
<p>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.</p>



<p>The Medal of Freedom was introduced by President Harry Truman in 1945. It was to be awarded to civilians for &#8220;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.&#8221; 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.</p>



<p>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. ;</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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,</p>



<p>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.)</p>



<p>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?</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p> ;Biden has made a number of good choices &#8212; 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.</p>



<p>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?</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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&#8217;s Medal of Freedom a political reward.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Biden follows the tradition of tarnishing the Presidential Medal of Freedom
