When I was a teenager in Rumford, I and a classmate went off to New Brunswick for high school. It was an interesting time in my life.
One of the challenges was what to do when we went to the movies and before the movie started, they played “God Save the King” and everybody stood up. Would we be traitors to our country if we stood up? Big dilemma.
What solved it was that back in 1939, King George VI and his wife visited this country to plead with President Roosevelt to come to Britain’s aid. Americans heartily welcomed the British royalty with thunderous applause and adulation when the king and queen arrived in Washington. Crowds lined the streets. Remembering that event solved our dilemma. We stood up.
My friend later went to Annapolis and became an officer in the U.S. Navy. We were not traitors. In the seminary I studied the 12 Virtues of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas. One of the virtues is respect. To respect someone means you recognize that he or she is important and deserves to be treated well.
All this having been said, I think the important person in a state’s government (the governor) should give the important person in the country’s government (the president) respect … regardless.
My opinion.
P.S. Queen Elizabeth has received our president twice.
The Rev. Joseph McKenna
Portland
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