Biden follows the tradition of tarnishing the Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Medal of Freedom is America’s highest civilian honor. It is bestowed on “any person selected by the President upon his own initiative.” It stands alongside the Congressional Gold Medal, which is awarded by a vote of Congress and signed into law by the President.
The Medal of Freedom was introduced by President Harry Truman in 1945. It was to be awarded to civilians for “especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” The Truman version of the Medal of Freedom was bestowed by the Secretary of War (now Defense) or the Secretary of the Navy – and was lower in status to the then-existing Medal of Merit awarded by the President.
Intended only for war contributions, the Medal of Merit was no longer awarded after 1952. The Medal of Freedom created by Truman was upgraded to the PRESIDENTIAL Medal of Freedom by President Kennedy in 1963 with Executive Order 11085.
Kennedy not only made it a presidential award, but he made it a two-level award, with the superior level designated as “with distinction.” That is the one with which the public is most familiar.
The Kennedy EO also expanded the size of the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board that makes recommendations. The president can take recommendations from anyone, however – but the ultimate decision is at the sole discretion of the President,
Kennedy also expanded those who could receive it and redesigned the Medal, itself. It can be awarded to military personnel. It can be awarded more than once (Colin Powell received it twice. One regular and once “with Distinction.”) and non-citizens. It can be awarded to groups (Apollo 14 ground team and crew by President Nixon in 1970.) and posthumously. (Murdered civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner received the honor in 2014 from President Obama.)
To say that the Presidential Medal of Freedom is political is an understatement. Since 1963, the Medal has evolved from meritorious civilian contributions to whomever the incumbent President favors politically. It has become more political as Presidents have used it to reward allies and pay off contributors – and it is getting worse. What can one expect with the award being presented by the most political figure in America without limits or restrictions?
President Trump awarded the Medal to a number of arguably worthy recipients, even though with a notable philosophic bent in some cases. Among the less controversial are Babe Ruth, Elvis Presley and Roger Staubach. But others seemed to fall in the category of political payoff – White House Advisor Rudy Giuliani, Campaign Chairman Kellyanne Conway and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Like Trump, Obama had a number of arguably worthy awardees, with the usual overall philosophic bent. Among those looking like political pay offs were his own Vice President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton and mega donor Oprah Winfrey.
The headline reads that Biden has followed an evolving tradition that has tarnished the meaning of the Medal. He is not unique, but rather just the latest in a succession of presidents, starting with Kennedy, who have abused the privilege.
Biden has made a number of good choices — U2 musician Bono, actor Michael J. Fox, NBA star “Magic” Johnson, and the science guy Bill Nye. But then there are the obvious and egregious political payoffs – among the most flagrant of any previous President.
He has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Republican apostate Liz Cheney and controversial billionaire donor George Soros. George Soros? Really?
In my judgment, the highest civilian honor should not be given to those whose primary contribution is to partisan politics. To give the same honor to Nancy Pelosi or Kellyanne Conway as is awarded to Rosa Parks only diminishes the honor and tarnishes the reputation and meaning of the Medal.
I think it is time to reform the criteria for the Presidential Medal of Honor. I would make the nation’s highest CIVILIAN award only to CIVILIANS – meaning no former or current office holders, especially presidents and vice presidents. No military. We already have awards for those who serve our nation with courage and distinction in military service. No foreigners – such as the one bestowed on British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher by President George H.W. Bush. Perhaps we should establish a special presidential award for non-citizens who contribute to the security and welfare of the United States.
There are untold numbers of American civilians who are deserving to be recognized and honored for their personal achievements and contributions to America. We should focus on them and end the practice of making the President’s Medal of Freedom a political reward.
So, there ‘tis.
Oh my, this is petty. No one cares.
Although I did catch Liz Cheney getting hers and the face she was making, priceless.
Just cap the number to avoid an awards arms race and call it a day.
Bigger problems like Musk-Trump EV credit program. Can’t wait to see that clusterduck.
