Respect for the Presidency

[El Casey S]

Recently I had an exchange with someone, which got me to thinking . . .

She said, basically, that in her area there was a great variety of opinions on the war, but it all came down to having enough respect for the Presidency. So - here are some of my ramblings - isn't America founded by a bunch of rebels? Why is it the rebellious South tends to show so much "respect" for the Presidency? GWBush wasn't voted into office by a majority of the votes - why are these people now showing so much respect for this office when he shouldn't really be there? How important IS it to respect the Presidency???? What does that entail? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS?:

[frogertgrl]

The President doesn't get any default respect from me just because he somehow arrived at the People's House. He gets to earn my respect just like everyone else. Stupid is as stupid does, if you will.

It's so old school to advocate respect based on title. Respect your parents because they're your parents. One should respect all police officers. One should respect the local priest because he has the title, Father, etc.

Disrespect isn't automatic for me based on title or lack thereof. Neither is respect.

Of course, I have the joy of hearing this garbage from my own DH who advoates default respect for Shrub. 'At some point, you have to respect him and support him because he is the one in office.'

Pass the digitalis, please.

[Joyce in the mts.]

I'm with you, Sister...

Title is just a word designation for a position that is often inherited and given without any qualification more than popularity.

Mere biology does not a "parent" make either...Joyce in the mts.

[El Casey S]

I guess I got too rambling with my questions - I really do, sincerely wonder if the USA really needs to have this "respect for the heirarchy" - if there is so little uniting these masses of long term resident aliens that they really need the LAW to keep them from chaos. That the fear of chaos is what is keeping the masses supporting this pResident?

[CollegeMama]

I want to respect all people, if they deserve it. So far, shrub hasn't given me any reason to respect him. I did right after 9/11, because I got caught up in the emotion, just like he wanted me to. This makes me respect him even less because he played on my emotions in order to get me to tow the line.
I agree that he wasn't truly elected and I pray we can get him and his cronies (and that's really the heart of the matter IMO) out too!

[Lemon Balm]

Uh............. NO!

[daylily]

I voted "Very", but before you flame me, let me explain. I think it's very important that we have a leader that we respect. It saddens me that at this time, we have a president who is contemptible. The question doesn't ask "Do you respect our current president?"

What kind of future does this country have if the last election set a precedent and leaders will be appointed rather than elected? If the majority of Americans feel that someone they don't respect is leading our country?

I fervently hope that the next presidential election is carried out fairly, and that everyone who has the right to vote does so, and that everyone who has the right to vote has the opportunity to do so. Maybe then we'll be led by a person who deserves respect.

I don't feel that a person who manages to arrive in the White House is somehow superior to the rest of us. However, every country needs a leader. There are many people I respect, I wish our president were one of them.

[Hilary Briss]

SCA Bush doesn't have any respect for the Presidency, so why should we??? How else can you explain his behavior?

[Kylix]

I voted somewhere in between because I think respect for the president is somewhat important. My morale is down because I do NOT have ANY respect for President Bush. I think it would be wonderful if the majority of the American ppl were happy with and respectful of their president. This is just not the case right now. Hell, the majority of the American ppl didn't even vote for the president we have now.

On the same note, it will be impossible for us ever to a have president that EVERY American respected but I think a general happiness with the president is good for the country.

I do not think respect is a given and granted automatically. I do think it is something that is earned. Bush has not done that for me and that is why I do not respect him. As much as I think that respect for our president would be good for our country, I refuse to give credit where credit is not due.

Kylix

[amy mama]

when the President shows respect for me- as a woman, a mother, not a member of the richest 1 percent of the country or a board member of any Fortune 500 company, as someone concerned about peace and social justice and clean air and clean water and wilderness, THEN I will have respect for him.

[Lemon Balm]

Daylily,
You're absolutely right! I read the title of the thread and I guess, I overlooked the actual question. It IS very important to have respect for the Office of the President. I was stating that I don't respect our current president.

[applejuice]

Politics in the south in a funny thing.

Bush was born in MA, but because he was governor of TX, his father is a "resident" of TX for tax purposes, and his little brother is governor of FL, then he is a "good old boy?".

His mother comes from an aristocratic New England family. Her distant cousin was President Pierce, her maiden name, and was a strong supportor of slavery, although he retired to Vermont. During his administration (1852-56), he did little to avert the tensions that precipitated the Civil War (1860-65).

Southern politics is not well understood by most of the United States and the rest of the world. This is a problem that was present from before the United States was formed, and is the cause of the Civil War, and continues to be a problem today.

