nationally recognized Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
I will say this though; while it may not literally represent all who have fallen in battle, in spirit it is quite possibly the most revered grave of any soldier, thus the significance and controversy of a President at Abraham Lincoln vs Arlington National Cemetery.
Reagan & Eisenhower also missed Memorial Day at Arlington for personal reasons...read your history.
Sorry but Lincoln Memorial is not some "local" cemetary. Men and Women who served and died in war are also buried there, are you saying they don't matter because they are not buried in "Arlington"? What you are saying is a slap in the face to those who served and are buried there,including my father who served in the Koren War. Shame on you!!!
@walker57, if you read the thread of all the comments you would know that in no way am I slapping the face of any soldier, present or past. Read the whole thing and I believe you will see there is no "shame" in anything discussed. I'm happy for you that your Dad got a special Presidential tribute this year and hope that all families of deceased soldiers feel that their loved one was equally honored. Thanks.
Bush in 1992 stayed in Kennebunkport, Maine for personal reasons (golf). It was in 2002 that the other Bush went to Normandy.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is what is really sacred in this ceremony. Do you know about the dedication of the squad that guards that tomb? It might be Abraham Lincoln NATIONAL Cemetery, but it's not the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
I wish I had been more adept at articulating this in my answer above (this being an extension of it), but this weekend is about as close as we come to a sacred ceremony, since it relates to the dead, and any President, regardless of party, needs to hear from We The People if he delegates his role in this service to a subordinate.
Thank you. Normandy was fine and acceptable. There are other presidents who also missed, but that is besides this point. Have you noticed the people trying to defend Obama? WOW.
Did you actually read the article? You seem upset and want to stress " . . . It's Arlington NATIONAL Cemetary . . . " (Emphasis yours)
Obama is going to a NATIONAL Cemetery. Abraham Lincoln to be specific, at the same time Biden will be going to Arlington. Much adeu over nothing, unless you would care to downplay the importance of Abraham Lincoln . . .