Twin Falls, ID resident sings R-E-S-P-E-C-T

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2006/10/06/news_letters/opinion_letters.5.txt

Disagree with leaders, but don’t disrespect them
By ROBERT B. NORTON
Twin Falls

I do not respect anyone, nor will I read an article when they demean the office of the president of the United States. Calling our president (whether a Democrat or Republican) any type of name except Mr. President is not acceptable in my opinion.

I had the privilege to provide security for a past president of the United States. Did I agree with all he did? No. Did I call him anything but Mr. President, hell no! Did I like or respect what President Clinton did with a certain intern and the way he disgraced the office of the president of the United States? No, but I will never call President Clinton anything but sir or Mr. President. It’s not the man I always respect, but the office he holds.

I spent many a time with President Reagan. President Reagan overhead me say, under my breath, that a certain senator was a “member of the jackass family” after I overhead the senator say something I felt was not proper outside ear shot of the president.

The president told me in no uncertain terms that I was to always respect any senator of the United States and never refer to him or her as anything but Mr. or Ms. Senator. The president said that to do otherwise was not acceptable, and that it just diminished my ability to convey my point of view.

I knew the president was correct, and I never again (in public) showed disrespect for that senator or any other person that held that privileged office.

So when people feel the need to express their opinion on how the country should be governed by the president of the United States, I hope they do not belittle themselves or their views by also being a member of that jackass family.

REPLY SUBMITTED 10/6/06

Stop reading right here, Robert Norton, because I have just about as much respect for the members of this administration, especially the president, as they do for the American people. The latest scandal oozing out of Washington is just a small example of how they operate. Look like you’re doing what the people want but if you’re caught with your pants down (figure of speech), lie, spin, lie again, blame the Dems, blame the victims until everyone gets fed up with hearing about it.

Besides, what’s the big deal? So there will be some emotional scars from working in Washington. Many young people only a year or two older than the retired pages contacted by Foley but working in Iraq will not come home at all, will come home without parts of their bodies and/or with physical and/or emotional scars. Just imagine how much spin that generates by these idiots to justify their lack of concern for America’s soldiers.

Twenty-one killed in the first 6 days of October. But the fearless leader won’t consider leaving. He’s too busy learning those canned “cut and run” messages so he can continue to preach to his 30-something percent approval. Pathetic.

Aimee New