Political Football
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When the President of the United States invites you to the White House to honor you, you accept
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This week, the 1972 Miami Dolphins will visit the White House to be honored for their perfect season. But according to a report in the Sun-Sentinel, at least three ex-Dolphins won’t be visiting the White House because of their dislike for President Obama, and two more “are on the fence about going for the same reason.”
“We’ve got some real moral compass issues in Washington,” former center Jim Langer told the paper. “I don’t want to be in a room with those people and pretend I’m having a good time. I can’t do that. If that [angers] people, so be it.”
Bob Kuechenberg, the starting left guard on the ’72 team, echoed Langer’s opinion, saying, “I want to be careful, because mom said if you have nothing good to say about someone, then don’t say anything. I don’t have anything good to say about someone.
“I don’t belong there, I’ll tell you that,” Kuechenberg continued. “Without being critical, I can just tell you I don’t belong. It would be hypocritical of me to be there. I don’t want to do that. I just don’t believe in this administration at all. So I don’t belong. Anyone on the left or the right has to respect one man’s opinion.”
The 1972 Miami Dolphins were a perfect football team; they should stick to such sport and not politics
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Defensive tackle Manny Fernandez took a more simplified approach, telling the Sun-Sentinel, “I’ll just say my views are diametrically opposed to the president’s. Enough said. Let’s leave it at that. I hope everyone enjoys the trip who goes.”
Mssrs. Langer, Kuechenberg and Fernandez have every right to not attend any event they do not wish to and their agita over Mr. Obama’s policies are fully embraced, and superseded, by this page.
But the President wasn’t inviting them to do a public service announcement for his programs. Such by celebrities rarely work as the late, great Andy Griffith found out when he did a psa promoting ObamaCare. Mr. Obama merely wants to honor a feat that is rare and noteworthy.
Perhaps any or all of these conscientious objectors have been themselves, or had someone they know, hurt by one of the President’s policies. If so, then perhaps it is better they stay away and not get into an uncomfortable and volatile situation.
But it seems that these men are just generally put off by an administration they don’t agree with. Which makes their decision all the more unfortunate. Politics should not enter events like this that are clearly non-partisan.
And not missed is the irony that as these holdouts object to and are generally trying to differentiate themselves from Liberals, they are acting every bit like their screeching counterparts (think: Barbra Streisand) who have no problem injecting political calculus, if not venom, into everything.
-I.M. Windee
