Obama: Remove the Shroud

Katherine Trunk is a contributor to The Brenner Brief. Her columns appear on Tuesdays.

The conspicuous trend of banned religious expression brought to mind a previous instructive moment of President Barack Obama’s White House administration.

If you recall back in 2009, President Obama was invited to speak at Washington’s Georgetown University, a Catholic Jesuit institution. Interestingly the University was founded by a religious community which derived its name from the Latin translation of the word, “Jesus.”

The Obama administration was not yet satisfied by the invite.  They had a special request. The White House administration had requested Georgetown University officials to “cover” religious symbols and images behind Georgetown’s Gaston Hall stage for President Obama’s visit. Outrageously, the powers at Georgetown University complied with their wish. Georgetown displayed a lack of regard toward Catholic faith and sensibilities, as well as a disregard for constitutional rights. Additionally, the University’s prominent display of the logo “IHS,” a religious reference to Christ as King, was covered up so that President Obama and his message might not be obscured.

Weeks later President Obama addressed a crowd at a commencement ceremony at yet another Catholic university, Notre Dame. The President was bestowed an honorary degree  upon his visit.  He reiterated his political philosophy while imploring unity through “common ground.”

Pro life protesters were arrested at this event for expressing themselves.

Flash forward three years. Four brave American citizens, including an American Ambassador,  suffer brutally violent deaths in Benghazi, Libya.  Security reinforcements had been requested months earlier, as noted by ABC ‘s Jake Tapper, only to be denied.

Harrowing images appeared in the aftermath of that September 11th. Never forgotten: a blood stained hand print clinging to a wall as if a macabre reminder; a toilet bowl with blood splattered; the image of our once vibrant Ambassador being dragged with his last breath; seven lingering hours during which anguished cries were delivered to powers which could have saved them; and, they gave up their last breath and died.  Who would know any more about them?  This question remains.

Remove the shroud.

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