By Michael Seaman
College Republicans
Last week, President Obama bowed—practically groveling—to Saudi King Abdullah. As president of a country, especially this great country, the president should bow to no one. Many have seen this as a sign of Obama's weakness, and I am no different. At first, I thought he was bending down for some coins on the floor, but that is not the kind of change Obama was going for. He is changing us to be a poorer, weaker country at home, and now he is spreading it abroad.
Obama was instructed that bowing was not necessary or even appropriate unless one is a loyal subject. And he did it? Am I missing something here? So does Obama not pay attention to what is going on around him, or is he just stupid? He has insulted our great country and shown the Saudis his vulnerability. This simple concept goes back to grade school. If you fight back with a bully, the bully backs down. If you cower from and cry to a bully, the bully does not stop. Well, Obama has cowered and cried and in doing so has given these bullies, and our enemies, power... and hope. But I thought that hope was for Americans, not their enemies?
Obama holds the highest office in the free world and should stand strong at all times, especially in the face of hostile countries and our enemies. Rainbows, unicorns and bowing will not protect our country and keep us safe. All of us have been told at one point in our lives that actions speak louder than words. Well, Obama's actions have been yelled across the world, and if he thinks he can talk to these countries on the same terms as them after he bows to them, he needs his head examined. The kings of these countries, such as Abdullah, will view themselves on a higher level than Obama and not care about the hot air coming out of his mouth.
If you compare a video of Obama's meeting with Queen Elizabeth to the video of his meeting with Abdullah, he clearly bows farther for Abdullah than he does for Queen Elizabeth. Maybe Obama should rethink his actions and maybe America should rethink Obama. If this keeps up much longer, he may soon be on the floor kissing feet. When that happens, the United States is no longer the boxer—we become the punching bag.
The president of the United States should never bow, nor should he or she expect to be bowed to. They should never look up to another leader, but rather look everyone in the eye. This is an exit quotation from a 1994 edition of the New York Times, contemplating the prospect of Clinton bowing to Japan's emperor: ""Canadians still bow to England's Queen; so do Australians. Americans shake hands. If not to stand eye-to-eye with royalty, what else were 1776 and all that about?""
But, in the end, perhaps America is lucky—at least he did not curtsy.
Michael Seaman is a senior and the College Republicans alumni outreach chair. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
