Vice President Joe Biden is the man you send to pick up your kids from kindergarten, not fill in for you at a Supreme Court justice’s funeral.
Granted, I am a Joe Biden fan. However, my point is President Barack Obama should have attended U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s funeral mass on Saturday.
Press Secretary in the White House Office of Communications Josh Earnest offered a lackluster excuse for the president’s absence during a press conference Thursday, stating Obama’s security detail would be disruptive to the service.
Obama’s security detail did not stop him from attending Ted Kennedy’s, Walter Cronkite’s and Nelson Mandela’s funeral services, among others. Now Obama is not the first president to be absent from the funeral of a Supreme Court justice, but in today’s climate of political divisiveness, Obama missed the perfect opportunity to offer an olive branch to Republicans.
I am not advocating for the executive office to use Scalia’s funeral as a political tool for peace. If Obama had legitimate reasons, which have yet to be seen, then I completely understand his absence, but sending Biden as his emissary for such a respected national icon creates the perception that the president cannot put political differences aside.
While I disagreed with many of Scalia’s political views and judicial rulings, I respected the man immensely for his ability to understand and consider opposing views and then put those differences aside outside the courtroom. One of his best friends was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal lioness disagreeing with Scalia on almost every SCOTUS ruling.
Whether Obama meant to snuff Scalia and conservatives doesn’t even matter because in the political arena perception is reality, and the reality Obama formed is one where he could not find the time of day to pay respects to an American who dedicated his life to civil service.
By no means would I consider Scalia a moderate conservative, and moderation is what this country needs, but doesn’t seem to understand. Extremists like Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump surge in the polls by playing on the heartstrings of angry voters.
Although Scalia’s views were pretty far right, they were based on his strict adherence to the original meaning of the Constitution, and he was able to amicably discuss his views with liberal justices on the court. He didn’t shut down the government like Cruz, blame billionaires for the world’s problems like Sanders or trash minorities like Trump.
Obama’s presence at Scalia’s funeral mass would have shown the world that despite political differences, the president respected the justice’s civil service, love for country and calm in the face of opposition.
No matter where one’s beliefs fall on the political spectrum, the nation should emulate Scalia’s respect for his political adversaries. Obama had the chance to further Scalia’s legacy as a peaceful dissenter, but he dropped the ball and sent Biden in his stead.
Justin DiCharia is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Slidell, Louisiana.