Medal of Honor recipient's family turned away at White House

[matt wade]

It's ok for the Kennedy kid to be in shorts?

The Reagan administration didn't have a problem with a teenager in jeans an untucked (and wrinkled) shirt.

Hmm...Obama administration allows dogs into the oval office.

 

[Steven2006]

Surely this is a joke.

 

[targus]

I can just imagine how it would be with my family and we were somehow invited to the west wing. My wife would be making sure the children were dressed, hair combed to the point I would be saying, "lets go already". They would be prepared (probably by me I confess) over and over about what to say or not say. I just don't imagine being in that situation and giving that final once over and looking at my son in shorts and T-shirt and saying "yep, we nailed it".

But she wasn't sent an invitation. She was offered someone else's place on the tour.

And she probably thought that her grandson's t-shirt with his deceased medal of honor winning grandfather's picture was appropriate for the occassion considering that it was the day after his burial.

 

[targus]

I don't know the details, I can only assume one of two things. The issue is addressed in the invite or they assume a person with reason enough to be invited to the west wing would be the type of person that wouldn't show up in shorts and T-shirt.

Just to mention it again - she didn't get an invitation.

She was offered the place of another person once she arrived at the White House.

Too bad there is no one with the authority to make a tough important call like this on the fly.

 

[Steven2006]

But she wasn't sent an invitation. She was offered someone else's place on the tour.

And she probably thought that her grandson's t-shirt with his deceased medal of honor winning grandfather's picture was appropriate for the occassion considering that it was the day after his burial.

It sounds like an unfortunate outcome all the way around, but if she wasn't even invited (which explains the t-shirt and shorts) then it was just poor luck she didn't meet the dress code when the opportunity arose. I just don't see the big wrong the white house staff has done here.

 

[targus]

It sounds like an unfortunate outcome all the way around, but if she wasn't even invited (which explains the t-shirt and shorts) then it was just poor luck she didn't meet the dress code when the opportunity arose. I just don't see the big wrong the white house staff has done here.

Not saying it's a big wrong - just poor judgement.

Surely someone should have thought about the public relations side of this...

deceased medal of honor winner...

widow and grandson turned away from the West Wing...

the day after his funeral.

Doesn't look to good.

 

[Steven2006]

Not saying it's a big wrong - just poor judgement.

Surely someone should have thought about the public relations side of this...

deceased medal of honor winner...

widow and grandson turned away from the West Wing...

the day after his funeral.

Doesn't look to good.

You are assuming the person working that day knew all this. They probably have a day filled with dealing with all kinds of visitors in large numbers. You already said the invite to the tour was someone else's and not theirs. Since that was the case why do you assume the tour staff knew all the extenuating circumstances about someone not even previously invited?

Kind of the old saying, hind sight being 20/20

 

[targus]

You are assuming the person working that day knew all this. They probably have a day filled with dealing with all kinds of visitors in large numbers. You already said the invite to the tour was someone else's and not theirs. Since that was the case why do you assume the tour staff knew all the extenuating circumstances about someone not even previously invited?

Kind of the old saying, hind sight being 20/20

Because she had a security clearance it would make sense that they would have some idea who she is.

Because she most likely told them who she is and who her deceased husband was.

Because the guy who gave up his place on the tour knew who she was there must have been some sort of conversation among at least some of the people present who knew the details.

If the person charged with turning her away didn't know who she was I have to wonder how well he was doing his job.

 

[Steven2006]

Because she had a security clearance it would make sense that they would have some idea who she is.

Because she most likely told them who she is and who her deceased husband was.

Because the guy who gave up his place on the tour knew who she was there must have been some sort of conversation among at least some of the people present who knew the details.

If the person charged with turning her away didn't know who she was I have to wonder how well he was doing his job.

I am not an expert on back ground checks, but somehow I doubt they include dates of relatives funerals.

I have waited in hundreds of lines for many things. Often I have struck up conversation with others in lines and got to know things about them, where they were from, why they were there and they things about myself. I can't think of one instance where the people working at the place where we were waiting in line at, were privy to what we were talking about.

I agree it was a shame in the way it turned out. I just fail to see where it was a major gaffe, but rather someone just doing his job as he or she does every day, and following the rules and policy they are supposed to. Matter of fact it wasn't that long ago that everyone was criticizing white house employees for not following rules strict enough. Maybe that played into their strictness of enforcing the rules.

Maybe your right and it is somehow due to Obama being in the White House. He probably told all the staff at their monthly meeting that if they ever come across a chance to stick it to someone with ties to the military they should go for it. :smilewinkgrin:

 

[Don]

But she wasn't sent an invitation. She was offered someone else's place on the tour.

Okay, where is this information offered? It wasn't in the original article, and I didn't see it in the follow-up article.

Targus - you're off base with your referral back to the fact that the kid is 10 years old. This isn't the kid's fault; I don't expect a 10-year old to have a good foundation on what is appropriate wear. I do expect the parents, grandparents, etc. to provide their 10-year olds appropriate guidance--i.e., teach them.

I also don't expect the tour guides to run background checks on the visitors; that's the job of the security detail. And I don't fault tour guides for falling back on the rules. I myself have been in the position where I exercised a little initiative and what I thought was common sense, only to be raked over the coals by my supervisor for not following the rules. It would be nice if they exercised a little initiative and asked their supervisor for guidance, but that's not always possible, either.

Suffice to say, my original intent in posting this was, respect. I could care less what examples others set; I can only speak to my pride of my country, and wonder what has happened to respect for it. This kid's particular t-shirt I can overlook; but t-shirt and shorts is not what I would personally identify as appropriate wear for the respect and dignity of the facility being visited -- despite whatever lack of respect may have been heaped upon it by its current resident.

 

[Steven2006]

Okay, where is this information offered? It wasn't in the original article, and I didn't see it in the follow-up article.

Targus - you're off base with your referral back to the fact that the kid is 10 years old. This isn't the kid's fault; I don't expect a 10-year old to have a good foundation on what is appropriate wear. I do expect the parents, grandparents, etc. to provide their 10-year olds appropriate guidance--i.e., teach them.

I also don't expect the tour guides to run background checks on the visitors; that's the job of the security detail. And I don't fault tour guides for falling back on the rules. I myself have been in the position where I exercised a little initiative and what I thought was common sense, only to be raked over the coals by my supervisor for not following the rules. It would be nice if they exercised a little initiative and asked their supervisor for guidance, but that's not always possible, either.

Suffice to say, my original intent in posting this was, respect. I could care less what examples others set; I can only speak to my pride of my country, and wonder what has happened to respect for it. This kid's particular t-shirt I can overlook; but t-shirt and shorts is not what I would personally identify as appropriate wear for the respect and dignity of the facility being visited -- despite whatever lack of respect may have been heaped upon it by its current resident.

I agree, nice post.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

The problem is knickers and short pants went out of style as boys dress wear before long before Pearl Harbor.