(11 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
Today President Obama spoke at the VFW convention in Phoenix, Arizona. He highlighted the need to continue the fight in Afghanistan against those would like to bring back the Taliban as rulers of that war-torn country.
Afghanistan, as we all know, is the cradle of the Taliban whom gave shelter to Osama bin Laden during the 1990s and up through the attacks on September 11th, 2001.
Many of us felt a personal connection to those attacks for a variety of reasons. We may have lost someone in one of those flights, in the World Trade Center towers, or one of the many rescue and police personnel who died as a result of those towers collapsing.
More importantly, President Obama was speaking before an organization that is held in high esteem by US servicemen and women across the globe.
More below the fold…
All that being said, at a time when passions are running at an all-time high, President Obama made the trip to highlight the necessity for our continued presence in that country.
Regardless of your position on that front, I was troubled by what I read and saw on television today. Outside of the speaking venue many people were openly displaying their firearms. Now this may come as a surprise to some, but Arizona’s gun laws allow for its law abiding citizens to openly display their firearms. I will only say that I don’t see the need to have a firearm on me at any time, but some may feel that they do for any number of reasons. Fair enough. But, give the following link a look and see for yourself whether, or not, this just seems like overkill:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…
I was troubled by the fact that at a speaking engagement, held in Phoenix, at the VFW convention, with the President of the United States speaking, that anyone would feel the need to bring their firearms to the event. For a President to speak at one of these events it is necessary for the Secret Service, the local police departments and state police departments, to maintain tight security. Obama is after all the President. A person whom many across the globe don’t like whatsoever. Although, I would like to think that those law-abiding citizens bearing arms would not be a part of the aforementioned group of people who care not one iota for our President.
So, I’m troubled by those who feel that they need to bring their firearms to an event that was clearly intended to outline our continued presence in Afghanistan. Should I not be? I’m not sure, but the open display of firearms has gained traction already, as witnessed at a recent speaking engagement the President had in New Hampshire, information regarding this can be accessed here: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c…
This isn’t the first, nor likely, the last time individuals will be toting firearms to these types of events, but I hasten to say that this is the type of behavior that the Secret Service should look into and examine with a fine toothed comb. To have a President during these heated days endangered is not good for our country regardless of your political persuasion.