WELCOME to an odd mixture of Posts, Links and Videos on topics such as Family, Music, Religion, Current Events, Politics, etc. and all with my humor mixed in. And trust me, I'm verrrry funny.
I hope we engage in great conversations about all kinds of topics. So, don't hold back with your comments. (Unless you don't think I'm funny. In which case I highly suggest you reevaluate your position.)
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I'd love to know what your thoughts are on this post...
Part 1: A Contrast in Symbolism
The “jacket at all times to respect the dignity of the Oval Office” was one of President Ronald Reagan’s rules that President George W. Bush adopted and strictly adhered to after the Clinton era in order to help “set the right tone.”
You know, I think you can make a perfectly good argument as to why this is not really an important issue. However, I think symbolism and respect trumps those arguments in this case. Everything about the Presidency is symbolic in one way or another. Unfortunately, President Obama is definitely sending a symbolic message. Too bad it is not a very respectful one. I hope this is not a sign of things to come. The Presidency is bigger and more important than any one man. I appreciated the proper respect shown in the past and do not appreciate the “change” I am seeing on his first day in our Oval Office.
Part 2: Eco-hypocrisy? You make the call.
A few links worth checking out... and will help explain the pictures posted above of President Carter and a Snuggie Ad.
First let's start with one containing a quote from President Obama himself on the campaign trail...“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK,” Obama said.
“That’s not leadership. That’s not going to happen,” he added.
PICTURE SLIDESHOWS
Coming soon: pictures of the kids!!
One Last Thought From Me
Why not remember this act of love and sacrifice daily rather than just at Easter? Yes, this event is an indescribably joyous one because Jesus did rise from the dead but we should never forget how and why He suffered unimaginably before defeating Death and Hell itself on our behalf. He did so while thinking of you and me. In doing so he personally took on our sin, our pain and a debt we could not pay in order to provide a way to complete forgiveness and redemption. The truth is, either way death is not the end and being a “good person” isn’t a substitution for being truly forgiven.
God tells us that by simply believing Jesus rose from the dead, confessing and turning away from our sin and making the Bible the true foundation of our life, we will be forgiven for our sins and live eternally in Heaven.
As you may know, I am far from perfect and if you have doubts about that I’m sure you can find a multitude of people who can confirm that. I have made countless mistakes and bad judgments and will again in the future despite my best intentions. It is because of this that I am exceedingly thankful I can go directly to God and ask for help, ask for forgiveness and know that God's mercy is new every morning as I continually work to keep my foundation on God's Word. Truly accepting God's love, mercy and a true freedom offered in a life firmly anchored in His Word is something there simply aren't words to describe.
I have to admit that I regularly take that for granted and listening to the words in a song like “Via Dolorosa” is one way to help remind me of the sacrifice Jesus made on that cross. Deciding to live for Christ was without a doubt the best decision I made in my life. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t solve all my problems and make my life perfect. But I have a peace and hope only God can offer and I know in God’s eyes He sees a child forgiven rather than condemned. Now that I am a parent I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like for God to watch His children exercise their free will when they chose to reject Him rather than embrace the salvation He offers each of us.
Regardless of your feelings on God and Jesus I hope you enjoy the power of the images and music I posted. And thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts about what can be a very sensitive issue.
Posts
9 comments:
With politicians, especially ones with a(D) behind their name, there are two different sets of rules. One set for them, One set for We the people. Look at Al Gore, preaches his religion of global warming, telling all the faithful to drive little tiny caskets on wheels that get 50 MPG, while he flies around on his private jet and is transported on the ground by a fleet of SUV's. Lives in a mansion with monthly utility bills that far exceed the average american's YEARLY bills.
Unless hypocricy has been redefined like tolerance was This is one of the best examples I've seen in a while.
Ok, I get it on the utility bills. No reason for any of us not to keep the thermostat in a more moderate place. But, as for the choice to work sans jacket, in his own office, I fail to see why this even matters. This is the problem with symbolism: there are multiple symbols to be read from the image. You see a lack of respect for the job. Another person could see this as "rolling up his sleeves up to dig in for work." Really, I don't see how it matters.
The same argument could be made for what people wear to worship. If you're really reverant to God, you'd want to wear something nice, but I remember a lot of us wearing jeans or something more casual to church on a regular basis.
How you approach each day, your mindfulness of the tasks at hand, is more important than what you pull out of the closet.
I read with interest the last comment. Yes, that is one way to look at it. However, should your minister wear jeans for sunday service, weddings and funerals? How about the military wearing street clothes instead of uniforms for parades, ceremonies and funerals? It wouldn't make them less effective, would it? It is done out of respect. Don't think for one minute Obama didn't know about the unwritten dress code for the oval office. He made his own decision. Does it matter? It does to me.
