THE BOW, THE FLAG, AND THE WHITE HOUSE PARTY CRASHERS FALLOUT

By R. A. Pearson

As an American citizen I have become very concerned about several items appearing in the news toward the end of last year. When President Obama met with the Emperor of Japan during his tour of Asia, I became upset, maybe even nauseated, at the idea of an American President bowing to the Emperor of Japan, or any other foreign leader for that matter. The second problem I had was the photo of Sarah Palin on the cover of Newsweek in which she appears in running attire, with which I have no problem, but the American flag is flopped over a table or chair like a throw quilt. This displays a complete lack of respect for the flag of our country. Finally, after all the hoopla over the White House party crashers, why did the Obama administration claim executive privilege for the White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers? It is the bow, the obvious disrespect of the flag, and the claim of executive privilege for a White House Social Secretary that have upset this writer.

As “they” often say, “When in Rome do as the Romans do,” the Obama administration protocol experts assured the American public and the president a bow was proper when meeting the Emperor of Japan. However, as this editorial is being written on December 7, 2009, the anniversary of the date that has lived on in infamy, Americans need to be reminded of the many thousands of American and other allied prisoners of war in the Pacific Theater during World War II who had to begin their day by bowing to the Emperor of Japan. Statistics show 40% of these POWs died from disease, mistreatment, torture, lack of medical care, starvation, and simple neglect at the hands of the Empire of Japan. For our President to repeat this humiliating gesture is a slap in the face of these POWs both living and dead, even though some protocol experts indicate it is proper and appropriate. At sea, the ships of our proud nation never dip our national flag even when another country’s ship dips its flag to them; therefore, our President should never bow to any emperor, king, Pope or potentate, be him from an oil rich Middle Eastern country, Japan, or Shangri-La.

Another point of contention this editor has had with the news towards the end of the last tear was the photo of Sarah Palin on the cover of the November 17 issue of Newsweek, where the U.S. flag was used as a drop cloth and virtual arm prop for the former Governor of Alaska and Republican Vice-presidential candidate. It is not the intention of this article to debate or rehash whether the use of photo by Newsweek was appropriate or sexist, the intent of this discussion is to discuss the inappropriate use of the flag in the photo wherever and for whatever reason Sarah Palin posed for the picture. The proper display of the American flag and flag etiquette has been a long-standing issue in the Clarion Issue as any long-term reader of the newsletter can attest. The display of the flag in the photo is a clear violation of Section 8, part b, of the Flag Code which reads: “The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.”
While Americans have grown accustomed to seeing violations of the Flag Code all around, such as rock stars with the flag used as a cape (Kid Rock at the 2004 Super Bowl), flag shits and jackets, flag embossed popcorn carafes, and even President and Mrs. Bush standing on carpet of the American flag at Ground Zero in Manhattan on September 11, 2006, one would expect better of Mrs. Palin for a posed photo for a runners magazine (Runner’s World) cover. As a governor who sent Alaska’s National Guard and her son to Iraq, she should know a little flag etiquette and the Flag Code. The flag is to be treated as a living symbol of our great nation and not as a photo prop. If Sarah Palin wants Americans to really take her seriously, she may start by treating the American flag with a little more respect.

Perhaps the final insult to the American intelligence at the end of last year came in the wake of the White House party crashers at the reception for the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, held on November 24, 2009. While the interloping, Washington socialite couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, may have caused a few headaches for Homeland Security and the Secrete Service, the real people who droped the ball were the people at the White House Social Secretary’s office who were obviously and obliviously eating caviar, knocking back Champaign, and looking forward to a dinner of curried shrimp and rice while the whole mess was unfolding. It is typical for the Office of the White House Social Secretary to have personnel posted at the entrance of any official White House event with the official guest list. This sensible observance of reasonable protocol would have sent the Salahis back out into the rain or into Secret Service detention where they needed to be and kept them off the news and their Facebook pages for weeks following the event. However, what is more appalling, is that an administration which promised openness and transparency has now claimed executive privilege in regards to White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers. This seems very Cheney and Nixonsque in the light of what executive privilege is intended to cover and protect and what it is not intended to cover and protect. The privilege should protect top national decisions and how the executives arrived at the decisions, not who sits next to whom at a state dinner and if broccoli is to be on the menu. During the Clinton administration Capricia Marshall, Special Assistant to the First Lady, Hillary Clinton, testified concerning the investigations into the Whitewater Scandal, the death of Vincent W. Foster, and other White House matters. The Obama administration dropped the ball on this call, and if this transparency, the President is “neck deep in the Big Muddy” to quote an old Pete Seeger anti-war tune from the 1960s.

The end of the year events discussed in this article are certainly not the milestone events of the last four months by a long shot. The surge in Afghanistan will affect the lives of our service personnel and the national debt for years to come, the nation’s unemployment rate is still very high, the health insurance debate rages on and will affect many citizens, and other issues are more important, but somehow I had to have a say on the issues discussed above. For our President to bow to any world leader, especially the Emperor of Japan, is unreasonable: it should never happen. For Sarah Palin, or any public figure, to be photographed with the flag as an armrest and in violation of the Flag Code is disgraceful. Finally, for the Obama administration to claim executive privilege for the White House Social Secretary, regardless of the situation, is an outrage and an indignity to the conscience of the American people. I only hope that in 2012 I can choose between someone other than the incumbent and Sarah Palin.

Editor’s Note: Who are the mysterious “They” everyone speaks about? As in “They won’t let you do that.” They won’t let you read that.” “They won’t let you show that DVD.” “They won’t let me sell that car for that price.” Here at the Clarion Issue we know who “They” are. T is for the trouble they cause. H is for the hassles they give. E is for the earnings they take away. Y is for you who wants to be one of they!