DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum All This..."JUST for a flag"....

http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/robbins-report/2011/sep/13/michelle-obama-all-just-flag/

The internet was buzzing Tuesday night with video of First Lady Michelle Obama apparently showing extreme disrespect to the American flag at a ceremony in honor of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. As police and firefighters fold the flag to the sound of marching bagpipers, a skeptical looking Mrs. Obama leans to her husband and appears to say, “all this just for a flag.” She then purses her lips and shakes her head slightly as Mr. Obama nods.

Just for a flag? Even with all her years being around those who hold high public office Mrs. Obama does not seem to understand the purpose and importance of ceremonies. They reaffirm the bonds of loyalty and fellowship that cement our national unity. Yes, at one level a flag is just a colorful piece of cloth. But it symbolizes much more. It is the emblem of our land and all its ideals. It has been present at every major event of any importance to the country, battles, celebrations, meetings, and the lunar landings. It is a symbol of unity that transcends party, faction and time. It is something uniquely and explicitly American. Men and women have fought and died for it. Our enemies hate us for it and burn it in the streets. All that should mean something.

Perhaps Mrs. Obama thinks that all the pomp and circumstance she experiences in her daily life has something to do with her, rather than the unofficial office she holds. If so she should disabuse herself of that notion quickly. The official gestures of respect shown to her are the same shown to any First Lady, and if she wasn’t married to the president she would be just another citizen. Ruffles and flourishes are not hers by right, but by coincidence of marriage. Yet this is the same woman who said she had never in her adult life been really proud of America before her husband ran for president, so it is no wonder she might dismiss a flag ceremony as just so much nonsense.

All this just for a flag? Has anyone said, “all this just for Michelle Obama?”

link to site with video
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You know....I hesitated to post this....On the surface it looks like petty Obama bashing. But the more I thought about it, the more it angered me. And the more I thought about it, I realized my anger had nothing to do with the Obama's, but rather with the disrespect shown.

There was disrespect on several levels with this one single action. If you don't agree with the ceremony, too bad. You are in a position within the public eye and you keep your thoughts to yourself until such time as you are outside of the public eye.

Her actions, disrespected the Flag and all it symbolizes. And many hold that in high regard. Her actions disrespected those performing the ceremony and all those whom they were performing the ceremony for. Her actions disrespected event, which symbolized and remembered a time when this nation forgot all political BS and came together as one as well as remembering and greiving those we lost. She disrespected them as well.

There is a thing in this world called symbolism.

sym·bol·ism [sim-buh-liz-uhm] Show IPA
noun
1. the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character.

Miss First Lady.....Millions upon Millions of people invested meaning and character into "just a flag".....I am starting to doubt we will do as much for you.

I think it is kind of ridiculous for all this when nobody even knows if she said that. I just dont buy it.


KING

maybe one of the guys folding it farted

nobody knows what she said. i have leaned over to my girlfriend time and time again to whisper something in her ear like "look at that fat guy" or "i cant believe that person is wearing that." most times, it has nothing to do with whats going on right in front of us.

this is just a piece written to stir people up

When you confirm that that is what she said, let me know,, Then I'll get upset.

otherwise, this IS nothing more than petty Obama Bashing.

She could have just as easily been complimenting someone or something in the ceremony.

It does not appear she was complimenting anyone, to me she looked like she was definitely disgusted with something.

That said, I don't think you can make out what she is saying. I'm no fan of her's, and wouldn't be surprised at anything this woman says or does, but it's not clear to me what she said.

I read lips. It's very clear she said "you failed me in the sack last night".

That from experience of reading those words often?

Well, I could not make out what she said, so as far as I'm concerned it's a bashing. << and I don't care if it's a bashing.

Quote:

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Right. I'm sure she is going to admit it.

---

Did you hear about the time that a press secretary for LBJ was told that his opponent was gaining on him in the polls, to which LBJ said, maybe it's time we let the press know about the pictures of my opponent with a woman other than his wife.

The press secretary said, ,But sir, we don't have pictures like that.. to which LBJ said, yeah, I know, I just want to see him deny it.

oops. Meant could not.

Ah, ok.

Fixed it. Don't want to get hated on in yet another thread.

