By Patrick Wood (I will be interviewing Patrick on Acceleration Radio on 8/19)
On June 30, President Obama created a firestorm with the announcement of his intent to award 16 people with the Medal of Freedom award, the highest and most prestigious civilian award in the U.S. The awards will be presented on August 12, 2009.
One might expect the list of recipients to honor ideological cronies of Obama, like leftist/Marxists Sidney Poitier and Desmond Tutu. One might expect gay activists to be on the list, like Billy Jean King and Harvey Milk.
What is out of place is Obama's selection of Trilateral Commission member Mary Robinson, formerly President of Ireland and anti-Israel activist.
Jewish groups around the world immediately protested Robinson's selection, and called for Obama to demand that she "firmly, fully and publicly repudiate her views on Israel and her long public record of hostility and one-sided bias against the Jewish state."
It was Robinson who presided over the United Nations' infamous 2001 World Conference against Racism meeting in Durban, South Africa. The U.S. boycotted this meeting, and the Israel delegation walked out after it degenerated into a racist attack on Jews and Israel. Delegates screamed and hurled insults at each other. Even physical threats were made against those who refused to join in on the hate-fest.
The conference also blamed and bashed the United States for slavery, apartheid and colonialism.
Apparently, Robinson's hatred of Israel and intolerance for America is not a hindrance for her to receive the highest civilian award that a U.S. president can confer.
