United We Stand

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MY COMMENT:  It is a temptation not to make disparaging remarks about President Obama’s character because he did not attend Justice Scalia’s funeral.  However, he is an employee of the American people, and as my employee I think it is more appropriate to remark on his job performance.

Every country has a political and a ceremonial head of state.  For example, in Great Britain the prime minister is the political head of state, and Queen Elizabeth II is the ceremonial head of state.  In the Unites States the president wears both hats.

DISCLAIMER:  If the president stayed away from the funeral for security reasons, that is reasonable.  It also reasonable that he would not want to publicly announce that he stayed away for security reasons.  It would give the terrorists and others too much prestige.

The news media gave conflicting reports about the reason President Obama did not attend the funeral.  One report was that he felt it would be turned into a “political football” if he attended.  So, he sent Vice President Biden instead, while paying his personal respects at the viewing.  The other report that I am aware of was that he sent the vice president because he was busy selecting his nominee to be Justice Scalia’s successor.  The prima fascia evidence provides nothing that should have prevented his attendance.

Certainly, there is ample precedent for the vice president to attend funerals of behalf of the president.  However, absenting himself from this type of ceremonial duty seems to be a pattern for Mr. Obama.  He did not attend Margaret Thatcher’s funeral, and no ally has supported the United States more since World War II than Great Britain.  He did not attend a memorial for the fallen in Paris following a mass shooting.  Many of the leaders of the free world participated in that march in Paris, and President Obama’s absence was conspicuous.  Is it any wonder that our friends no longer feel they can count on us for support?

According to Megyn Kelly of Fox News, Mr. Obama’s failure to attend Justice Scalia’s funeral was the first time that the president did not attend the funeral of a justice of the Supreme Court when both were in office.  The Supreme Court is “the highest court in the land,” and the pinnacle of the judicial branch of our government.  President Obama seems to be unable to recognize any authority to be equal to, or greater than himself, and that is one of his greatest failures as a president.

I believe that avoiding Justice Scalia’s funeral, at the very least, gave the appearance of wrong doing.  It also gave conspiracy theorists one more thing to add to their list of suspicions about the circumstances surrounding Justice Scalia’s death.  NOTE: The issue of the National Enquirer on sale at this writing bears the headline, “Scalia Was Murdered.”

Unfortunately, this is one more disappointment to add to a long litany of disappointments in Mr. Obama’s job performance.  His presidency, in my view, is a failed presidency.

Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” (Matt. 12:25 NIV) President Obama has been called the “Divider in Chief.”  Soon we will be electing a new president.  When you choose who will vote for, please use the ability to bring us together as a nation as one of the criteria in making your selection.