In a recent LA Times article, we read a story about how our president visited the Japanese emperor and bowed to him in a gesture of subordination. The Japanese emperor bows to no one, according to Japanese tradition. So my question is, why would our president perform such a gesture when you can clearly see that the former Vice President shook the emperor's hand during a visit in 2007?
It's acceptable for heads of state to shake hands, obviously there is no international law that exists that says that you are required to bow or display any act of submission to another head of state. Why would the United States, one of the last remaining beacons of light and freedom in this world, bow to the leader of another country - especially a country that we defeated during the last world war? During Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia, our President bowed to the Saudi King - arguably one of the leading Islamic figures in the world. Are you one of the people that denied that even happened? If so, look at this photo.
Why do I make such a big deal over something that many people would consider to be trivial or insignificant? Why do I discourage over something as seemingly innocent as a handshake or a bow? The answer is: it's a matter of principle. To some people, principle is simply not important. I look at it a little differently. Principles are like drops of water. While a few drops of principle don't seem important or not even noticeable, a few drops quickly turn into a puddle which eventually overwhelms you to the point that you drown - no matter how much of a strong swimmer you think you are. Folks, our country is on the verge of drowning. We are all on the brink of disaster and sadly everyone is still so enamored over what happened last November [election], that they will walk like lemmings off of a cliff before questioning an action. I mean really, people? Have we lost our sense of pride for our country? Do we really need to become so wrapped up with driving a hybrid and reducing cow flatulence that we lose focus on what is really important? Let me tell you something about this planet. This planet existed long before we arrived and will long after we leave it. A tornado, hurricane, or volcanic eruption is unforgiving. This planet has the ability to purge itself of the life that inhabits it. We are more in danger of destroying ourselves than destroying the Earth. Do you think our founding fathers gave a crap about greenhouse gasses? They perceived a bigger threat. Something even more potentially devastating than the destruction of this planet. They warned us about greed, about corruption, abuse of power. They warned us about ourselves. They were very careful when they crafted our constitution. The constitution was created to protect us from the worst case scenario. They lived the worse case scenario. They saw what a king or an emperor or even a president could be capable of. They came to the same conclusion; the responsibility of leading this nation should not be left to one person who thinks they know what's best for us but to everyone that knows what's best for us all. Nothing good can ever come out of a situation when the people who control our destiny can also control their own salaries. A garden does not flourish when we nourish it with what we think it wants instead of what we know it needs. The United States wasn't always the way that it is today. We have strayed from the core fundamentals that this nation was founded upon: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, religious tolerance, personal freedoms, and love and respect for each other. The president can bow to the emperor of Japan, but America bows to no one.
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