Can’t
Touch This
The
news of June 30, 2008, said that Presidential candidate Obama “rejected a
retired general's suggestion that Republican John McCain's military
experience didn't necessarily qualify him to be president, as GOP surrogates
lined up to label the remarks indecent and disrespectful”.
“Obama Disowns Critique of McCain's Military Record”, by Beth
Fouhy, Associated Press.
There
are sacred subjects which are not to be touched.
But why not? It is a
legitimate question to ask whether a person’s military experience would
qualify him or her to become President.
That
President candidate McCain endured confinement, deprivation, and torture in
Vietnam
tells me something about his character, namely, that he can handle pressure.
But that does not mean that he could administer.
That
McCain has a quick temper tells me something else, namely, that he surrounds
himself with people who lack the acumen to advise on policy or that he is
intolerant of views differing from his own.
If the latter, that might be a good thing when he has to deal with
lobbyists and crass capitalists.
All
aspects of
a candidate’s life, public and private, should be available for
discussion, because all aspects of
his or her life will affect decisions. To
say that a candidate can separate the public from the private is to say that
a candidate is schizophrenic or superhuman, either of which should be cause
for pause.
If
you answer the multiple-choice questions below and e-mail to lessonanswers@mymontebello.com
with “Lesson answers” in the subject field, you will be credited toward
a “certificate of recognition in community affairs” to be awarded in
2008 by a local nonprofit organization.
1. What did an Obama
supporter say about McCain?
(a) McCain’s war
experience did not necessarily qualify him to be President.
(b) McCain’s war
experience was part truth and part lies.
2. What does this
incident tell us about ourselves, the American public?
(a) We rely too much on
sentiment to make choices.
(b) We pay too much
attention to the news media.
August 21, 2008