Larry. very soon we all -our whole nation plus all other countries are going to find out the truth of what has happened and why things are the way they are. That truth is out now, if people care enough to find and read the information. Biden is definitely dead, executed before his fake inauguration that wasn’t even done at the proper legal time and was recorded in advance. The Medals of Freedom will be null and void as they were given to fake people playing Hillary and the rest of them. Trump has been the CIC all along since 2020 and President with Obama being a shadow President. The military has pretty much been in charge. We seem to have a triple Presidency, Trump, fake Biden and Obama, if you can think of it that way. There is a website that explains all of this in clear understanding. It’s the Law and Orders manual written out for us by Derek Johnson in an easier text for people to understand. I will provide that website for all that want to be Patriots to read: https://www.newstreason.com/post/derek-johnson-the-military-blueprint-that-proves-donald-trump-is-still-commander-in-chief.
I hope this solves any mis or disinformation that others have believed prior to reading this excerpt of the Law and Orders Manual.
Thank AF; thanks to you, and Derek, accordingly, the last four years. including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Israel, Syria, inflation, everything is on Trump’s watch.
I spell my name: danger
Yeah, right, Jesus Frank. You are a number one traitor and an a$$hole. You just refuse the truth. All I did was give the link to the military Laws of War Manual, condensed for stupid people like you. If you cannot realize the truth with that link, you definitely are a traitor. The Law of War Manual is the truth from the military. You give the military a bad name. We are under military law at this time. The last four years is where you should have stood up and done more than rant on here to show Patriotism, but you couldn’t do that, could you? You are a traitor, a full-fledged traitor who hates everything and everybody except yourself and you hate America. You constantly lie to please your own self. That manual is the Law of our land at this time whether you like it or not. If you can’t follow the law, you should be turned into the proper authorities. You already wrote how you are a criminal. Your stupid name (danger) is hilarious, not dangerous. If you are danger, what are you going to do? Try to murder all of us like Al Queda? You are not doing a veery good job of redeeming yourself. You are making yourself worse and worse. Take that and try to take me down! You will not be able to do it, coward! You are chicken shite!
AF do you think calling me Jesus brings you closer to God?
All I did was agree and note the accomplishments of the past four years.
And my did that send you round the bend.
Be very careful what you ask for. You may be making a beth bet.
I am not a traitor. treasonous, criminal, stupid, hater or coming for you. There is no hate speak in this thread except yours. Only you call for murder or worse. Those are your lies that you cannot prove. And yes, I have broken drug. traffic, and building codes laws. You can’t even admit breaking any. Including traffic. Crickets.
You should write Trumpian children’s books. You would be a natural.
Well the people who should be behind bars are getting a Medal of Freedom!
The crooked people behind bar are getting let out!
The Sky is falling and Cats are Barking!
Get this Jack Ass out of office!
Jesus Frank, I DO NOT think calling you the correct name for you will bring me closer to God. God is within all of us. You got that name because you believe you shite does not stink. You make sure you say things that you want us to see, like you think you are the only good person in this world. You think you can do or say anything you want but none of the rest of us are allowed according to your rule book. You are a horrible man or should I say Satan! You lied again in your last rant! I don’t have a driver’s license so how could I break any laws. I have never ever broken any laws in my over 77 years. I did speak the real truth in God’s name, if you will, you did not. You are a filthy disgusting liar. You may regret your altitude one of these days! I will be laughing my head off at that one! You are a traitor. You are a hater and you are a criminal. Talk to a cop about you and what you did. I bet you won’t because you are too afraid of the law. And you do want to get rid of me. Your posts – or rants show it pure and simple. BTW, why do you use so many aka names, criminal!
AF: Do you really think Jesus thought his shit did not stink? All I do is find the facts, print them, add my own opinion all of which is treasured in our Constitution’s Bill of Rights as the First Amendment.
You can, and apparently do, say anything you want. Joe has more control over that than I unless you read my stuff and then make that decision yourself.
Feel free to attack the issues, but when you call me Satan, a disgusting liar, a traitor, hater, and criminal, well that’s not about the article or the facts I presented. You have made the choice to attack me, the person, for some perverse pleasure. Because it sure as shit smells, is not going to change a thing.
