To the Readers' Forum:
President Obama recently visited Japan and respectfully bowed to the emperor. He was immediately attacked by his opponents, especially FOX News - how dare the president bow to a foreign leader? This was an ''unprecedented wrong message,'' a message of ''weakness.'' The issue was debunked immediately - but sadly, some continue to voice their outrage. A comment was voiced on local talk radio that ''no other president had ever bowed to a foreign leader.''
A letter entitled ''President Sending the Wrong Message'' appeared in this forum recently. Dick Cheney accused the president of displaying ''weakness.'' Thankfully some, including the ''liberal press,'' did some fact checking on t he ''bow.'' The results were quite telling. The radio comment that no other president had ever bowed to a foreign leader, was proven totally false. Those facts showed that at least three other presidents had sent the ''wrong message'' of ''weakness'' and had indeed bowed to foreign leaders. These facts were omitted from that critical forum letter. President Eisenhower respectfully bowed to French President DeGalle in 1959. President Nixon bowed to Japanese Emperor Hirohito in 1971. He (Nixon) also bowed to Chairman Mao in 1972 and gave a toast to Mao that included an excerpt from one of Mao's poems. Was that the ''wrong message'' of ''weakness?'' George H. Bush bowed at the casket of Hirohito - was he weak? George W. Bush kissed the Saudi crown prince and held his hand as they strolled the White House grounds in 2003. Where was Cheney's ridiculous ''weakness'' attack in 2003? These appear to be innocent examples of respect between world leaders. They were no different from President Obama's bow in Japan or his bow to the Saudi crown prince earlier this year.
President Obama's bows were not at all ''unprecedented'' or ''signs of weakness'' or damaging to our country's image. This was another attempt to embarrass our president and it failed miserably - as usual. If President Obama is guilty of ''sending the wrong message,'' he's in very good company.
Sam Sabino
Jamestown