Arr-Ee-Ess-P-Ee-See-Tee!

As an American, it pains me to see the level of disrespect heaped upon this President.  I mean, I know he's black, and he did grow up poor.  But right now, today, he is the President.  Of the United States.  All of them.

I know that when Dub'ya was the POTUS, comedians, commentators, and surely us liberals, all had a field day extolling how little we thought of him.  But not to his face.  Look, when the President invites you to anything, the answer (should be) "Yes".  I mean, in 2007, as the world was beginning its descent into the financial and social morass that still consumes it, if my phone had rung, and it was the White House inviting me to an official function, my answer would have been a respectful, "Yes, Mr. President".  Hey, I thought Bush 41 was an awful President, but he was OUR President.  And as such, he deserved our respect.  At least to his face.

Not our worship, mind you... he's just a guy.  He screws up, we should call him on it.  But common decency dictates that you shouldn't interrupt anyone when he's speaking, much less the President of the United States.  You shouldn't wave your finger in anybody's face, but surely not the President's.  You shouldn't yell out, "YOU LIE!" in the middle of anybody's speech, but particularly not a State of the Union address.  And when the President of the United States invites you to a State Dinner, you damn sure don't answer, "I have to wash my hair!"

Look, it's tough to be the first Black anything.  The hill is always steeper, and the hurdles are always higher.  We all understand that, and accept that.  Every black person who has ever been "The First Black..." anything knew that going in.  And President Obama is no different.  And he is handling it wonderfully.  So this isn't about him.  This is about the Jan Brewers and Bill O'Reilly's and Joe Wilsons of the world.  History will remember you badly.  History will show a President doing a spectacular job from an abysmal starting point, in the face of united political opposition, yet elegantly rising above an unprecedented lack of respect shown to the Office of the President.

History will remind you that you do not have to like the President.  You certainly don't have to agree with him or his policies.  But you DO need to respect him.  And if you can't respect him (or her), you MUST respect the office.  And history will find you lacking.