What is your opinion on President Obama choosing to bypass the Traditional memorial day events at Arlington Cemetery?

Agreed that this is inappropriate. It's Arlington NATIONAL Cemetary, and the President *is* (as you say) Commander in Chief. He does not belong at a local cemetary unless it's a war zone cemetary amid the troops themselves, or the cemetary of a particularly poignant and current-event fallen hero whose sacrifice is representative of all soldiers and their families.It's very rare that a President misses Arlington on Memorial Day, and usually for a national reason vs personal.

Example, Bush in 1992 missed Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetary when he opted to pay tribute to our soldiers by going to the cemetary in Normandy, France (very poignant and what I believe most Americans would view as an acceptable exception to Arlington). Sadly, it typifies this administration's attitude toward so much of what Americans hold near and dear. He just doesn't get it.

But why would he, spending much of his youth being raised in a different country?

People will bluster . . .

OMG! WHAT A JERK! Certainly a reading of the headline "Obama will use memorial weekend for a trip home to Chicago".

Makes it seem as though he is thumbing his nose at tradition. BUT In reality, he is visiting a NATIONAL Cemetery, Abraham Lincoln to be specific, and at the same time Biden is going to Arlington. Those that say he is not honoring our veterans are simply choosing to ignore the facts to find another reason to dislike Obama.

Much adeu over nothing, unless you would care to downplay the importance of Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/abrahamlincoln.asp.

It's fine with me, and I'm a veteran (not dead yet though). Rightwingers are trying to make some sort of mystical religion out of whatever ceremonies are convenient to them. Veterans are buried throughout the country, at sea, and overseas.

Making Arlington a holy site is very inappropriate; it's just near where the President usually lives and works. Anyway, he's not the only recent President to do so, he's just following Reagan and Bush on this one: "In 1983, President Reagan attended a Williamsburg, Va. , summit and sent Deputy Secretary of Defense W.

Paul Thayer to lay the ceremonial wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush spent Memorial Day weekend at the Bush family's famed Kennebunkport, Maine, vacation spot, where he attended a wreath-laying ceremony at a local American Legion hall (and squeezed in a round of golf). Vice President Dan Quayle went to the Arlington ceremony."

That's Bush 1, in 2002 Bush 2 went to Normandy instead, but Bush 1 just played golf in 1992. Come to think of it, Bush was just following in the footsteps of that unpatriotic liberal Eisenhower, who also liked to play golf during the Memorial Day weekend and going to his local (Gettysburg) cemetery for a ceremony.

I agree with you, Maverick819, at a time when we are in two wars, with another war looming (in Korea), and oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, I think the President should ''want'' to be at Arlington National Cemetery and honoring the heroes of our country. S plans have been altered somwhat by that pesky oil spill, and he had to go to Louisiana on Friday, May 28. He flew to California to promote Barbara Boxer and he's hosting a tribute to Paul McCartney on Wednesday, June 2, 2010.

He voiced his displeasure with the State of Arizona, and didn't even know that one of his staff members, Director of the Mineral and Mining Services, Liz Birnbaum had either been fired or resigned. A reporter told him during his press conference on May 27. S decision to skip Arlington is just another slap in the face to not only the men and women currently in the service, but also to veterans, and to every proud American who support our troops even if they don't agree with governmental policies.

Maybe he'll use his time away from the Whitehouse and Washington to reflect on his job as president of the United States and Commander in Chief.

" Answer: "The respect and attention of the President of the United States, the importance (in the presidents mind) to be made a priority). " Well, as long as Michelle and the girls are happy, I guess that's all that matters to good old Barry. A man who never served his country refuses to honor those who have.

Is anyone surprised? I suppose his speech writers told him that they couldn't fit in an apology for how bad America is, so he told them in that case, just forget it.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.