How Insulting

Am I the only one who thinks this is quite telling about the man we are about to elect our next president?

You know, I remember being taught a valuable lesson by my grandfather back when I was six or seven years old. The two of us stood there in his garage one sunny day (which is now my garage), and he impressed upon me the importance of respecting the flag of the United States of America. I remember him explaining to me the importance of never allowing that flag to touch the ground - for that was a sign of disrespect for all who had fought on our behalf. He even taught me how to properly dispose of a worn U.S. flag, which of course is to burn it with dignity.

Back in 1986, my dad took me to my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The Sox played the Milwaukee Brewers that Sunday afternoon. Being that this was my first experience in a large crowd, I was stuck by the fact that before the umpire uttered the words "Play Ball", 35,000 people stood in unison to salute the flag, and our national anthem. Of course, my pops had to physically take the hat off my head, and show me how to hold it in my hand, over my heart. This was patriotism, and because of these two men and others who impacted me at a young age, I understood it's significance.

I wonder - who was it that impacted Obama during his childhood? Who taught him that it was ever acceptable not to hold your hand over your heart during our national anthem? Is this a minor detail in the grand scheme of all that we face as a nation? I suppose. But for me, this photo says more than 1,000 words about the man, Barack Obama.

For those who might say that this was just a snapshot - I have attached the entire video of this event's national anthem. Warning: The audio is rough. This is certainly not Whitney Houston singing the national anthem.