Booing the U.S. President
There are plenty of places on Earth where fans could (and would) be “held accountable” for booing the president, but America most certainly isn’t one of them. Here, with very few exceptions, we’re free to express whatever thoughts we choose, and that freedom, protected by our constitution, is one of the defining characteristics of our nation.
Those who feel that being unable to criticize the head of state is a legitimate aspect of government are free to move to Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Libya, Mauritania, Nicaragua, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Republic Of The Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, or Yemen. Make a mistake, and expect to be wired to a series of car batteries.
Another defining characteristic of the United States is our tolerance for morons, who somehow missed civics as they were growing up. Sometimes we even celebrate these morons’ thinking by putting a camera in from of them and letting them embarrass themselves and our nation on cable television.
Craig,
You are quite right, it’s definitely the ‘right’ of free citizens to boo politicians. (even an elected head of State).
However, is it always appropriate? just because the Constitutions guarantees free speech, citizens should exercise that right appropriately.
Frank Luntz is right to feel that a sporting fixture with feelings running high might not be a suitable venue to use as a political forum.
Do you believe the appalling actions of the followers of the Westboro Baptist Church who claim the right to politically disrupt the private funeral services for US service personnel killed in action?
Frank Luntz’s point is that demonstrators should distinguish between occasions when Donald Trump the politician makes and appearance and those occasion Where he is formally representing the Office of President in a non-political role.
On those occasions, Luntz argues, to abuse the President is to abuse the Office of the Presidency, the US, and all Americans.
He has a point.