Recently, a couple of folks supporting Lyndon LaRouche set up shop in my town in front of a Publix grocery store, seeking financial support and signatures for a petition demanding the impeachment and arrest of President Barack Obama. Unfortunately, their makeshift tent included eye-catching signs depicting Obama as Hitler with the caption proclaiming Obama a "Tyrant." Predictably, some local folks parted with their cash and signed the petition. Two of the new supporters interviewed by the local newspaper indicated they supported the notion Obama is a tyrant worthy of comparisons with Hitler because of his "unlawful executive orders and moves to amend laws." Really!
Since I have explained the sheer lunacy and ignorance of these folks with my classes, one of my students informed me she could not help but ask a teacher known for their ideology about their thoughts on Executive Orders. Their response? "Executive Orders are unconstitutional as evidenced by the overreach of the Obama White House!" As my students have learned, nothing is actually considered unconstitutional unless and until the Supreme Court has so ruled, so they were all taken aback by such a comment. You see, Executive Orders have been signed by every president since George Washington (with the exception of Harrison who fell ill on inauguration day). Not only has the Supreme Court never ruled on the constitutionality of Executive Orders, but Obama has signed far less than many of his predecessors to the office.
Knowing opponents of the president will grasp at anything to discredit and/or delegitimize Obama, they fail to recognize Republican presidents routinely signed Executive Orders as well. Would Obama's opponents criticize Republican presidents for their extensive use of Executive Orders too? I wonder? Where was the outrage when President Calvin Coolidge signed 1,203 Executive Orders? Herbert Hoover's use of 968 such Orders? Or Reagan's 381 or George W. Bush's 291? According to Obama haters, the president has signed far too many to be legitimate. The total number through Obama's presidency until today? 166! Yes, One Hundred Sixty-Six such Orders have been signed by Obama. Overreach? Unconstitutional? Hardly! And what about future presidential use of Executive Orders? Would there be such outrage if a President Perry, Christie or Cruz used Executive Orders like their predecessors? Doubtful.
Cue to the real problem with the LaRouche portrayal of Obama as Hitler (and any previous or future president's portrayal). Obama is NOT a tyrant. Obama is NOT Hitler. If he was, those setting up the tent and those signing the petition would have been treated quite differently. Instead of being allowed under the First Amendment to freely speak and assemble, a tyrannical Obama would have dispatched secret police to approach the dissenters in front of Publix and proceed to very publicly put a bullet into each of their heads, leaving their bodies as evidence that opposition of any kind would not be tolerated. Anyone comparing Obama to a tyrant or Hitler should be ashamed. Nothing in the modern World comes close to the tyranny of Hitler and his fascist regime. To compare Obama to Hitler weakens the public's perception of the true evil incarnate in Hitler and his fascist followers and perpetuates the myth about Obama while demeaning the survivors of the holocaust, the brave American GI's that fought to defeat Hitler's Fascist Germany and the presidency itself!
Yes, history repeats itself, but some things must surely be guarded against - and that is the tyranny of ignorance! As Winston Churchill once famously wrote; "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." Although Americans do have a Constitutional right to be stupid, it is certainly not an American virtue. Have a great, safe and happy week!
Since I have explained the sheer lunacy and ignorance of these folks with my classes, one of my students informed me she could not help but ask a teacher known for their ideology about their thoughts on Executive Orders. Their response? "Executive Orders are unconstitutional as evidenced by the overreach of the Obama White House!" As my students have learned, nothing is actually considered unconstitutional unless and until the Supreme Court has so ruled, so they were all taken aback by such a comment. You see, Executive Orders have been signed by every president since George Washington (with the exception of Harrison who fell ill on inauguration day). Not only has the Supreme Court never ruled on the constitutionality of Executive Orders, but Obama has signed far less than many of his predecessors to the office.
Knowing opponents of the president will grasp at anything to discredit and/or delegitimize Obama, they fail to recognize Republican presidents routinely signed Executive Orders as well. Would Obama's opponents criticize Republican presidents for their extensive use of Executive Orders too? I wonder? Where was the outrage when President Calvin Coolidge signed 1,203 Executive Orders? Herbert Hoover's use of 968 such Orders? Or Reagan's 381 or George W. Bush's 291? According to Obama haters, the president has signed far too many to be legitimate. The total number through Obama's presidency until today? 166! Yes, One Hundred Sixty-Six such Orders have been signed by Obama. Overreach? Unconstitutional? Hardly! And what about future presidential use of Executive Orders? Would there be such outrage if a President Perry, Christie or Cruz used Executive Orders like their predecessors? Doubtful.
Cue to the real problem with the LaRouche portrayal of Obama as Hitler (and any previous or future president's portrayal). Obama is NOT a tyrant. Obama is NOT Hitler. If he was, those setting up the tent and those signing the petition would have been treated quite differently. Instead of being allowed under the First Amendment to freely speak and assemble, a tyrannical Obama would have dispatched secret police to approach the dissenters in front of Publix and proceed to very publicly put a bullet into each of their heads, leaving their bodies as evidence that opposition of any kind would not be tolerated. Anyone comparing Obama to a tyrant or Hitler should be ashamed. Nothing in the modern World comes close to the tyranny of Hitler and his fascist regime. To compare Obama to Hitler weakens the public's perception of the true evil incarnate in Hitler and his fascist followers and perpetuates the myth about Obama while demeaning the survivors of the holocaust, the brave American GI's that fought to defeat Hitler's Fascist Germany and the presidency itself!
Yes, history repeats itself, but some things must surely be guarded against - and that is the tyranny of ignorance! As Winston Churchill once famously wrote; "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." Although Americans do have a Constitutional right to be stupid, it is certainly not an American virtue. Have a great, safe and happy week!
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