Friday, April 3, 2009

A sign of an amatuer...or worse?

The President has a penchant for displaying his ignorance of the stature and class required of a head of state. I'm not convinced this one should be classified as one of those "gaffes":





I'm equally not convinced it is a sign of impending Muslim rule in the U.S. as I've heard on a few local talk radio stations (seriously, WBAL, you've had some issues with crossing the line into tinfoil had territory as of late). What I think is President Obama has done what we all do - reverted to the culture he was brought up in, and he is clearly schooled in how to respect leaders from the Muslim community.

Regardless of whether the reason is pure ignorance, or incredible familiarity with customs, it should never have happened. This was not mutual respect; this was bowing down to a leader of another country - a country that treats it's citizens horrifically. And yes, I know President Bush held this guy's hand. That upset me, too. Holding hands, however, does not indicate subservience as this display did. This sent a loud message to the Muslim world - intentionally or not.