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Other Columns by Paul M. Weyrich
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America Needs To Celebrate
By Paul M. Weyrich
January 17, 2005
It is inauguration week. The 55th time a president of the United States will take the oath of office. God may have helped George Bush win another term but He apparently has gone as far as He intends to go. The weather forecast is for a mixture of rain and snow the day the President will swear to uphold the Constitution.
Of course, given that George Bush won last November there are several controversies. I suspect that had John Kerry won none of these would be issues during inauguration week.
The first is the protesters. Thousands are coming from all over the nation. The National Park Service has granted them a permit for the corner of a park which the inauguration parade passes by. The protesters are being permitted to build bleachers so a lot of their number can see or be seen. Their plan as the President walks by is to turn their backs on him to protest the war in Iraq.
Fine. It is unlikely he will even notice.
However, reports reaching us indicate that some of the protesters planning to attend are the ones who turned the IMF meeting in Seattle into a violent episode a few years ago. They may well try to get the attention of the national media by doing something violent.
The police know what I know so they will be stationed in such a way they can quickly intervene. There will be 50,000 police of one sort or another handling the inauguration this coming Thursday. It is the first such ceremony since 9/11.
Then there is Michael Newdow. You remember Newdow. He is the fellow who tried to get "under God" stricken from the Pledge of Allegiance. Well, he's back. This time he has taken to the Federal Courts to try to prevent two ministers from praying at the Inaugural. Newdow has made his complaint before Federal Judge John Bates on of all things the First Amendment. The First Amendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Historians affirm this part of the First Amendment was meant to forbid the establishment of a state church. Many of the Founding Fathers had suffered under state run churches in Europe; they wanted to be sure no such church would be established in this country.
The lawyers for President Bush pointed out that prayers have been a part of every inaugural ceremony since the days of George Washington. Last week Judge Bates rejected Newdow's complaint stating "the balance of harms here, and particularly the public interest, does not weigh strongly in favor of the injunctive relief Newdow requests, which would require the unprecedented step of an injunction against the president."
Finally, there is the matter of the inaugural parties and balls. They are costing $46 million. All the money has been raised by friends of the president. Critics are insisting the parties and inaugural balls be cancelled and the money sent to the victims of the tsunami in Asia. They point to President Woodrow Wilson who cancelled festivities for his second term in 1917 while WW1 was still in full swing, and FDR who had just a small gathering at the White House in 1945 when he was sworn in for his fourth term as we were a few months from VE or VJ day. The few who attended the FDR event were served cold chicken salad.
The critics say to have lavish parties going on when men and women of the Armed Forces are being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan is unseemly. I don't recall these same critics having anything to say when Lyndon Johnson had his Inaugural Balls in 1965 during the Viet Nam War.
World War I and especially World War II involved the whole country much more than does the Iraqi war. This is not to take away from any of the more than 1,100 killed among our armed forces as well as the thousands who have been injured in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and other places where our military serves.
If the war in Iraq had reached the level of intensity which the two World Wars had, then it might be appropriate to cancel the balls, the parade and other celebrations which are being held. But it isn't that magnitude of war.
At the heart of these critics, I fear, is still anger that Bush won the elections and has some reason to celebrate. I wish I could believe they had sincere concern for the victims of the tsunami although there is little indication of that elsewhere.
Would these three groups of protesters be coming from all over the nation to turn their backs on President Kerry? These are his friends. Most of them supported his candidacy. They might be coming here but it would be to celebrate. Would Newdow have filed his motion if Kerry was being sworn in as President? I doubt it.
Newdow and his ilk worry that Bush is actually a believer. They know since Bush has told us as recently as this past week in a long interview with the Washington Times that he depends on his relationship with God for carrying out his duties as President. While Kerry paid lip service to being a Catholic, albeit one who rejects many of the Church's doctrines, Newdow wouldn't have to worry about Kerry actually turning to the Almighty to run the nation. Accordingly, he might well have been more tolerant of a couple of preachers saying prayers at the inauguration. Remember, Kerry said that if elected he was committed to seeing the war in Iraq through. Our troops still would have been there. Indeed Kerry wanted to send 50,000 more troops then are there now. Would those who are demanding that the inaugural festivities be cancelled make the same demand if we were celebrating President Kerry? I doubt it.
They would think having endured four years of the Bush Presidency they would be entitled to a real celebration.
No. Bush should go ahead with all of the activities associated with the election. The nation needs to celebrate. First, we have not been attacked since 9/11. That is reason to celebrate alone. Second, we have been through a lot as a nation. This is a national event. People from all over the country come to the celebration. And even if you voted for Bush's opponent, you should celebrate that we have peaceful elections. None of them will be thrown in prison nor will they have to fear being shot because they voted for the loser. It is still great to be an American.
If the losers want something to celebrate it is that as of January 20th President Bush becomes a lame duck. He can't run again. They can celebrate that. Meanwhile it is time for America to celebrate that after 229 years we are still alive and well. God bless America, despite the critics.
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Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.
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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.
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