The Death of Decorum? - When It’s Not All About You

The big news of last week was, of course, the President’s State of the Union Address. As always, several “satellite” stories surrounded it; none received as much attention as the expulsion of Cindy Sheehan and Beverly Young, wife of Rep. C.W. "Bill" Young (R-Fla.), from the House chamber where the address was to be given.

Both Sheehan and Young were wearing legible shirts with political slogans; Sheehan’s read "2,245 Dead. How many more?", while Young's shirt bore the message: "Support the Troops--Defending Our Freedom." Capitol Police ejected them both, believing that the shirts were not allowed. Regrettably, the police apologized the next day.

Almost everyone in America agrees with the message worn by one of the women and objects to the other. But what all Americans should be able to agree upon is this: That the existence of the First Amendment doesn’t secure the “right” to speak without regard to the time, place or manner of the speech. More than that, free speech rights shouldn’t become an excuse for behavior that is inappropriate, churlish and selfish.

Shame on Congressman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) – the person who offered Cindy Sheehan a seat in the visitor’s gallery. She had to have known that Sheehan’s presence would become little more than a sideshow and a distraction to the serious purpose at hand – the delivery of the constitutionally-mandated State of the Union Address. Imagine the cutaway reaction shots that the networks would have indulged in had Sheehan remained for the speech. But Woolsey apparently didn’t care: The possibility of upstaging, or maybe even rattling, the President of the United States was simply too tempting. For Woolsey, her own personal agenda was all that mattered.

It’s probably too much to expect Cindy Sheehan to know better. She has become little more than a pitiful joke. Although any American should sympathize with the death of her son, she has exploited her status as a gold star mother, and her behavior has descended to depths that wouldn’t be tolerated but for her loss. A woman who will stand with American adversary and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (where she agreed that President George W. Bush was the world’s greatest terrorist) isn’t someone with even a shred of decency, much less propriety.

Sheehan has been able to exercise her free speech rights, and robustly – beginning with her media-saturated vigil outside President Bush’s Texas ranch last summer. Given that she has already had a meeting with the President and countless opportunities to express her views to a gaggle of sympathetic reporters, is it really too much to ask that she refrain, for just one evening, from behavior that interferes with the rights of the rest of us to hear the President’s address in a civilized and sober atmosphere?

Even Beverly Young should have realized that Tuesday night wasn’t about her ability to make a statement – it was about the President’s duty to give an address. Support the troops by all means, but perhaps, for one night, give the legible clothing a pass. There are plenty of times and places to wear her shirt without detracting from the dignity of the State of the Union Address.

It’s a great privilege to be present in person to hear the President of the United States address the Congress about the state of the union. There are weighty issues at stake in today’s politics, from the progress of the war on terror to how to preserve and extend America’s economic security, and so much, much more. All of us deserve an opportunity to hear what the President has to say about them without having the undertaking reduced to a carnival.

Once upon a time, it seems that Americans were mindful of decorum – of the fact that occasionally, their views and opinions were irrelevant and that they were expected to subordinate their own individual egos and agendas to the legitimate claims of the majority.

Decorum – understanding when it’s appropriate to try to make a statement, and when it’s best simply to show up and behave – is a mark of modesty. It’s a lesson that some Americans would do well to remember.

Carol Platt Liebau is editorial director and a senior member of tOR and CRO editorial boards. She is an attorney, political analyst and commentator based in San Marino, CA, and has appeared on the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, Orange County News Channel, Cox Cable and a variety of radio programs throughout the United States. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Carol Platt Liebau also served as the first female managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her web log can be found at CarolLiebau.blogspot.com

I won't go into whether or not the shehag should have been arrested that night (she should already have been incarcerated for sedition and treason) because there is another issue at large here.

Since the precedent has already been set that it is ok to wear a "literary" t-shirt at the SOTU address how much longer before the gallery begins to look like the crowd at an NFL game on Halloween.

If it is now ok to wear t-shirts for or against the war, is it now ok to wear t-shirts claiming or denying any religion? How about sports teams? Of lets keep it political, there are lots of popular/unpopular candidates, issues and legislation out there.

I don't want to see the SOTU address turned into a sideshow of wacky t-shirts.........go to T-shirt hell if you want to see a worse case senario. Warning, not safe for work site. Or delicate sensibilities some of their shirts are very offensive.

I hope people who are concerned will write to there senators and congress-critters to press for a ruling that any garment that "makes a statement" can not be worn in the chamber.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.