OBAMA BOWS, ENOUGH OF THE CONDESCENSION!

Icheoku says, enough! These bows are becoming too condescending for an American president and must be stopped! President Barack Obama should understand that he is no longer a Mr. Barack Obama but President Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America. As a result his acts are synonymous and analogous with that of America and vice versa; hence he must always factor in this duality or rather infusion of two personalities or entities in him now.

For his youth and as an act of respect for his elders, being an African sire, it is ok to bow and even prostrate before elders, especially when such elders are people with authority or somewhat majestic divinity. The emperor of Japan and/or the King of Saudi Arabia are such men of authority with divinity and both men are old enough to be Barack Obama's grandfather. But that is not the gist here as Barack Obama transitioned from his 'ordinary' status to the apex of the world when he was sworn in as American 44th president last January 20, 2009. The implication being that a young king was crowned on that day and that he now sits atop every world leader by virtue of his office and hence must not stoop to bow before any of them or any other mortal on this earth; being conversely his 'subjects' strictly speaking!

President Barack Obama must realise that his actions reflects on the proud American people who do not want to be ever told what to do. Their history has been one of rebellion against constituted authorities and their freedom streak led to the founding of America as we know it today. It is American to be assertive; and we look people straight in their face to tell them how we really feel and this must be the basis of the presidency of Barack Obama - being a numero uno American! Therefore, bowing, genuflecting or prostrating and/or any other form of acknowledgment of a lower authority or class; and used to show allegiance and obeisances to the lord temporal who must be obeyed and not disrespected at the pain of unimaginable consequences must be avoided at all cost by any American president including President Barack Obama. America does not have a king who can do no wrong and sits on the highest pedestal, stool or throne in the palace, where he looks down on his subjects who kow-tow in line to pay their respect, bowing, prostrating and genuflecting in turn. Like the emperor of Japan or the Queen of England, an American president should not bow to anyone, not the Emperor and not to the King of Saudi Arabia! Their royal status is for their subjects' consumption and we are not their subjects, hence our own 'royalty', our president, should not submit himself to such a show of respect or subjugate gestured protocol to these men. Such sign of great respect and deference to 'superior-beings' should be showed by their subjects and Obama is not, not when he was an 'ordinary' citizen and not now when he is wearing the toga of American presidency. Call it arrogance if you want, but at least we have earned it as Americans.

President Barack Obama must shake off as fast as possible, some of his left-over African background vestiges, which is somewhat 'subservient' to men of power, authority and divinity, and assume the full toga of the office of the American presidency; which peradventure is still the presiding officer of the world including their leaders. Icheoku says at what point does enough really become enough? If he bows to King of Saudi Arabia and/or the Emperor of Japan, who knows if he will someday bow for the Queen of England or the Sultan of Sokoto or the King of Lesotho and the list of monarchs, kings and queens goes on. If he didn't or refuses to bow to other majesties of this world, including the self-acclaimed King of Africa Moumma Gaddafi, how will he explain his action? It would possibly start an antagonistic disposition towards him for being selective in his recognition of his lords temporal. This could in turn lead to the subjects of those lesser Majesties to start a revolt against their king or queen since their beloved Barack Obama does not recognise his/her legitimacy and supremacy otherwise why did he not bow for such king or queen? Admitted that some of us with some culture in our backgrounds, fully understand what Barack Obama did and why he did it; but majority of Americans, a bunch of un-apologetically republican people, cannot and do not fathom why their president should bow before another mortal in this world; and there lies the beef. President Barack Obama, Icheoku says, 'know ye that you are now the president of America and that what you do thence should reflect the norms of the majority of Americans and you should not be unmindful of their dos and don'ts.

It is a trite proposition that stooping down for a dwarf does not make one less taller; but not in this case where the whole world looks up to America for leadership and expect a manly-man at the helms of affairs! Therefore alongside majority of Americans, Icheoku says, we cannot continue to accept this your newly found act of bowing down before foreign royals and/or leaders. At worst, let your handlers discuss the issue of that aspect of protocol with the royals handlers ahead of any public engagement where cameras will probably record such gesture; and see how it could be privately and outside the camera's lenses be accommodated. Just like Nancy Reagan did when she bowed her head as she greeted Queen Elizabeth II behind closed doors, Icheoku says, just do it behind closed doors and away from camera lenses. If we don't see it it does not and will not bother us; but it disturbs our psyche so bad it hurts to publicly submit America to another country's leadership of royalty. Americans are not a subservient people, we do not play roles, not to anyone or to any authority. Our constitution is it, period!

Such public bow is very humiliating and offends Americans' sensibilities; hence should be shelved whenever in public. But at the privacy of whatever meeting you may be having with such royalty and outside camera lenses, if it pleases you to "lie down" before these royalties so be it; but the public spectacle of such subservient gesture as a bow is unacceptable to Americans. Others may bow, genuflect, curtsy or even prostrate as do the Yoruba of South West Nigeria, but Americans shake hands. In the words of one commentator, "If not to stand eye-to-eye with royalty, what else were 1776 and all that about?" Americans have purchased the right not to show these subjective gestures with their war of Independence in 1776 which freed them from the necessity of bending knees before certain 'special' human-beings of this world. Icheoku says, please President Barack Hussein Obama, no more bows!