Well, I see your point. For formal ceremonies, etc. A "uniform" would be expected, but I've yet to see President Obama show up for something like that in casual wear. Correct me if I'm wrong. Our soldiers have work clothes and then they have their Class As (I think that's what they're called) and pastors do work throughout the week and don't likely wear the robe or gown or a suit and tie.
whether your like or dislike Obama, his policies, his approach, time will tell if the clothes he chooses to wear have much effect on his job performance. And it's not like he's in jeans and t-shirt. He lives there; I'm sure his jacket is closely available if needed.
To use a cliche, don't judge a book by its cover. Bush always wore a suit, but I don't know that it made it him take the job any more seriously? Of course I'll never know that. And it is a bit early to make an assessment, but I don't think Obama is being lackadaisical (and his work ethic has nothing to do with whether we like him or not). He has a serious plateful of issues to work on. Maybe clothes are just not that important to him right now.
I couldn't resist commenting on this one last time. I am doing this not because I want to change the mind of the other commenter as that mind is made up. I just feel the need to discuss the topic of respect that is so lacking in society today. Children rarely respect their parents, teachers, the elderly, the flag, etc. any more and Obama had a wonderful opportunity to set a good example here and chose not to. The whole gist of my last post was that your pastor wears his suit, robe,ect on Sundays, for funerals and weddings out of respect for his congregation, the couple getting married or the deceased person and his family. You are right, it has nothing to do with his job performance. The same goes for the military dress uniform. It is a way of saying something is special and showing respect for the situation. It doesn't matter that he lives there or even if he has his jacket in his lap or how he dresses for other occasions. The point is it is a show of respect for the Oval office. Obama knows this. He made the decision to ignore it and disrespect the tradition. This has nothing to do with what any of them wear any other time. Perhaps anyone who belives that this is unimportant in the grand scheme of things should give serious thought to the true meaning of respect. Yes I am a conservative republican that is very worried right now, however, I can honestly say that without a doubt I would feel this way regarding the Oval office no matter who was president. Keep up the good work Britt!
Mom
Well, it seems I hit a nerve. I also read articles that stated President Obama's statement could be one of "rolling up his sleeves up to dig in for work." Unfortunately, I think that is simply a way to dismiss what would have been considered a slap in the face of precedent had the roles been reversed (had it been Pres. Bush instead of Pres. Obama that broke with that tradition).
I consider it unimaginably offensive what little respect President Clinton had for the Oval Office. And in the interest of "bipartisanship" I also abhor what President Nixon did in the Oval Office as well.
You see, Presidents have another office in the White House. One that does not carry the symbolism the Oval Office does. And that is his office, in his residence. However the White House is the people's house and the Oval Office is OUR office.
Sure we could discuss what some might argue as more pressing issues. However, I stand my my feelings that symbolism counts. And based upon how President Obama ran and won his presidential campaign it is clear they know the power of symbolism as well.
Anyway, I am assuming those who have commented are not going to change their minds about these issues. I simply hoped to offer a chance to share thoughts and open up the possibility for some to see a different perspective than they might otherwise hear.
I am greateful for the respectful tone everyone takes on my blog and look forward to reading your thoughts on this and other posts in the future!
This conversation has been pretty interesting. I definitely undertand the point you're making.
But, It's hardly the infraction or disrespect that either Clinton or Nixon or probably many others than you've listed here showed. Agreed, those behaviors are to be abhorred. They really are terrible.
To me, it's just not even in the same league as those kinds of horrible behaviors--but I suspect they were both wearing suit jackets while the tape was going or the other action that I won't spell out because this is a family blog.
Very good point. I agree they are not in the same league. I am only hoping this is not a symptom of disrespect that often grows into much more severe actions later on. Those more severe issues had to start somewhere and I am sure it seemed like no big deal at the time. But where does it stop. I'm sure you know it isn't about the jacket. It is about the respect for the Office.
I will never forget when I stood in the doorway of the Oval Office and felt the history and profound responsibilities that permeate those walls. There is a time and place for rolling up your sleeves (ask any politician when they do their photo op at a crisis...shirt, no tie and sleeves rolled up).
I was just hoping for more and while I am definitely giving President Obama a chance to succeed as a President (that does not include many of his policies - I do not want several of those to succeed...I'm sure that statement speaks for itself) but it was a stark contrast and a disappointing one.
I tend to be a person who lets others debate the issues and then casts her vote privately. This one is interesting because there are good points on both sides.
I will say this, though: the Oval Office heating thing annoys me. The highest our thermostat goes is 68, and that's only in the evening. During the day it's 58 and overnight it's 62.
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