RESPECT AND FAIR PLAY DESERVE A SINGLE STANDARD
By Helen L. Burleson, Doctor of Public Administration
The right-wing is crying foul because President Obama did not “scold” his guest, President Hu Jintao of China for the country not allowing Lui Xiaobo, the Chinese Nobel Laureate, to go to Norway to receive his prize. How quickly they forget the hue and cry and outrage advanced by the right that President Obama did not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize bestowed upon him during the first year of his presidency because “they” did not feel that he had done enough. This is disingenuous. We have no right to castigate or criticize China for anything when we don’t respect the current President of the United States of America.

How would they like it if China pointed a finger at the United States when Arizona State University invited President Obama to be the commencement speaker and did not feel that he had done enough to be awarded an honorary degree? Previously that same university awarded honorary degrees to entertainers with checkered pasts and others of lesser standing and accomplishments? How would “they” like it if President Hu Jintao asked them why they demeaned American health care reform by calling it “Obamacare” when it is an attempt to be in step with the rest of the industrialized world by providing affordable, quality health care for all of its citizens? How would they like it if President Hu Jintao asked why a member of Congress rudely called out “You lie” while the President of the United States of America was giving his first State of the Union Address?

During the press briefing with both President Obama and President Hu Jintao, an American reporter had the audacity to ask why Majority Leader Boehner turned down an invitation to attend the State Dinner given in honor of President Hu Jintao. Didn’t they realize that that was not an embarrassment to President Obama or President Hu Jintao, but a very demonstrable image of the ignorance of Speaker Boehner? Lacking in leadership and statesmanship, Boehner proved to be an embarrassment to himself and to the Republican Party. Intelligence and leadership makes one rise above the fray of petty politics. What gripe or grievance could Speaker Boehner have with President Hu Jintao of China to cause him to refuse an invitation to attend a State Dinner given in honor of the president of a country upon which we rely so heavily for financial and other reasons? When Boehner is not crying he is shouting, “Hell no.” He is always disrespectful of the President of the United States. If Boehner were in China, he would be severely punished for showing disrespect for the president and the presidency.

When we don’t give or guarantee equal rights for all our citizens, how can we justify being so inflamed over human rights violations in China? Do we ever step back and take a look at our own culture of crudity, violence, disdain, disrespect and exclusion of our own citizens? Where do we have the right to criticize that which we are guilty of ourselves? Shouldn’t there be one standard for behavior and conduct? Why are there more Blacks in prison than whites? Why is the penalty for using crack cocaine and powdered cocaine different for Blacks and whites? Blacks using crack cocaine are given a longer prison sentence than whites are given for using powdered cocaine. Why is unemployment doubled or tripled in the Black community as opposed to employment in the white community? Why do we deny equal rights to the LGBT community? Why, until President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Bill for equal pay for women for equal work, did we pay men more for the same work? Why are inner-city schools less well funded and less well equipped than the schools in the white neighborhoods? Chinese students excel in education and outperform ALL American students which is an indication that China is doing something right. Why do we have to borrow so much money from China when we used to be the highest producers of goods and services in the world? China is not responsible for our outsourcing of jobs! China is the beneficiary of the greed and corruption of American millionaire and billionaire owners of companies that have sent their work overseas to exploit the American worker by denying them jobs; and, simultaneously exploiting the Chinese workers by not paying them the union wages that American workers are paid.

In short, all these nut cases who are so hypercritical of China should remedy the inequities right here at home. There should be one universal standard for respect and fair play.