Deseret News | We need to show respect for America's symbols

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John Florez: We need to show respect for America's symbols

Reason | 1:42 a.m. Sept. 14, 2009

John: You’re only partially right regarding the president. Yes, it's important to respect the office of the president, but that respect should start with the president himself. Obama has used that office (and his “team”) to promote policies that will undermine and bankrupt our country and which are often Marxist in nature.

He has used that office not to bring people together, but to mock, demonize, and target millions of good-hearted Americans who disagree with his plans. He has an inherent dislike for this country, and many parents understandably didn’t trust what he might say to their children.

Yes, his speech to the children was uplifting and harmless, but that’s because he changed it in response to widespread concern. If he’d given the ORIGINAL one, you can bet that it would have contained a lot of political indoctrination, which would have been inappropriate for a captive audience of impressionable school children. Obama is the one who has disgraced the office of the president. The parents, on the other hand, are some of the ones who love this country and its symbols and are sickened by what Obama is attempting to do to it.

Mike Richards | 5:40 a.m. Sept. 14, 2009

This is hard to write because I completely agree with Mr. Florez on every point except his main point.

The Office of the President of the United States is both a symbol and a job. We need to respect the Office. We need to be courteous to the man. However, as Americans, we need to stand as freemen and speak for freedom - even when we are compelled to speak against the man to holds that job.

HE should inspire us to be innovative and self-reliant.

HE should inspire us to carry our own water.

Have we forgotten the words of President Kennedy?

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

That is leadership. That is inspiring. That is symbolic of the greatness of America.

Mr. Obama needs to realize that, as holder of the highest office in the land, he needs to inspire the people to be responsible, to be self-reliant, to be Americans.

Ultra Bob | 6:48 a.m. Sept. 14, 2009

Unfortunately, John, we somehow let one group of partisan extremist hijack the symbols that once stood for unity and patriotism and turn them into background props for political hate.

The people who wrap themselves in the American flag and then proceed to strike down the purpose of America often shout about preserving the Constitution while they go about changing it’s true purpose.

Even to the point of changing the meanings of words to reflect their hateful agenda. These people are known as conservatives.

Until the normal people of America can take back their symbols, you may see a lack of respect and admiration.

Comments continue below

@Reason | 7:43 a.m. Sept. 14, 2009

Good points. I wholeheartedly concur.

Bro Chuck's Rant's n Rave's | 9:01 a.m. Sept. 14, 2009

Stop funding the Art's program's then. With YOUR tax dollars. That's the cure. The largest teachers union, the National Education Association (NEA), held its annual convention this summer in Los Angeles displaying its usual favoritism toward the gays and the feminists, hostility to parents, and support of liberal causes. There are the ones doing it.

The greatest symbols | 9:59 a.m. Sept. 14, 2009

The greatest symbols of the United States are "We the People" of the United States of America and the Constitution of the United States of America.

It's about time we started respecting these symbols of the United States. In other areas I am definitely ICONOCLAST. It's not even the flag that I revere so much as "the Republic for which it stands".

2 bits | 1:06 p.m. Sept. 14, 2009

I actually think I remember Florez writing and pushing for more patriotism and respect during the past administration as well. So I respect his lament this time as well.

But to those who had no problems with the Left's behavior during the past 8 years and just now got a sense of "we gotta support America and her symboles" Hypocrits like Anonymous and others... Not so much.

Brother Chuck Schroeder | 1:08 p.m. Sept. 14, 2009

We do show respect for all American symbols.

it's The National Endowment for the Art's that keeps trashing them.

Cut them off of all Federal funding, and they'll quit.

That's the cure.

Steve | 1:54 p.m. Sept. 14, 2009

The symbol I care about is NOT the Pledge of Allegiance but the (((Constitution))). The original pledge, under which we fought WWII, did not contain the words "under God". The First Amendment to the Constitution bars government from elevating one religion over another. Hindus believe in many gods. Various types of Buddhists have no gods. Wiccans believe in a God-DESS. When congress inserted the monothestic Judeo-Christian expression "under God" in the pledge, congress struck at the very foundation of the Mother-Of-All-Symbols, the Constitution of the United States of America. Do you REALLY want to celebrate that? I have no problem with folks who believe in "God", but a great many people have laid down their lives for our foundational values, chief among them is that government will not elevate one faith over another. Yet that's what the post 1954 version of the pledge does. Shame on us.

Revision | 2:16 p.m. Sept. 14, 2009

Wow! Talk about your revisionist history! "There was a time when most Americans trusted their leaders. That included the days of the 'greatest generation'; when their commander in chief called them to defend our country, they did so with sacrifice and pride." Anyone who writes this shows they have no grasp of the history leading up to WWII. Roosevelt was being vilified in Utah (much like Obama is today). People were claiming that he was trying to get us into "European Wars" and bring socialism into the US.

Mr. Florez only displays his ignorance in this column. Is it too much to ask that the Deseret News try to get some facts correct, even in their editorials?

@ "Steve | 1:54 p.m." | 2:29 p.m. Sept. 14, 2009

Steve | 1:54 p.m.

I don't think anybody said anything about the "Under God" part of the pledge. What made you fixate on those two words out of ALL the words and symbols you could have posted about?

Would it be possible to NOT take this topic off on a religious or ANTI-religious tangent?

Fred | 3:04 p.m. Sept. 14, 2009

It is interesting that he states one line from the Pledge and chooses a line that was not as used in the original that Bellamy wrote.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which is stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

That seemed to work until a Republican President changed it and injected God into it.

@ "Steve | 1:54 p.m | 5:24 p.m. Sept. 14, 2009

From George Washington's Farewell Address:

"With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles."

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice ? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

Whenever a symbol or office is exploited to undermine that which it symbolizes, then contempt is the ultimate respect.

@Mike | 5:48 p.m. Sept. 14, 2009

"Have we forgotten the words of President Kennedy?"

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. [Quote]

It's the government that needs to be self-reliant. We feed, insure and pay handsome retirements to them and their cursed bureaucracies. They are not "your country". WE are the country!

Steve | 4:44 a.m. Sept. 17, 2009

George Washington's opinion on religion is historically interesting, and like my mail carrier no doubt old George had a lot of interesting things to say. Still, he was just a man on a soapbox and you can disagree with the guy.

Quite simply, the Constitution prohibits government from establishing a preference for George's religion.

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