Barker's letter has unleashed a right wing fire storm about freedom of speech and President Obama and all sort of well, just plain ugliness. Those who booed where not high minded folks exercising their constitutional rights to free speech, which they have, but seemed disrespectful and low class. Shame on them for their lack of respect for those kids and for their lack of respect of our American system.
There are several issues to consider. First, let us consider what Clemson University was trying to do. It was Military Appreciation Day at the game. Clemson rightly wanted to recognize and pay respects to those who serve, served and were about to serve in the United States armed forces. As such, respect demanded that people put aside their partisan anger and salute young folks about to take an oath to serve our country and protect our freedoms. Disrupting the the solemn oath those young people were taking was just selfish, petty and ignorant.
Ignorant because it fails to recognize how the United States Constitution works and who we are as a people. Like him or not, Barack Obama is the duly elected President of the United States until January 20th, 2013. As such, he is the Commander in Chief of the military forces of the United States. The Founding Fathers of the United States Constitution wanted an elected civilian as Commander in Chief of the military in order to prevent the military from running over the country. It was part of the checks and balances our nation was founded upon.
History has proven them wise. Napoleon rose to ravage Europe. Africa and Asia have been riddled by military takeovers. South America is famous for Generals in funny big hats calling the shots. Not the United States, we have our military answer to a civilian that the people elect. Thus booing those enlisted inductees swearing to follow the orders of the President, whomever he might be, is a slap at our Founding Fathers and a slap against the Constitution that we in America cherish.
There are some other thoughts. Perhaps many of the boo birds are Romney supporters. That is their right. But, if Romney is elected, they booed the office that Romney will hold for the most of the time those taking the enlistment oath serve. Just a thought.
Another thought was conveyed to me by an old friend who has seen far too many college football games to count. There are people who enjoy their drink before such games, perhaps too much. He suggested that the boo birds were just intoxicated and did not even know the seriousness of their insult.
Perhaps they were intoxicated. We have no way of knowing. But, frankly, that is really no excuse for making the solemn ceremony of induction into the United States armed forces disrupting.
Indeed, the boo birds showed what is wrong with America today. We abuse our freedom to express ourselves to act out in ignorance to insult. The boo birds had a right to boo. I have the right to say shame on them for doing so.
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