I'm with you DC. Putting your feet up on a desk is the ultimate sign of disrespect.

Okay. How about this as a question? Would you, as an Obama supporter, care if she did say what some people are accusing her of saying in this video?

I've tried to stay in the mindset that I don't care about people who don't matter. Is the wife of the President influential in his policy decisions and life? Most likely. But, she's not the President.

I couldn't stand Laura Bush. It wasn't anything she did, I just didn't like her. Totally unfounded, just didn't like her.

But, I didn't hold that one bit against GW. I didn't like him for other reasons, but what Laura did or didn't do never factored into my opinion of him.

If Michelle Obama disrespected our flag, then that disgusts me. But, nobody voted for her, so she's inconsequential, IMO.

But, you have to remember, I am of the mindset that I don't care about politicians' personal lives. If the guy wants to cheat on his wife, that might show that he's a horrible decision maker and a loser, but if he does a good job and represents my interests and improves the United States, then I just don't care about his personal life. We've had arguments on this board about that before and my opinion didn't change.

Long winded answer to your simple question, I know.

I would care if she said it, but I wouldn't let that reflect one bit on my views of the President, just like I hope if my wife said something, speaking her mind, it wouldn't reflect on me.

JMHO

You did see him nod in agreement to what she said, right?

While I understand the premise of not caring what people do in their private lives and who they associate with or marry, I disagree that it should have no bearing on deciding whether they can do a good job or not. People who are "horrible decision makers and losers" in their personal lives are just as likely to be the same in their professional lives from my experience with people. Plus, they are icky.

Oh, I agree 100%. I've known people who have done reprehensible things like cheat on their spouse, and I don't trust them (or their decision making) one iota. But that comes out of the fact that I wouldn't trust them even if I didn't know about their personal lives.

*Edit* Sorry, didn't answer the first part.

If she said it and he nodded, then, yes, I'd be pretty peeved (to say the least) at him, not only because that's disrespectful, but because it's supremely stupid. But, as everyone else has said, until we know for sure that's what she said, then I'm not going to jump to any conclusions.

My original point to DC was that putting feet up on a desk isn't disrespectful IMO.

I agree to an extent. While knowing of person life transgressions that I disagree with might sway my decision in employing/voting for/etc someone. If they are already in the position, I would be more concerned with there work history.

I know some business people who I think are complete aholes, and I want nothing to do with them, but dang if they aren't great at what they do in business.

And if we had a president who was banging a new intern everyday but managed to get this country debt free, and lower taxes for all of us, and get the feds out of our personal lives. I wouldn't care who he is sleeping with.

its all about the company you keep

how many times do you see a good kid get mixed up with the wrong crowd? what happens? that good kid turns bad even tho at heart, its a good kid

thats how i view obama. he got mixed up with the wrong crowd - democrats. hahaha

Looking at how they are abandoning him and his proposals ...... maybe it's them who got mixed up with a bad crowd. (him)

I'm not an Obama fan by any means, but that's not at all what it looks like she says to me.

I'm no expert lip reader, but to me it looks like she says, "See how they folded the flag?"

Not sure why'd she say that, was it folded wrong or something? I don't know the story, but if I had to guess what she said, that'd be my guess.

George Bush gave you a desk?

Like others, I'm no expert lip reader, But I'm pretty sure I saw the world "Fold" in there...

I'd assume she was commenting on how people fold flags, it's not at all easy... And if you do it wrong, you have to start all over...

But hey, let's just throw out whatever we want in an article, no harm right?

I honestly don't care for politics, and these kind of articles are the reasons why...

Well.. I'm an expert. I've been wearing a hearing aid all my life and I use lip reading for at least 40 - 60 % of my "hearing" I am unable to determine exactly what she said because of the verticle partition in between the POTUS and wife.

Another issue for me is that her lower jaw juts forward and it makes my lip reading more difficult

Flag is definitely mentioned.

This is certainly a newsworthy discussion topic.

I know where the desk comes from and I know what it symbolizes. I've seen "National Treasure."

I just disagree with it being disrespectful to put your feet up on it. But that's just my opinion.

I just happen to be right and you're wrong.