"President Obama's Kids Have Guards!"

[kaycivine]

I am sorry if I should have put this in social, or political fratching, but this REALLY makes me angry.

People are bitching how Obama's kids have 2-11 guards (number depends on source) yet won't consider any for our own. In some ways, that anger WOULD make sense, but think of it this way;
How many of us are in such high positions that our kids being in danger could be a diplomatic issue? I mean, school shootings, "average" kidnappings that are not politically related, child abuse cases, etc. are all very very horrible, and we should be more concerned, yes...but...most of our kids are not in sensitive positions related to national security. Plenty of enemies would LOVE a shot at a leader's home life...including a national leader.

If we disagree, I'm sorry, I mean no ill will to different opinions, usually but this is annoying as hell.

[Greenday]

I don't know why this would shock anyone. The immediate family of the president always have secret service as body guards. It's been like that for ages now.

[kaycivine]

I don't know why this would shock anyone. The immediate family of the president always have secret service as body guards. It's been like that for ages now.

Why is it a problem from Obama? Seriously, he also passed a law that made it so Former presidents have more protection too, if I am correct...but why is it about HIS kids having guards?

Its only an issue now?
These are the questions in my head..

[mikoyan29]

Pretty much anything Obama does pisses the right off. If he takes a vacation, he's being a shiftless lay about, never mind that he's taken less vacations than the previous President. If he uses his bully pulpit to get something going, he's being an imperial President. If he's not using his bully pulpit to get something done, he's not displaying leadership. It pretty much doesn't matter what he does or doesn't do. Hell, he's pretty much continued the anti-terrorist policies of Bush and he's considered as being weak on terrorism.

[TheHuckster]

Why is it a problem from Obama? Seriously, he also passed a law that made it so Former presidents have more protection too, if I am correct...but why is it about HIS kids having guards?

Its only an issue now?
These are the questions in my head..

It's an issue now simply because that's become relevant in today's current events. Obama (rightfully IMO) doesn't think every school should come with armed guards, and the opponents are labeling him as a hypocrite because his own kids have bodyguards.

Using that logic, every human being should also have guards at their house, and should have access to a helicopter and their own personal Boeing 747 to take them to other cities, and opposing those kinds of measures is similarly hypocritical.

[Rapscallion]

Those guards should have guards as well.

Rapscallion

[JPD]

I wonder who the first will be to complain about an increase in taxes if guards become required at all schools.

[HYHYBT]

Oh, they wouldn't increase taxes. Unfunded mandates are a wonder for budgets.... so long as you're not at the low end having to make it up by skimping elsewhere.

[Skunkle]

Mikoyan29 said it: no matter what he does, (some of) the righties (I won't blanket everybody with anything) will blast him for it. The current Plan No. 1 is, "turn all powers, forces, words, etc. to stopping absolutely everything Obama does and make him sound like a complete and utter failure at everything and for everything."

Of fuckin' COURSE Obama's kids have guards. Every President's family has guards. And no, we don't need armed guards in schools.

[Seifer]

Bush's daughters had guards, too. They needed someone there to hold their hair back while they got drunk in clubs and vomited all over the restrooms.

[fireheart17]

Mikoyan29 said it: no matter what he does, (some of) the righties (I won't blanket everybody with anything) will blast him for it. The current Plan No. 1 is, "turn all powers, forces, words, etc. to stopping absolutely everything Obama does and make him sound like a complete and utter failure at everything and for everything."

Of fuckin' COURSE Obama's kids have guards. Every President's family has guards. And no, we don't need armed guards in schools.

Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that race has something to do with it?

The birthers tried their movements and it failed. So now they're going after his family. Charming.

[Mr Hero]

I have no problem with politicians' kids having guards, even the ones whose politics I don't agree with. I went to the same school as the governer's daughter during Columbine. So I felt SAFER knowing there were was that extra security.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Why is it a problem from Obama? Seriously, he also passed a law that made it so Former presidents have more protection too, if I am correct...but why is it about HIS kids having guards?

Because he is Obama. Plain and simple. There are far too many people who are very raw about the fact that a black man made it to the top office. Hence the whole Birther crap, his supposed Muslim faith, and the multitude of things that are thinly veiled ways to come up with a politically correct way to for these people to say "OMG! Who let that [racial slur] into the White House?"

And that's all it is. "OMG! Obama has protection for his kids but our kids do not!" Yet they ignore the fact that Bill Clinton had protection for his child during the aftermath of Colombine.

Thinly veiled racism.

I had one question on Yahoo Answers asking were Narwhals real and was Obama killing them.

Thinly veiled racism or a troll. Possibly both.

I'm not 100% dippy about him either. I don't like the way he's handling certain things (I'm not going to say what since I don't want to be the one that devolves this into a Pro/Anti-Obama pissing contest). But in the end he is the PotUS and as such has my respect for taking on a thankless job working with a party that will not compromise (and that would be the same if he was a Rep and was squaring off against the Dems) and resulting in yet another Presidency that doesn't get jack shit done.

[siead_lietrathua]

Because he is Obama. Plain and simple. There are far too many people who are very raw about the fact that a black man made it to the top office......

i didn't want to requote the whole thing, but i agree with the above.
years ago, back when obama got elected the first time, i read an article i can't for the life of me find again (my google-fu is failing this morning) but the basic jist was that no matter how shitty a president was, the USA would rally behind their president most of the time. even protests were less about "fuck the president" and more about "fuck the situation we are in". i mean heck, people still look back on nostaliga with presidents they KNEW were up to shady shit like nixon (no derailing on that one please, just an example)
yet as soon as a non-white president enters office, the media and public opinion changed from the "standing behind our leader" they kept up through the specialness of the bush terms and went into a snit fit trying to disparage and destroy the nation's leader.
and i am firmly of the opinon that it would have happened regardless of who won unless it was an older white male. if the current president was hispanic, or a woman, etc, we would be seeing the exact same bulllshit.

[HYHYBT]

I don't know about that. I seem to remember a constant stream aimed at Bill Clinton, from similar sources as now are against anything Obama. Insinuating that a suicide was murder, for instance.