Respect for Presidency Once Transcended Politics

Originally appeared in the Mercury News

In 1951, when I was 8 years old, our family drove from San Jose to the old San Francisco airport -- then called Mills Field -- to see Grandma Jenny off on one of her biennial trips to Hawaii. After watching the Pan American Stratocruiser lift off into the clear afternoon sky, Dad said something like, "We're going to stick around for a while to watch President Truman's plane land."

We saw the plane, "The Independence," only from a distance. It touched down and taxied to another part of the airport, not visible from our vantage point.

It was, however, my first direct exposure to the American presidency, albeit from several hundred yards. Yet I was thrilled -- we all were -- to be that close to history and to a uniquely American institution.

I recalled that day as the controversy over Barack Obama's back-to-school speech erupted.

Sputtering and sometimes tearful parents, egged on by blogosphere and broadcast blowhards, attacked President Obama's motivations and worried aloud that America's children would somehow suffer irreparable harm if they listened to the President of the United States talk about education.

My recollections were sharpened as I watched the president's speech on health care.
There we witnessed many Republican members of Congress acting like churlish adolescents. Their disrespect for the president was offensive.

Of course, neither today's congressional Republicans nor their more rabid supporters are plowing altogether new ground.

Democrats have also gone overboard on occasion, including when they booed George W. Bush during one of his state of the union addresses.

Unfortunately, political coarseness is a bipartisan affliction. But the recent episodes have been more glaring and more egregious.

So why the reminiscence? What possible connection could there be between Harry Truman landing in San Francisco in 1951 and contemptible political and social behavior today?

It's quite simple. My father was as conservative a Republican as one could possibly be. While not a nut by any means, he was a genuine right-winger and darned proud of it!

Dad couldn't stand Harry Truman. He thought him corrupt and incompetent. I don't know that Dad ever harbored a moderate political thought in his life.

To say that our political philosophies grew divergent as I traversed adolescence into adulthood is an understatement.

But despite all of his criticisms of the then-incumbent, we watched Harry Truman's arrival in San Francisco because he was president of the United States.

Dad believed that the office, and symbols of the office, deserved our respect.

In our home, active citizenship and patriotism meant reading the newspaper, watching the evening news, holding strong opinions, engaging in spirited arguments (oh my, the arguments), attending political gatherings and walking precincts for one's favored candidates and causes.

It also meant cherishing our nation's history and demonstrating respect for its institutions of government.

Many years after the Mills Field experience, Mom and Dad drove just a few miles to watch another president of the United States, also a Democrat, land at San Jose's airport.

This time they didn't have to witness the arrival from a distance, but rather stood in the receiving line to shake Jimmy Carter's hand, exchange pleasantries and give their son, by then a presidential aide, a hug as he came off the plane behind his boss. Dad was still very much a Republican, still quite conservative -- and still intensely respectful of the presidency.

Merely a sentimental recollection of the "good old days"? Perhaps. But are these principles vital to the conduct and preservation of our democracy? I have no doubt -- ranting of the bloggers and birthers notwithstanding.

Comments

[ProudMilVet]

All of this hate really started with the rise of Rush Limbaugh & Fox News. It's like a shadow government.

[JeanRR]

It is obvious that racism trumps respect for the office of the presidency.

[hardrain77]

Why this constant mythical idolatry for the office of the presidency?

We fought a Revolution to ultimately get away from having to bow before the King. Presidents should get as much respect as they show the people. If presidents are going to say one thing to get elected and then act on the opposite action to appease a special interest that paid you off, and ultimately give b.s. back to those that voted for you, respect is the last thing you should be given.

[dutchgirl55]

Interesting talking points. Do you have any proof?

[foxbat]

I remember when I was a young kid, the Watergate hearings were on all the time. I recall one day, while on a family trip, a newscaster on the radio was talking about the day's testimony and, in what I thought was an expression of "coolness" I blurted out, "Nixon's a fool." I recall very vividly the look that my father shot me. Now my dad was no fan of Nixon's, but he was a man who respected the Office of the President and made it quite clear that disrespect, even from an unknowing child, would not be tolerated. While my wife and I were certainly not fans of President Bush Jr., we have made sure that we have instilled in our kids the fact that while you might disagree with the person, the whole fabric of our country rests on the respect of those things that are interwoven into what we are including the Constitution, the Office of the President, the Supreme Court, the Declaration of Independence, etc. and while we've never been perfect as a country, that doesn't negate upholding respect for those ideals.

[skeck]

What do you expect from a culture which idolizes foul-mouthed celebrities and sports stars and their boorish behavior? You want further proof the age of civility is dead - try reading any of the comment sections on this website.