My sister did her specialty training in Augusta, GA and lived in Columbia, SC, for three years. The Confederate flag still waves there over (or near) the State House. The ruling classes in SC are very proud of the fact that SC was the first colony to declare war against King George III in 1773 and again the first state to secede from the Union in 1860. My sister told me it was an eye-opener, because history as taught in regular school does not cover the Southern perspective. Her husband was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, so she was accepted as part of the community during her stay there. He was a "southern boy, one of our own".

So, let it be said that there are two distinct cultures in the United States: Northern and Southern.

There is even a cultural difference between the border states as Delaware, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri which were neutral during the Civil War and the Deep Southern States which had large plantations. There are no large cotton fields in the border states to pick here, so there were few slaves held here. The State of Virginia seceded from the Union, but the poorer Western region of the state "seceded from the Secession" and rejoined the Union as a separate state because the region was different in culture and economics from the rest of the State of Virginia which held large cotton plantations.


As far as respecting the President is concern: like it or not, he does represent my country. I did not vote for him, nor do I like the circumstances under which he was "(s)elected" but his office represents the country I call "home". Conversely, during the Monica Lewinsky scandal during the Clinton administration, I felt that I could not even discuss the presidency or current events with my third/fourth/fifth grade students, so I suspended that part of my curriculum until it blew over. But if Bill Clinton had graced my class with his presence, we would have shown the President the respect for his Office that he deserved. Furthermore, I am old enough to remember the 1960 election which elected JFK from the late Chicago returns which were suspected to be from registered voters posthumously. My parents did not vote for him either.

The U.S. is full of suspicious elections, free as they are supposed to be.

[Els' 3 Ones]

NOT AT ALL!

It is a free country ( ummm, sort of........like, well, errrr, you'll be OK if you don't publicize that Bush makes you :Puke )



El

[merpk]

Absolutely.

The "earning" comes when they are elected (or appointed, as the case may be : ) to the office. Even assuming arguendo that the current occupant was not actually elected, he still managed to become the nominee of the party of Lincoln (I hate when Republicans say that, makes me nuts, but it just fits the point of the post). He was able to "earn" that. As all who are eventually elected (or appointed : ) do ...

I have absolute respect for the office.

[applejuice]

In short, I suspect that I have respect for the office of the Presidency, but the person is another whole thing. They are only human.

There are even suspicions about LIncoln as president. Supposedly he is th only plresident to order the massacre of Indians in Michigan. They are all flawed human beings.

But the office deserves respect. The person needs to earn my respect. NOne have yet.

[Serena]

I have so little respect for Bush that it's hard to answer this question in context. But I realize that the answer is, really, somewhere in between, because I remember being sickened by how little respect Clinton's enemies showed for him; and I remember thinking, I don't care if they don't like him, don't care if they don't respect him, but they need to respect that he is the president of the United States. But it was also easier to think that because I did respect him so very much.

Bush is one of the most detestable people in the universe currently living. And yes, I guess I do have respect for the office itself, because it's one reason I hate him so much--he's so unworthy of the office, which is such a powerful one, with so much influence over this country for good or ill. It's a respectable office, inhabited by a man who deserves no respect.

[El Casey S]

oops!

[El Casey S]

Originally posted by Serena
And yes, I guess I do have respect for the office itself, because it's one reason I hate him so much--he's so unworthy of the office, which is such a powerful one, with so much influence over this country for good or ill. It's a respectable office, inhabited by a man who deserves no respect.

I want to thank you for your enlightenment- you have opened my eyes to one reason why I am so upset by this whole thing - and that IS because I respect the office so much and feel an unworthy person is in there. It's the whole Peter's Principle all over again . . . I don't recall ever thinking anyone owed Clinton respect for his office - I thought he deserved respect for the job he did running the country - he did a good job, regardless of the Monica thing - I am not here on this earth to judge morality - but it is my responsibility to judge on the job someone I'm voting on is doing, and this guy is not worthy of this job.

[1jooj]

I voted very. I think we should absolutely respect the Presidency.

And I think that a lot of times the disrespect for the office begins inside it.

That said, I cannot think of anything for which I might respect the current president. Not one thing.

The office? That's like respecting the idea of the president. Yeah, I can do that...and perhaps if we ALL would--most specifically those vying for the position--perhaps then things might be different.

[hydrangea]

I voted the third choice because I agree with those of you who say you respect the office itself, but not necessarily the person in it.

I do respect the office itself, and I think that in the governmental system we live in, it is important to do so.

I don't believe, however, that a country with a president or even a leader is the only kind of country that will work or even the best way, but that is how this country is set up and I think in most situations it works reasonably well. That's why I have respect for the office.

The person occupying that office right now though? :Thumbs down

Aren't we supposed to be able to question those in government? Or are we just supposed to keep our mouths shut and voice our opinions in the voting booths, which don't help much anyway?

T El Casey S, I love your quote.