Two items of note have caught my eye recently that I find very disturbing as an American.
The White House can spin it all they like, but I think it's obvious to anyone that President Obama bowed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in London. Additionally, there was talk that the president might make a "head bow" to Queen Elizabeth and that Mrs. Obama might curtsy.
Then there's the curious case of a reporter asking the president, "May I ask you a question about race?" I guess you should credit President Obama for immediately responding "Yes, you may," but that is hardly the point.
I'm very attuned to the notion that in America, there is not a king. Despite the imperial retinue that today's presidents have, he's still just a man.
I take this to an extreme end, I suppose. I bristle when I see Americans bowing to royalty at Wimbledon as they enter and leave the stadium. I will bow to no man, just as I would not let a man bow to me.
So it's infinitely more galling to me to see the President of the United States bowing to a foreign king. It would be nearly as galling to see the president allowing others to bow to him.
I know of a group of American military officers who traveled to Europe many years ago. They had occasion to meet the king of one of our NATO allies. Some protocol drone told them that while they were not required to do so, it would be a nice touch to bow very slightly to the king. I am glad to report that these officers, all wearing their military uniforms, looked the king straight in the eye as they shook his hand.
Similarly galling was seeing an ABC reporter ask President Obama at his recent press conference whether she may ask him a question about race. Huh? Wherever Sam Donaldson is enjoying his retirement, I imagine he might have vomited on the television at that moment.
The President of the United States is not a king. He works for us. He's a public servant. Ask him anything you like. If he doesn't like it, too bad!
I read an interview with Sam Donaldson many years ago about why he was so confrontational towards President Reagan. His reply, which I mostly mirrored above, really caused me to think about the relationship between the president and the people he serves. The job of reporters at the White House is to ask the toughest questions they can. There's probably a temptation to throw out softball questions and to be deferential to get on the president's good side. But they're not there to be chummy with the president! They're there to hold the government accountable to the rest of us.
This can all be summed up in three easy guidelines for Americans:
- Bow to no one.
- Let no one bow to you.
- If it is your job to ask the president tough questions, don't ask permission first. If you're reluctant to ask tough questions, maybe you shouldn't be a reporter.
Note: Interactions between actors/musicians and their audiences are generally exempt from the NO BOWING principle.