I’m one of the last people to bash Bush and one of the last to pit him, but this is just ridiculous.
A Vietnam Veteran that received the Purple Heart (actually he received it three times–the man was nothing but a commendable soldier) decided that since Bush had suffered so many “verbal attacks” during his Presidency, he deserved one of his three Purple Hearts. The man drew up a citation and mailed it to the President, who, instead of graciously turning it away, he not only accepts it, but has the man come to the White House to perform a ceremony in which he gives it to Bush.
I find it hard to criticize the soldier here, I think his effort was misguided, however, the medals are his and he can flush them down a toilet or bury them under a stump for all I care. But to give it to someone who most definitely did not earn it is just not acceptable. It belittles all the thousands of Purple Heart recipients who actually suffered wounds in combat, some of whom died in combat.
For Bush to actually have the nerve to accept the gift is somewhere between arrogance and delusion. I mean, it’d be one thing if Bush had accepted it and done something gracious like say, “thank you for this gift, and thank you for your meritorious service in Vietnam, I’ll put the award on display with a small note explaining its origin.” Even that would probably be a bit tactless in my opinion, but perhaps I could stomach that.
That’s fine, but to accept it in formal ceremony as though he is actually receiving the medal himself, is just ridiculous.
I can only hope the article is somehow mistaken and things did not go down quite as portrayed, but I’m doubtful in that regard. I’m also surprised no one else here picked up on this (I did a search on the term “purple heart” and came up with nothing relevant.)
I have to agree with everything you said. It is the Vet’s right to do what he wants, but President Bush, should have the decency to thank him for the offer and not accept the Purple Heart. What really galls me is that Bush is little more than a draft dodger in my book.
Jim {Good Pitting}
Actually I believe recognizing the continual hypocrisies of the Bush administration is join the Light Side, but the weak joke would have been even weaker.
I think people have a responsibility to do what’s right when they can. Bush heard about this through a GOP congressman, the vet making the offer is a hard line Republican, major supporter of Bush.
It doesn’t stand to reason that the GOP congressman that conveyed the message or the GOP vet would want to try and hurt the President, even if he graciously turned down the award.
And if it came out, I don’t think Bush would have suffered for it at all. He’d be portrayed as humble and realizing that he is undeserving of such an honor, as long as he turned it down graciously.
He could even have turned it down and invited the vet and his wife over to the White House for dinner, in thanks of the gesture (which he unfortunately could not accept) and I think everyone would have been happy.
No, he should decline and say: “Political discourse in this country is what makes it a free and open society and as President, I am pleased to debate these issues. While the generosity of your gift is unparalled, I cannot accept such an honor that is reserved for those who suffered real harm in the line of duty.”
Did anybody in this thread criticize anybody for making political statements military decorations? I just see Bush being criticized for accepting the decoration.
I echo the sentiments above. Bush could have turned down the PH with grace and class, and I would have (however grudgingly) given him props for it. Accepting it is an ugly move. If the media wasn’t still tied up debating the literary merits of Richard McBeef and the perils of the 9mm Glock, I think this would be a mini-firestorm right now.
Like I said in my OP, the Vet is free (within reason, and the law, obviously) to do what he wants with his medals. He can gift them to anyone, he can launch them out of a cannon, he can throw them in the dumpster (assuming none of these actions violates the law.)
However, if anyone offered to give me a Medal in the form of drawing up a citation as though I had earned it, I’d turn it down. I have my grandfather’s medals from World War I (he was Scottish and fought for the U.K.), and my father’s from World War II. I do not present these as medals that I have received. They were not given to me with a citation bearing my name. I accepted those as family heirlooms.
Accepting them in the form that Bush did is explicitly saying he’s deserving not only of the physical object, but the honor that comes with it. It’s one thing to receive an inanimate object (a medal) it’s different, to me, to accept it in a mock presentation with a fake citation. One is understandable in many situations (like gifting them to descendants), the other just smacks of egotism.
I’m not pitting the Vet, but I think he’s way off base. NO, Bush receiving verbal attacks during his Presidency is not really the same thing as being shot in the lung like the Vet was, it isn’t deserving of the Purple Heart or any medal. He’s a politician, that’s what he signed up for!
Martin: While I generally agree with your assessment, I didn’t get that there was going to be a “formal ceremony” from the article. All it says is that …
Perhaps Bush will do something along the lines that you suggested:
If Bush appears in public wearing the medal, that would be waaaaaay beyond the pale. If he does this privately (no photo op), then maybe it’s not quite as bad as it seems. I suggest we wait and see what actually happens before reading too much into the article.
Let’s hope that’s what Bush ends up saying. Granted, he’d still be pittable for making a showboatin’ production out of his own modesty, but at least he’d be doing the right thing.
Accepting a Purple Heart when you haven’t even served in war is tacky.
The only thing I disagree with the OP about is that I find it easy to bash the vet too. He’s almost as big a douche for offering it as the monkey is for accepting it.
Maybe more so, in my mind. I can see a certain sort of twisted graciousness in accepting a gift from an admirer, as long as he doesn’t brandish it as his own. The reason for the gift, OTOH, is stupid beyond repair. Asswipe does stupid shit, asswipe gets criticized for doing stupid shit, asswipe gets commended for not acknowledging the rightful critcism and continuing to do stupid shit? Wow.
If Bush had a sense of tact and ironry, he’d hand the thing over to Clinton.
Considering that was the day of the VA Tech massacre, I suspect he had other things on his plate that day. Perhaps events conspired to deflect this bullet.