[tponzo]

Well said Les and a hearty Amen! I am a "yellow dog democrat" and proud of it. Have been ever since before I began voting at age 18. I HATED the Bush/Cheney regime and what they did to our country. There is nothing which I think that Presidential team got right in the entire eight years they were in office. That said, George Bush was our president, and as such, deserving of the respect due his office, then and now. As our current president, Barack Obama deserves the same. I have no problem engaging in heated debates/arguments about politics - and religion :), but the bottom line is that without the basics of respect for the offices and institutions of our government and society spirited debate just becomes chaotic yelling with no purpose or value. The lack of common curtesies and respect currently being shown (on both sides of the aisle) for the offices and institutions of our government is appalling. As the old folks would say, these folks got no home training. Btw I think I would have liked your father very much.

[LeftRight]

Two points to make:

1) I heard on Thom Hartmann yesterday, and realized that it's true in the case of my own children, No Child Left Behind has no civics requirement. Unfortunately this is resulting in too many teachers not even teaching the subject, since it has nothing to do with their averages.

2) I'm much like your father was Les, only I'm a liberal...­. I HATED George Bush. When he did his famous "landing" on the USS Abraham Lincoln I was in the US Navy stationed in San Diego, and on watch when AF1 landed at Naval Air Station North Island. Watching that plane land brought tears to my eyes....

[iblogleft]

It is hard to maintain respect for our institutions when we have parents so full of hate, they keep their kids from school when the President speaks, or School superintendents refuse to show the President speak (As my child's school did), and perpetuate ignorance in the name of freedom.

[galinha]

Well said Mr Francis. The office, and symbols of the office of President have to be respected. When one points this out right wingers rush to say they are being muzzled. But we are not saying they should not speak out. There are countless ways to voice disagreement. But they surely don't include shouting 'you lie' to a president in congress, depicting him as Hitler and a monkey and crying because he is going to address your kid in school. Once that line is crossed any right thinking person should know that it is no longer about policy differences.

[mamak]

The good old days...of respect and values. Don't think it's coming back anytime soon.

[ResearchtheFacts]

I am a veteran and mom of an active duty Marine. I am also close to active duty personnel in the Army Ranger program, Navy and the Air Force.

1. Fox wasn’t shown at all military installations until Bush took office and outsourced all food services to KBR, at which point Fox began to be shown 24/7 at all chow halls. So, all over the world, our military has had 8 years of propaganda shoved down their throats with their meals.

Anyone who complained was labeled unpatriotic.

I’m thrilled this has been stopped.

2. Service members already speak disrespectfully of President Obama – some so disrespectfully that they should face charges. Unfortunately, the atmosphere in the military today, especially the Marines, is virulently anti-Democratic among the middle ranks of the leadership. No surprise considering #1.

3. There is also a concurrent issue with the evangelization of the military. Our young troops in several of the branches are being force-fed a violent form of religious propaganda, even to the point of being told by high ranking officers that we are in a holy war, and that Islam must be destroyed for Christianity to survive.

4. Our military kids are regularly subjected to bizarre conspiracy theories. My neighbor’s son, an Army Ranger, bought several guns before he deployed to Afghanistan because his leadership told him unofficialy but repeatedly that Obama was going to repeal the 2nd amendment while he was overseas.

posted at http://hiteminthewallet.wordpress.com/

[LisaLisa1234]

That is truly frightening.

[LeftRight]

And all of your points are a MAJOR part of the reason that I only did one hitch in the Navy.

1) I didn't see this on the ship, of course, but whenever I ate in a chowhall I DID see it. It scared the hell out of me.

2) I remember when Bill Clinton was being impeached, and one of the guys on the base said something disrespectful towards him. He was sent to the base CO for NJP....

3) This one never affected me, because even the most evangelical of them recognized that I wasn't convertabl­e....

4) I can say with certainty that this one is true..... Shortly after 9/11 I heard so many rumors, even from otherwise smart people, that the Democrats were behind it in order to get rid of Bush....

[andycan]

The protestant fundamentalists spearheaded by Karl Rove have pioneered culture wars, which are a replay of wars of religion - in these hysterical exercises, there is no room for respect.

The challenge is to bring civility back to a sorely tested society.

[GianRico]

Les, I commiserate with you. Unfortunately, our culture has regressed to the point where respect is just a seven letter word bandied about to aggrandize the self. Face time and enriching oneself is par. None takes the time to read newspapers or magazines and inform themsevelves to develop convictions or opinions. Most watch one channel force feeding them sound bites to regurgitate and playing to their worse baser instincts and fears.
Imposing their point of view on others is de rigueur. Dialogue and civil discourse is not on their agenda. Attacks on those who hold a different view is vile and personal. The boundaries of elementary coutesy has become blurred. Agreeing to disagree has become a cliched adage. The combine Chamber of Congress, the last bastion of spirited debate and civility and a symbol of our democracy was violated when our President was speaking and there wasn't a unanimous outrage for the breach of decorum. We've lost more than nostalgia.

[MoMick]

Well said, GianRico.