November 28, 2007
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FENCE SITTER SEEKING OPINIONS
You all know that I am a fence sitter, so it should be no surprise to you that I affiliate myself with no political party and in fact avoid political discussion as much as I can. This is easier said then done, my sister and husband both enjoy rabid discussion of all political subjects and are often on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to issues.
SO I try not to let them infect my opinion and will read bits and pieces from the news, examine how I feel about something and then make my vote.
Something I saw recently bothers me though, it is a small thing, and may not be of much importance, but it struck me and I would like your opinions.
Political candidates from all over wear the symbol of their country, their patriotism as it were, on their sleeve, their lapels and often around their necks. In the guise of cuff links, pins and ties.
This is nothing new, it is an advertisement of who they are and represent or want to represent. If you look at many of the candidates campaigning now for a nomination you will catch tiny glimpses of these things. Except for one, one person doesn’t do this. He doesn’t wear a flag, he won’t.
It bothers me.
Perhaps too much is put into symbols and what they represent, we all know the meanings can change so rapidly. Look at the swastika, confederate flag, pentagrams and pink triangles!
But something as simple and stream line in its meaning as the flag of the country you claim to want to represent, to be proud of, to stand for.
Should it bother me that he refuses to wear a symbol?
Comments (42)
I think you are talking about Obama. I wouldn’t read too much into it. I think he gave some reason for it and I doubt he hates America if he is running for president.
There’s no reason to refuse to wear a flag. I’m not sure that is an indicator of what type of president he would be, though. Is it Obama?
It pissed me off that the flag became a symbol for supporting the war after 9.11. Who doesn’t wear it? Weird..
I heard about this, and While I likely won’t vote for him. I admire the stance. To stand out from the herd that has reduced patriotism to symbol wearing, that has reduced to respect of flag to a cliche, that has made political correctness the litmus test of whether you are a good American or not. No, electing someone who is the best herd animal doesn’t strike me as wisdom.
If you’re going to travel with a herd, at least consider drinking upstream!
ryc: mum’s the first to admit she (and admittedly, us kids) got in the way of anything dad could have been. i’m not judging; the fact of the matter is, she herself admits to having no ambition beyond whatever lot she was given in life. and if that’s the case, i can’t feel bad for her. or anyone else really, who doesn’t suck it up and do something to change their circumstance.
i haven’t made a decision as to who i should support in the election yet. but i actually respect it in a convoluted way – i agree with naomi, who said that the symbol has changed meaning throughout the past couple of years. i don’t think it’s unpatriotic not to wear a representation of the flag; rather, i feel like we’ve become so used to seeing the symbol that it’s more of a continuity issue than anything else – when we *don’t* see them, it seems strange.
I probably won’t vote for him, but if his reason is that he won’t use the flag as a means to get votes, then I admire him. Candidates should stop, well, wrapping themselves in the flag instead of actually taking stands on issues. It should be more important than that.
I think you have every right to be bothered!! It certainly did me!! However, I think he made some comment about why he wasn’t….just don’t remember exactly what was said!!
I think it’s his way of showing he’s not the same old “politics as usual.” I wouldn’t read too much into it; I think it’s a bit of a hypocritical, “look at how patriotic I am” thing for politicians to do in the first place. Of course, you’re entitled to be bothered by whatever you want to be bothered by, though. My personal opinion is that this just isn’t a big enough deal to be worth the time & effort. I’m a lot more bothered by the positions politicians take on key issues of importance to me than their fashion choices.
It bothered me at first…but after thinking about it…just because everyone else does it doesn’t mean that you have to do it. I’m not voting for him anyway…so I really don’t think about it much.
I am about as anti political as they come. I’ve never registered to vote and I have no clue who’s who and such. I did see a pic of him refusing to put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem. It kind of struck me as odd.
i have a hard time respecting anyone refuses to wear something because of what everyone else has made it mean.
if you’re going to be the head of something, you need to show some pride in it, sheesh. if he wants to be more believable why not wear suits completely covered in flags instead of showing no patriotism at all.
LOL At least I’m not alone
I avoid political conversation if at all possible. I do like the guy for being ‘definable’ unlike all the other genetic hopefuls.
Yeah poor Chew, the idjut
I’m not really sure that I believe his reasons for not wearing it, but then I’m not going to vote for him and whether or not he wears a flag pin is a moot point for me. I personally believe that he isn’t qualified and just because he is a money raising kind of guy and is charismatic to go along with it doesn’t make him qualified. But then I don’t think Billary has the vast amounts of experience she’s claiming either. So there we go, the one woman and the one African American that are finally viable candidates and while I want with all my bleeding liberal heart to vote for one of them, my conscious won’t let me.
P.S. Move over a bit my section of the fence is giving me splinters.
If it’s just about wearing a symbol, I would say, like most people here, it’s a moot point. There are much, much bigger issues at stake, don’t you think? I’m to the point where I don’t like anybody. What do I do about that?
I sit with Prairiecowboy on this one.
It actually in fact, bothers me the people who DO wear a lapel, etc. to show whatever … I mean, do you wear a flag pin/brooch/barrette everyday? Are you any less of an American?… Its a personal choice of his.. (who is it? I nevr noticed. See??)
Postnote: I must admit, I bought an American Flag charm Tiffany bracelet, it was the only way I could wear the Flag on my body… I have since lost the bracelet and am still a little heartbroken over it.
