Administration's attitude toward the military

[Mr VJP]

  Regarding this Administration's attitude toward the military and war in  general. This video amazingly brought out what was as revealing as it was wrong.  http://www.youtube.com/user/claythe1?feature=mhum

I don't know why the link came out so small but it still works when you click on it.

[nyantler]

the more I see and hear the more disgusted I get...

[virgil]

Did either of you two actually see the ceremony?  The fool on the radio is lying, in case you're interested.  I wonder if he actually watched the ceremony either.  Look at the actual footage on youtube.  The room is broken into three sections.  It looks as though the recipient's family and fellow soldiers are in the section to the right.  Politicians are in the section to the left.  The statements about his family and fellow troops being seated behind 'political cronies' is just meant to get you boys riled up.  I've seen on a number of other forums where guys have started this same rant and then later apologized after seeing the actual footage of the ceremony and learning that they were mislead....again.

[nyantler]

I must confess I did not see the actual ceremony footage, but will do so...

[nyantler]

I was able to get a picture from that ceremony and it seems you are correct virgil.. looks to me like the family is seated to the left looking at the picture or the presidents right... lesson learned here

[Mr VJP]

OK, here it is.  Watch it yourself and look to see who is seated front and center?  It is not the family.

The family members of the soldiers who died in that battle are in the 3rd row on B.O.s right.  They are directly behind the members of the Guinta family on Obama's right.  None are front and center.

The soldiers who were there in battle with Guinta are in the rear on the left.

So look at the front and center of the seats and tell me who is seated there?  That is where Guinta's family, the families of the fallen comrades and all of the survivors of that battle should be seated.  Not to the left, right or rear. 

After the ceremony ended B.O. did shake hands with the Congressman in one row, then a 2nd row and then the Guinta family was the 3rd row of folks he shook hands with.

One last observation to point out.  Besides the obligatory tone he uses through out the ceremony, at what point did the Commander in Chief salute Guinta??

The radio guy may have been off on his row detail descriptions, but he isn't off about this administrations attitude towards the military.

[Mr VJP]

Another view from a different angle so you can see better.

[nyantler]

It always chokes me up a bit to see the hear about the courage that men display in the name of honor... I didn't see much problem with the seating arrangements, except that all the politicians and the first lady could have taken a seat in the rear... the men in front of the soldiers were past Medal of Honor recipients.. and I would think that out of respect the soldiers chose to be seated behind them. Not knowing how many were there for Sgt Guinta.. I see no problem with the families of the soldiers that died in battle having to be seated behind them...

[Mr VJP]

I believe Guinta's family should've been in the front at the center.  The families of the soldiers who died should have been right behind them.  The soldiers that were also in the battle should've been right behind them.  They should have all been in the center of the room and the center of attention for B.O.

The past CMH holders were fine where they were, but the rest of the crowd should have been to the right of B.O. or farther back in the seats. 

Then to award a CMH medal to a soldier without a salute is either extremely stupid, or extremely disrespectful.  As is shaking the hands of the elected hacks before all of the hands of Guinta's family, the dead soldier's families, the soldiers who were there with them, and all of the past CMH holders.

Just my opinion based upon what I saw and how I view respect.