Black Wealth Magazine

Who is this Joe Wilson guy anyway?

One of the things that I always respected about the military was its insistence on decorum and respect. On more than one occasion, I have encountered a military man or woman who when addressing me, respectfully called me “sir.” It always sort of  jolts me at first, especially when the individual is obviously as old as or even older than I. That, however, does not matter to them, it seems. They give me respect as an individual regardless of my age, my economic standing, my ethnicity, my politics.

Which brings me to Joe Wilson, the Republican Congressman from South Carolina. He was an obscure senator from a right leaning state until earlier this week.

You’ve probably heard of him by now, even if you didn’t hear his disrepectful outburst during President Obama’s address to Congress and the nation on Wednesday. He heckled the President, calling him a liar when he asserted that his health care proposal will not provide relief to illegal immigrants. Mr. Wilson (Note to readers: See how I can give someone respect, even if I think they are an idiot? That’s because I have home training.) has been a staunch opponent of anything that would provide assistance to illegal immigrants, including critical hospital care in an emergency, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times:

Wilson has been not only a strident opponent of healthcare reform but — and for much longer — an unyielding hard-liner on immigration-related issues. This week, he told radio talk-show host and Republican activist Hugh Hewitt that even though there’s no support in the House for it, he’d like to see illegal immigrants denied emergency room care.

Now, Mr. Wilson has become the poster boy for the radical Republican movement, led by talk show hosts Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. This is the same group of people who wants the President to “fail.” This despite our country facing the most crippling economic crisis since The Great Depression. Ideologues are like that, though; even when their ideals are patently stupid, outrageous, outdated and just downright hateful and mean. This cannot be what the Republican Party wants for itself.

Alternative and divergent opinions are more than welcome in our country. It is part of our culture. It is in our fabric. It is why we have free speech. But Mr. Wilson ought to take a lesson from the military men and women in how he uses that right. President Obaama is due respect, if not as a human being, certainly for the office which he occupies. In the military, people are taught to salute the office, if not the person. Perhaps Mr. Wilson needs some basic training.