Leadership or the Lack of?

Open Letter to President Obama
May 25, 2010


The news, or I should say political talk radio commentary, informed me today that you, our United States President, would not be speaking at Arlington National Cemetery on this upcoming Memorial Day.  This day, originally set aside as May 30, now designated, as the last Monday in the month of May, is a nationally recognized holiday to honor our military soldiers that died at war.

"Mr. President, you are the Commander in Chief." as declared in The Constitution of the United States, Article II, Section 2.

I am disgusted by your choice to return to your home city of Chicago, to honor only those brave military men and women that are interred there; it is likely that every cemetery in this great land of ours have honored veterans.  To honor the most celebrated of the brave and noble heroes, which lie at Arlington, would be to honor all American soldiers that lay at rest worldwide. 

I say, "Shame on you, Mr. President."

You have traveled the world apologizing for past American policies.  You have not defended our borders with your policies.  You have invited Islamic terrorism onto our soil because of your policies.  You have encouraged the bankrupting of capitalism by your policies.  You have increased the national debt and enlarged government bureaucracy with your policies.   

I say, "How dare you, Mr. President."

You have again proved that you do not care for those young men that have sacrificed for the freedoms we all have.  You are snubbing the families and loved ones that have sacrificed their offspring, sibling or spouse, by your lackadaisical absence from the ceremony.  You are telling the children of these fallen men and women that they only rate the second in charge, Vice President Biden, that they are not worthy of your presence.

I say, "You dishonor them, Mr. President."

The national leader of our country not attending the National Monument Service at Arlington National Cemetery to honor our fallen patriots, on this Memorial Day in the year of our Lord twenty-ten, is deplorable.  They are to take a leisurely holiday, yet make an appearance at a local Illinois cemetery, in place of laying a wreath at the grave of the Unknown Soldier.  This is, in my opinion, political suicide bordering on criminal behavior.

I say, "True freedom, Mr. President, has been achieved and kept because of the patriotism and sacrifice of our Military."