The Age of Disrespect

One political party in the US has been on a slow train to a dark and sad location for many years. The journey has been long and deliberate and the final destination is a place called "Disrespect". In my lifetime, I can't remember another President or even a Government official that has been attacked and hated in any way similar to President Obama. I know, I can already hear the republican wanna be victims crying about the way Bush was treated but let's be clear, the next image that someone shows me with elected officials yelling, shouting down or getting in the face of Bush, will be the very first one ever. It simply never happened. Conservatives were the first ones to demand that everyone respect the office of the President, even if he did commit war crimes or send our sons and daughters to die for a false cause. Sure there were some Americans who took issue and tried to protest the Bush administration but they were kept far away from view, not allowed at functions and never showed up with guns at protest rallies. Zero Democratic officials ever offered any public disrespect to Bush or even Cheney. Obama has endured a greatest hits collection of racism and violent rhetoric. Let's look at the following links as further proof. In case you forgot, the President was openly heckled during a speech to congress. This particular video shows the famous "You Lie" comment by a South Carolina redneck politician who went on to raise money from his lack of manners. The things that were lost in this video clip were the other republican members who were talking back during the whole speech and waving papers and signs and the President as well. Some of their papers were supposed to be bills but turned out to be blank just like their souls.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aE_nEoE5kE&feature=fvst

We won't also get into the tea party idiots who took up arms and spit on Democratic leaders who were going to Capital Hill to vote on the health care law. Let's next take up the Birth Certificate fiasco. There have been too many republican politicians to even mention here that have questioned or refused to admit that President Obama is a legitimate President or even a US citizen. Any reasonable person knows that if there were any proof, in the slightest that Obama wasn't a legitimate citizen, his enemies would have stopped him in his tracks long before he was ever able to run for President. The following clip shows Obama taking the high road as always. Here, he roasts his most vocal critic at the time, Donald Trump. As we discuss this, there are still States trying to block him from being included on their ballots for the next Presidential race. Let me go ahead and break this down for them. Even if a racist state decided to block Obama in their state, it would quickly be over ruled on the Federal level and there would probably be fines imposed for bringing such a stupid theory to the courts. I'm not even going to justify the other birth certificate talkers with a clip. Tom Delay may have the most goofy quote on the matter when he actually asked for the President to show his "gift certificate". I'm going to assume that he was drunk at the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8TwRmX6zs4

We now have republicans who are running for President and using racial overtones to appeal to the racist South voters. Newt has staked his claim to tapping into racism and hatred of Obama. The following clip discusses him calling President Obama a "food stamp" President. Newt and Mr. Google search, Santorum  have bought into the whole idea of making white people afraid that Obama is secretly working to help Black people and to take from White people. There's only one party that finds a home for racist politicians and hate speech and it certainly isn't the Democratic Party. Liberals are talking in terms of making America strong and building a better tomorrow while republicans are trying to set back race relations 100 years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcwgUWje0LE

We've also had professional athletes who have refused to go to the White House because they don't want to meet President Obama. The following article shows a goalkeeper for the Boston Bruins who declined an invitation to the White House as a protest. Whatever happened to respect and civility and common decency?
Hockey Player Disrespects The President

There are many others but I want to end with the latest example of blatant disrespect given to President Obama. Governor Jan Brewer tried to make news and sell books by confronting the President and ultimately pointing her grim reaper looking finger in his face for all to see. John Boehner and Eric Cantor have also shown little to no respect for the President by refusing his invitations to meetings.
Brewer Disrespects The President

In the end, this is not a both party issue but it is simply the republicans reaping what they have sown. For years, they have allowed Rush and fox to attack Liberals on a daily basis and have mixed Christianity and Sports with right wing politics to the point of believing that Democrats and Liberals are going to hell and should be assaulted verbally and physically. What use to be said in private is now out in the open and it has reached the point where their elected officials on the republican side agree with the racist and wrong headed audience of conservative voters. President Obama and his beautiful family have been gracious in the face of open racism and have chosen to take the high road in every situation. I can only hope and pray that the republicans come to their collective senses at some point before they are forced to face their demons after their disrespect and hatred come to fruition in a most unfortunate way.

01/27/2012 1:50 TSD