Quite frankly I was shocked by that. But after watching South Carolina Congressman Joseph Wilson's rude and disrespectful outburst during President Obama's address to Congress, my student comments got me thinking.

     In my 55 years of life, I recall many times presidents speaking to school kids, and sometimes barely garnering newspaper and broadcast coverage. Several TV networks, however, reminded us all this week, that George H. W. Bush made quite a picture show of his classroom appearance in 1991, and he explicitly asked students to help him by writing letters to the White House. Media coverage then was more preoccupied on the estimated $26,000 cost to taxpayers for the president's road trip and classroom photo op. Last month, when President Obama's team posted online a lesson plan calling for students to write letters to help him, conservatives lost their minds, and seemingly overnight mobilized forces to fight him. Using a calendar to clearly showcase the day-to-day organized protest strategy before the speech, ABC News Nightline reported extreme conservative efforts while never one finding out what the president was actually going to say to the children. Some parents, who made up their minds in advance, convinced themselves they couldn't take the chance of having their kids "indoctrinated" by Obama, so they demanded their children not be forced to hear the president.

     You don't need the mindset of a mystery novel writer to see what was going on, nor do you need to be a Hollywood director to develop a visual storyline designed to send a message back to our new young leader and his supporters nationwide. The key question...What could motivate so many people to act so irrationally?

     Wednesday night, September 9th, when the nation and the world was focused on the dignified chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives and President Obama's plan for healthcare reform, saw a distinguished Republican member breach rules of conduct by shouting "You lie" as the president spoke. In 233 years, no president had ever been treated so rudely on Capitol Hill. Even during the Civil War, two World Wars, the Great Depression, the Civil and Equal Rights movements, Vietnam, and the two Iraqi War NO ONE ever crossed that line of proper respect and decorum and chastised the leader of this nation while he was speaking to a joint session of Congress.

    It's fair to think and ask...why did that happen to this president?

    He is no more or less controversial than any of the other residents of the White House in our history. Our current huge issue, healthcare reform, is no more or less tension inspiring than those other key issues in time. And, by all accounts, this president does has a strong command and understanding of issues and rarely showcases his own  emotions. Yet consistently he draws unrestrained, and sometimes blatantly disrespectful responses from politicians and the public. Many of these who self identify as "proud Americans" apparently are not too proud of the history Obama made when he was elected.

     As an African-American professional journalist and educator I sometimes find it difficult to embrace what many in my ethnic community are now thinking quietly. No matter how hard black people work in our society to do what is right, make something of themselves, earn the respect of people in their profession through hard work, and rise to the top of that profession, there are always plenty of other people who just can't stand that notion and rebel. Most of these people are subtle, suggesting publicly their open-mindedness and appreciation for how the times have changed. Yet for some, like Congressman Wilson, when inner most views or preferences are threatened, they will not hesitate to violate professional codes of conduct. They don't self restrain, even if they practice doing just that every day for a living. When pushed to their limits, true colors shine through.

    To be honest, that behavior is predictable for most blacks in America. From the average workplace, to the board rooms in corporations, an even some conference rooms on campuses of higher education, people of
color and women have learned, many times the hard way, what my mother taught me as a child, namely "never mind what people say, watch what they do." Nevertheless most African-Americans were hoping, at the very least, that this new president would be given the same respect in public that all the other 43 men before him received while in office. Challenge every policy he has, if you like...and pick them clean to the bone on every detail if
you must, but never ever cross the line of respect for the leader of the free world, right?

    Yes, we had a dream. Now some are beginning to wonder if we, in fact, still trying to get to the Promise Land.

    Whether those extreme conservative few admit it, their actions speak volumes, and now have inspired my students to wonder. After watching the movie Frost/Nixon recently, some were reminded that Richard Nixon
forever changed public willingness to give the president the benefit of doubt. Several generations of Americans, since Watergate, have been dutifully taught by society, starting with their parents, not to trust politicians ever because, "they're all scoundrels!"

    Can you imagine where we would be if Presidents Washington, Lincoln, FDR and LBJ had that sort of pervasive judgment to deal with as they fought for universal freedoms and basic human rights for all Americans? As radical as their efforts and plans were during their times, some how cooler heads managed to prevail, and no elected officials dared to embarrass himself, herself, those men, or our nation by shouting out during a presidential address to Congress. No apology can take it back or stop people from thinking deeper about why this happened to President Barack Obama in 2009.

    Like my students, family, colleagues and friends, I believe their is more going on here than just a sign of the times.

Bob Rucker
Journalism Professor
Radio & TV News Coordinator
San Jose State University

Bob is also a Former CNN Correspondent & Newsweek Broadcasting Feature Producer.

He teaches an advanced course in Diversity & Lifestyles in the Media which focuses on advertising, journalism and public relation treatments of issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious cultures and disabilities in media messages.