Ohio Firefighter Quits Over Obama Nod

[Dark Knight]

An Ohio firefighter says he's quitting a marching band after he was suspended from the group for nodding and waving to President Barack Obama during last week's inauguration parade.

Drum Major John Coleman says there are too many hurt feelings over the gesture he made when the Cleveland Firefighter's Memorial Pipes & Drums marched past the president.

The organization said the firefighter violated the proper decorum required in a military parade. The band leader said members had been warned not to make gestures, and Coleman was suspended from the group for six months.

Coleman says Obama smiled and waved first, and that he was just acknowledging the president.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/28/ohio-firefighter-quits-obama-nod/

 

[MrsG728]

:furious: As a former drum major, I resent that he was fired. Part of your leadership in a band is to have a personality and to be well-liked and respected.

Nowhere does it say "be a cold robot". This is HORRIBLE.

 

[Salem]

I agree MrsG! I think this whole thing is silly. How often do you get to be acknowledged by or to actually acknowledge the president? Maybe once in your life unless you are a politician. So the guy nodded and waved... Let him be!

Salem

 

[Dark Knight]

I hope Obama hears about this and intervenes, somehow. Especially since he was the one who waved first! This is insane. And why would firefighters follow the code of a military parade?

 

[KarlK]

And why would firefighters follow the code of a military parade?

Because it's lead by a former Marine maybe? In any case if it had been a military parade this behavior would have been unthinkable because units parade as units, not groups of individuals, it's called Esprit de Corps and is drummed into you at boot camp, in fact basic training is all about that.

Unit leaders salute, not individual members (while parading in front of a dignitary unit members turn their head toward him/her in unison when their leader salutes) and no one waves and gesticulates even if the dignitary does. If anyone here has ever seen such a parade they will know that perfect discipline is part of what makes of breaks the show for spectators, those white gloves must move as one. This guy's mistake was that he forgot he wasn't a spectator, but a participant.

Now keep in mind that this guy was suspended from a marching band, not a big deal, and is being resentful about the suspension. It's not like he was fired from his job or anything. IMHO the proper reaction should have been to say something like "okay, okay, you guys are right I shouldn't have done it, sheesh!", take the suspension, and move on.

Anyone can waive at the President, but doing so while marching in a parade in front of him looks a little out of place and other band members may have felt he had ruined their performance and got pissed off at him. After all, fire dept bands rarely have the opportunity to parade in front of a President and now their memories of the unique event are marred by this buffoonic incident.

It's like someone farting loudly in church during a wedding. Not the end of the world but afterwards the event will be remebered as The Fart Wedding by everyone who was there. Funny I guess but what if it's your wedding? Wouldn't you be tempted to do something a little nasty to the offending party?