On Sat., June 12, I drove past the U.S. Post Office on Galena Avenue to be greeted by a poster showing President Obama boasting a Hitler mustache and a call for his impeachment.

Although I support one’s First Amendment right to publicly express displeasure with elected leaders, I have the same right to be offended.

Beyond the shock factor of the poster, which really was in despicable taste, was the obvious display of the supporter’s lack of constitutional knowledge.

Impeachment of a standing president cannot happen simply because one disagrees with the administration’s policies and politics. This is not a petition to recall a politician legitimately elected to office. It’s a legal process to charge the president with illegal activities.

Please tell me what crimes President Obama has been accused of. I’m not aware of even his opponents on the far right issuing a call to impeach.

I wonder if these protesters had the same fervor to call for the impeachment of President George W. Bush, who presented false information to Congress to get us into a war in Iraq that has resulted in thousands of military and innocent Iraqi deaths.

Did these protestors also speak out against the links between Vice President Cheney’s office and the outing of a CIA operative, which according to some scholars could be tantamount to treason? I assume not.

However, both examples are arguably bona fide crimes. The fact that neither resulted in impeachment proceedings is because I believe the Republican-held Congress lacked the courage to stand up for the letter of the law above their political agendas.

However, they seemed to have no problem in seeking impeachment of President Clinton for perjury regarding his extramarital affairs, which the Senate voted for acquittal by the way.

Personally, I like to see people stand up for what they believe in even if I disagree.

But before you pull out that marker to defame the president’s face on a poster for sheer shock value, maybe you would be best advised to refresh your constitutional knowledge so you actually look like you know what you’re talking about and not present yourself as a reactionary lemming to some political extremists who like to grab headlines and camera time.
Anne Baye Ericksen
Simi Valley