American Dinosaur

The office of the President of the United States deserves your respect without regard to any opinion you may have of the occupant of that office. Your point of view is misguided and ill-informed, and a poor reflection of your character.

Dan Patterson
Arrogant Infidel

No Dan, I just think this is ridiculous to spend this much time on a President, who may have had great character but was not a world leader. For my state to decide to make a holiday out of it pisses me off. If federal employees want to take the day and visit a memorial service is fine. To decide they all should is just a monumental waste of resources at taxpayer expense. You obviously don't know me at all.

I apologize for personalizing my comment; you are correct that I do not know you, and on an academic level a non-productive day with pay is by definition a waste of time. But that was not my point.

Despite what one might think of the occupant, the President of the United States is a world leader, and remains so without regard to his popularity, celebrity status, or his political effectiveness and accomplishments. To use your example: At Jimmy Carter's death the same gratitude and respect will be shown to him as has been shown to Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, and Millard Fillmore. If people choose to use the event as an excuse for a vacation, they are guilty of poor manners and questionable character and I do not apologize for making that judgement.

And it is so because it is the right thing to do. Yes, the cessation of business by the entire Federal government engine is an inconvenience at least. And the particulars of a president's character may lend one to question the pomp and circumstance in the face of an unplanned interruption. But just as military honors are given freely and with prejudice to those who've fallen in defense of the country--and done so not because of their civilian status or popularity but because they honorably served the nation--the citizens and their government will rightly pay respect to the men and their families who've served the nation and the world by holding the highest office in the United States.

Dan Patterson

Man I hate when my clay feet are exposed so eloquently. I meant no disrespect to President Ford, I just loathe the same treatment for Carter even if he deserves it. I try to teach my children that they must act with civility and respect even when their inclination is otherwise. I guess I should practise what I preach.

Personally, I think it's a shame that while Federal offices were closed, many public schools were not. Is that the way to teach respect to America's youth?