And enough with the threats; Joe should moderate those when you say crap like: “You may regret your altitude one of these days! I will be laughing my head off at that one!” Now, my altitude is generally 600 feet, and yes, I do regret that, especially in the winter. But I have almost always lived “in the hills,” so it’s where I belong, I guess. The fact that you would be laughing at my demise says a lot about you.
As always, love to discuss the issues. Sad that you do not know how to discuss the issues, have little debate decorum, and devolve into back-biting, name calling, violent rhetoric full of threats of recrimination for your falsely perceived issues with me, the person. Glad to provide you a person to vent your spleen.
And, again, as always —- feel free to pick out and prove your so-called lies I have perpetrated. If I have a misstatement, I will own up to it. If you have better information, I am glad to accept it. But you are a liar and I have provided the facts: yours start with the half dozen cloned leaders you say exist, including the one for Biden that apparently takes his orders from Trump according to you and Derek Johnson. You have no proof of the cloning. Sorry, but Johnson’s rules kind of get tarnished after that, and no way am I going to t h a t strange website you posted. And what does that have to do with the Medal of Freedom is anyone’s guess. The Medal of Freedom is a civilian award, in the beginning, for aiding the war efforts, but expanding to more civilian activities over time. Not sure what The Rules of War has to do with that to that, but hey, free speech.
Lastly, I am not a criminal in the sense that I have never been accused, arrested, indicted, or convicted of anything beyond some traffic violations. I am glad you are free of all crimes, but yes, I have committed some, feel most are righteous actions. And I was always more than willing to pay the price. Since the crime of selling pot is now legal where I live, I have opted to share with others what happened. I am proud to have supplied back then, under some degree of risk, what many people enjoy today, and others who need it for health reasons. And yes, I know of entire lives ruining for selling some pot, and what did that get us? The pot kept flowing and we trashed these otherwise upstanding citizens. One kid I knew was arrested for field pot, weeds from the side of the road, became the “biggest bust of PA history with mafia ties” when, in truth, just some kids riding home, saw the stuff, filled the trunk, it was worthless quality, and before all was done: estranged from parents, given the option to plead guilty or rot in jail from guilty in bohunk PA, took the plea, lost college, lost future as teacher, and basically ended his life. What a waste, and for what? If that’s justice, you can have it.
You support the 1/6-ers, you probably support pardoning them. So, what’s the difference? Seems their actions are much more traitorous than anything I have done or said.
The good news in all this is I can still be President. You voted for a felon sex abusing defamer of women whose business is replete with felonies. You seem to measure felonious actions differently depending on whether you like the person or not. How interesting.
Must be a slow day in Boca.
I did not rate this article because nobody cares about the Medal of Freedom. But to provide the balance that Larry never provides but claims (like a cheap Trump lie) that he does provide, here is the other side of the story that Larry will not tell his readers:
Trump has used the country’s highest civilian honor to reward his most fervent supporters — angry, divisive partisans like Rush Limbaugh (who coined the term “feminazi”), Rep. Jim “Shouty” Jordan and, of course, his favorite cow-suing congressman, Rep. Devin Nunes who has been involved in running Trump’s Truth Social which should be named “Lie Central”.
He and his colleagues, including most notably his fellow medalist Jordan, tried to out the anonymous whistleblower who first raised concerns about Trump’s phone call with the new president of Ukraine. That was, of course, the call during which Trump asked Volodymyr Zelensky, who wanted Trump to allow the release of nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine, to “do us a favor though” and dig up dirt on Joe Biden. How cheap is that?!!!
Just as he has done with the presidency, Trump has debased the Medal of Freedom. (I can only imagine he will give the Medal of Freedom to some 1/6 insurrectionists! Maybe even give it to AF!!!
“Everything about Donald Trump screams narcissism, so it’s hardly a surprise he turns the highest civilian award into a tool to reflect his own interests,” said Rob Weissman, president of the government watchdog group Public Citizen. “He gave the Medal of Freedom to individuals for their service to him.”
See the full article at *https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-01-16/column-how-trump-cheapened-one-of-americas-highest-honors-the-medal-of-freedom*.
So there ’tis.