Obama does the right thing on Memorial Day
By Brian Kirwin | Monday, May 25th, 2009 | PolicyPresident Obama, in one of the better judgment calls of his Administration, ignored this:
“Last week, a group of about 60 professors petitioned the White House, asking the first black U.S. president to break tradition and not memorialize military members from the Confederacy, the group of Southern states that supported slavery.” (AP)
Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, and kept the tradition of sending a wreath to the Confederate Memorial there, as is usually done at the same time. He also sent one to the African American Civil War Memorial, which hadn’t been included before.
I’m one who thinks that Lee-Jackson Day is an anachronism. With all the great Virginians to honor, why those two? No James Madison, no Patrick Henry, no Richard Henry Lee, but Lee and Jackson?
But Obama is right not to make Memorial Day the platform for a conversation about slavery. Kudos, Chief.
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About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
Comments
4 Responses to "Obama does the right thing on Memorial Day"
Memorial Day started to commemorate those fallen during the Civil War. I can think of nothing more appropriate than our president to honor all who served during that conflict…including those heroic Americans who were misguided into believing they were a separate country by their traitorous leadership.
J.R.,
Watch out J.R., such obviously inflammatory remarks might get you banned from this site by the blog administrator, grin.
I agree that Obama made the right decision here. All of the soldiers that fought in the Civil War, both Union and Confederate, were Americans, that’s why we call it a “civil” war or a “war between the states.” Our President can lay that wreath with the hope that such a war will never happen again.
More Americans died in the Civil War than all other wars combined, It would be an outrage to dishonor over half a million Americans that weren’t fighting over slavery, The CSA leaders may have supported slavery but the Soldiers were Fighting for their States and Way of Life not for banning an institution that was set to be banned anyway according to the CSA Constitution.
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