CMO winner's family and another CMO winner turned away at White House

[RugersGR8]

A 10 year old grandson of a CMO winner and a former Navy SEAL/FBI agent CMO winner were both turned away from the White House. And these White House people are the same people that are running the government? Makes you feel all warm/fuzzy and safe/secure doesn't it?


http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/30/baker-family-invited-back-to-white-house/


September 30, 2010
Baker family invited back to White House
Kevin Graman The Spokesman-Review

 

[Perplexed]

In general, there’s no dress code for White House tours, and the family said they’d checked about possible dress codes ahead of time to make sure. But Norris and the Baker family turned down a previously arranged East Wing tour for a more exclusive visit to the West Wing, which does have a dress code. The West Wing is where the Oval Office is located.

Norris acknowledged that the Secret Service has come under pressure to tighten security after a Virginia couple managed to slip into a state dinner uninvited. The White House requires that visitors obtain clearance in advance.

It's unfortunate the Secret Service couldn't complete the background check in time to admit Mr. Norris and the Baker family, but it sounds as if the visitors changed the plan after the arrangements had already been made for a tour of the East Wing. Knowing a bit of how the gov't operates, I have to side with the SS on this one; being a MH winner or family member of such a winner (by the way, it's not "Congressional" Medal of Honor - those journalists need to get that right) doesn't give one a free pass to waltz into a restricted area. I realize the kid was honoring his relative with his t-shirt, but the West Wing is a highly visible area of the White House; how would it look on the international scene if there was film footage of a kid wandering around the Oval Office in a t-shirt? What's next, wife-beater shirts and pants on the ground?

Unfortunate situation, but I can't find fault with the SS or the dress code.

 

[SoonerBorn]

It's unfortunate the Secret Service couldn't complete the background check in time to admit Mr. Norris and the Baker family, but it sounds as if the visitors changed the plan after the arrangements had already been made for a tour of the East Wing. Knowing a bit of how the gov't operates, I have to side with the SS on this one; being a MH winner or family member of such a winner (by the way, it's not "Congressional" Medal of Honor - those journalists need to get that right) doesn't give one a free pass to waltz into a restricted area. I realize the kid was honoring his relative with his t-shirt, but the West Wing is a highly visible area of the White House; how would it look on the international scene if there was film footage of a kid wandering around the Oval Office in a t-shirt? What's next, wife-beater shirts and pants on the ground?

Unfortunate situation, but I can't find fault with the SS or the dress code.

+1 here

 

[Old Fart]

Not bashing anyone here but you'd hope they had a file of CMH winners to let them know " Hey he's one of the good guys! "

 

[Jefpainthorse]

In a time far away before most of you were born.... men wore shirts with collars, ties, and jackets when they went to town. Even poor people wore their best overall and shirts if they did'nt have better

Sorry, jeans and T shirts don't respect the office or the building in this case.

 

[KOPBET]

What is a CMO? A Congressional Medal Of?

 

[Shoot Summ]

What is a CMO? A Congressional Medal Of?

What ever it is I didn't realize there were "winners"....

I'm sure this is a precisely calculated plot by the current political administration to purposely slight the family of "winners".


Seriously, this is newsworthy with all of the other things going on in our country?

 

[Mos Eisley]

What is a CMO? A Congressional Medal Of?

Should be referred to correctly as the Medal of Honor. Congressional Medal of Honor is a popular misnomer.

.

 

[centraloklahoma]

http://www.homeofheroes.com/photos/7_rvn/norris_field.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_R._Norris

I watched this true story on the History Channel a few months ago.

CMO means Congressional Medal of Honor.

 

[centraloklahoma]

"Sorry, jeans and T shirts don't respect the office or the building in this case."

Whatever.

Thomas Norris has far and above laid his life on the line for the United States to go anywhere in any "clothing" that he chooses to wear.

The "clothing" issue was not even his, it was the grandson wearing a Tshirt with his own grandfathers image on it. His grandfather Vernon Baker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Baker had also received the CMO for his actions in WWII.

"And respect the office or the building in this case"?

Do you think for a minute those in that office, current and previous that have not ever laid it on the line are good enough to even be there?

Compaired to Thomas Norris or Vernon Baker MOST of the politicians holding office don't even compare. It's men like Norris and Baker that have kept this country free and have helped others live free in their countries.