Something just happened. Something that flew under the radar. Something that represents the height of cringe, partisanship and insult. No one saw it coming.
Joe Biden gave out participation trophies.
In a story buried under real news about terrorism, elections and geopolitical drama, Biden held a ceremony to award the Presidential Citizens Medal. As one of the highest awards bestowed upon civilians, it is intended to honor those who have "performed exemplary deeds or services for his or her country or fellow citizens."
In days past the Presidential Citizens Medal was given sparingly with case-by-case review. This week’s activity has Joe Biden handing out tranches of 20 at a time.
Should one of the greatest of all civilian achievements be handed out in batches?
In what has to be the biggest slap in the face to over half the nation, Biden chose to hand the vaunted citation to none other than former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). Liz and Bennie, the architects of the infamous Jan. 6th commission for their defense of democracy. Biden, stilted and stammering, held Cheney’s hand while she deadpanned her way through the lauding. It was the equivalent of a massive presidential participation trophy, a poke in the eye to any notion that America is turning a page on partisanship.
I thought we were done. I thought the ignominy, infamy and ignobility would stop there. What more could he do to denigrate the merits of past recipients of presidential honoring like Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Babe Ruth, Bob Dole?
And then came Saturday morning. With little fanfare and ninja-like stealth, the White House announced that 19 Presidential Medal of Freedom awards would be laid out on Biden’s medal buffet with two of the latest recipients bellying up to the bar being none other than George Soros and Hillary Clinton.
The Medal of Freedom was established by John F. Kennedy to recognize “individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors” … or so says the Biden White House.
I’m appalled, amazed and somewhat confused as to how anyone thought this was a good idea. It goes without saying that if you’re proud of a major policy position or presidential action, you don’t slip it out to the press on a Saturday morning. The White House communications staff know exactly what they are doing. And in quiet shame that belies their smiling veneer, they held back the announcement until they couldn’t hold back any longer.
I don’t profess to know and understand what goes on in the minds of the interns running the White House and signing Joe’s name to official documents. But I feel certain they were all raised on participation trophies.
That epic social squish where no one keeps score, everyone’s a winner, and post-game snack time is more important than learning how to win and lose. If Biden were a college football coach, the locker room would be filled with platitudes and aw-shucks comments about winning not being everything. Presidential participation trophies. The president batches up a stack of 20 at a time and slings them to the crowd like confetti.
Maybe I sound like an old fogey. There was a time when we taught kids that the best trophies in life come from hard work and dedication. They were told every Saturday on Wide World of Sports of both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Examples were set by parents who cared, teachers who exhorted, coaches who pushed, drill sergeants who yelled, and bosses who required. The lessons were that life may, in fact, have setbacks, but that setbacks are not final; they are merely obstacles to overcome.
And truthfully, I don’t mind if little kids get a medal for being on the team. I loved watching my kids play sports when they were just little bitties kicking daisies in the outfield. I smile at my grandson playing little-guy soccer with no idea what the score is … but he knows his daddy told him he played hard, and that’s his takeaway and that’s good.
But there comes a time in life when awards must mean something. Biden's example to American kids breeds expectancy, not achievement. Biden pretends to see achievement, but the message is that awards are for showing up in Biden’s world.
It is this mentality that allowed so much feckless strife during the past four years. BLM rioted and burned, but was honored. Illegal immigrants got free housing, while hard-working Americans couldn’t afford groceries. Nary a word as petulant student activists disrupted, detained and demanded on college campuses. Free money for everything, government assistance for agenda-driven nonsense, gold medals for people who suppressed evidence about Jan. 6th.
Medal ceremonies like those this past week are the hand of government slapping itself across the face of a majority of America.
If you are a conservative, you get no mercy, you get no quarter, and you surely get no gold medals.
Clinton needed to be awarded in front of the deplorables. Soros funded the lawfare that shocked the nation. Thompson will campaign on his medal when he makes his 16th liberal run for Congress. Perhaps Cheney will take her participation trophy home deeply satisfied, and when MSNBC calls her to host one of their ill-fated shows, she can hang her medal in the broadcast booth as a testament that if you really screw people over, hose those who initially supported you, and switch teams mid-game, then you, too, can get an award from a president who doesn’t know the value of his office.
Presidential medals. In Bidenland those are participation trophies.
To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engagement, go to www.rightsideradio.org.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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