Honestly I couldn’t care less….I am more concerned with what’s going in their heads than on their lapel. sometimes symbols are nothing more than smoke and mirrors. as a friend of mine once said-if you need to hide something, misdirect them to look somewhere else.
ryc: since I have not really used photoshop before, I had heard 4.0 was a good one to start out on. I guess we’ll see!
I suspect she won’t, she’s awfully smart.
But I’m holding up hope…
I would only be bothered if he is wearing a pin from another country. Other than that, it is more important to me what the candidate stands for in their speech and actions, than how they are dressed. (to a point, I’m sure) No pants below the butt. lol
Him not wearing a pin doesn’t bother me but seeing all the candidates showing allegiance at the singing of the national anthem and him looking off into the audience bothered me! No respect! That’s like a slap in the face of America!
Personally, I think these kinds of issues are distractions. After all, to have one candidate draw attention to himself in this way (and if it is a considered approach, he is drawing attention to himself) simply provides a distraction – a point of conversation which replaces then the more substantive issues like health care reform, the war, gas prices, global warming and so on. The President elect has a seal with all of these patriotic symbols on it, and so if he were to be elected, he will have to have these patriotic symbols surrounding him the entire time he is president. In some ways, I think this is simply a superficial way of drawing attention to oneself without having to deal with more substantive issues. That is, he can separate himself from the other candidates in a way which doesn’t require that he have to defend a plan on getting troops out of Iraq or to defend a health care plan, and so on.
Perhaps too, what is bothering to you on a subconscious level is that you want a presidential candidate to appear … well … presidential. And it doesn’t matter whether or not he has a reasonable explanation for this decision. Perhaps the fact that he made this decision at all is bothersome to you.
I’ve become so cynical of politicians that I just don’t trust any of them. He’s not the one I would vote for anyway.
I’m not bothered. Symbolism has always been used to represent something…that’s all. I prefer a mans/womans character reflect what they represent. Anyone can wear a symbol and lie about it; but a real person of good character shows it through actions and words.
In other words, I’m not sure.
Yep, bothers me too. Something else that bothers me about him is that he was raised a Muslim. I know, I know. He claims he doesn’t follow that religion anymore but I can’t help but believe that it helped mold him into the person that he is behind closed doors.
Ummm… if he does happen to win the election, is he going to raise his right hand and place it on the Bible when he’s sworn in? Or will he try to take that away too?
Maybe its because I was born and raised (proudly) in the Bible belt, but I don’t want a leader who doesn’t represent the same things I do. Put your hand over your heart, damnit, and pledge allegiance to flag and the country you live in and want to serve!!!!!!!!
Amen.
wow! you really hit on a hot topic apparently. i’m mostly disappointed in all these people who aren’t voting for barak! come on peoples!!!!
ryc: “elegant”? i don’t think i’ve ever been called that before. thank you. i changed it again check it out. although “elegant” it ain’t.
I don’t discuss politics or religion very often, either, but in this case, you get a dose of both. I view a person wearing an American flag pin in the same light as a person wearing a cross. Both are fine if you like them as decoration, or even as a statement of your beliefs. But if you don’t carry your actions through to support the wearing of your statement, you are not truly what you claim to be, but are merely an enthusiast of that characteristic which you claim to possess.
ryc: true! and you know how much i like revealing breastage. i’ll see what i can wrestle up for xmas.
no, wait! it’s rustle up, isn’t it?
Dang Ang…….this has been interesting….. Barak was on David Letterman and said that he had been wearing a flag pin but something (I can’t remember what) had happened to it and that he had decided not to replace it because he thought (some) people were wearing it without being sincere. I was disturbed by the photographs of him not acting right during the pledge, but someone said that photographs were so easily touched up and mixed up….maybe someone changed the pics around a bit (might have been K8t working in her new photoshop thing). I need a place on the fence too, I seldom discuss my political opinons, I will say however that my 20 something children are very fond of Barak…..myself……. I really don’t have much trust in the politicians (well except for the first mother – I just love her)…………and ilym
I’m not in to symbols. I am in to supporting laws that are backed with integrity and fairness. It appears Obama has that more than most polliticians.
Imagine there’s so country,no religion to die for -we’re all a fellowship of man. john lennon remember that song? I think that is why gehovawitnesses don’t like the flag is because of that-blood shed because my govt. is better then yours.
Can’t tell you, I don’t know who he is… Local patridiotism is bad. Flags are burnt or rubbed into the memory of made up enemies. Let us become human. 10.17276 stones are 2278.69794 Onces (AV) and the 0.17276 stones made me bust my fave trousers today. Apart from the fingernail I did not have time to repair and which broke for good and started bleeding and some loud words who made my nest feel like the olden times, I am ready to stab the local internet-provider because I lost the WHOLE sunny day… I am still fuming. So please do not tell me the person’s name which makes you feel in the least incomfy. Winged hugs…
It’s hard not to judge people by their appearance but I try very hard not to do that. It’s what’s inside that counts…don’tcha know. Peace
If it were only possible to look on the outside and tell what the inside is like. Even the prophet Samuel couldn’t distinguish between David and his brothers without help. Symbols that can be freely worn without some inherent risk are meaningless.
Hmm – I never would have noticed the lack of flag, but that is odd. As theologianscafe said, though, I doubt it means anything.
RYC: Glad you liked the shots
I agree with ben1972– it’s a distraction. Worry about how candidates have voted in previous legislative offices, not what they’re wearing.
We donna need no stinking symbols.
i must admit anj… the fact that he out and out makes a point of refusing to wear one bothers me too…….
his name bothers me !