Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Charles & Camilla: No White House For You
Is this for real? 365Gay.com reports that President Bush, in his ongoing efforts to "strengthen traditional marriage," has moved on from isolating and alienating gay families, and is now targeting people whose "traditional" marriages didn't work out. The incident that prompted this statement was reported in London newspapers. According to the news reports, the Bush administration has cancelled plans to host Prince Charles and Camilla at the White House during their US tour after their marriage this spring. The reason given? Camilla is a divorcee, and their being invited dinner guests at the White House would be "inappropriate."
What? The prince himself was divorced from Princess Diana prior to her death. Does her subsequent death erase the divorce? Or does the Bush White House simply not recognize divorce, which would make Charles simply a widower, while Camilla is technically an adulterer? Since when does being divorced make you inappropriate for the White House, anyway? What about Reagan? What about every other divorced person who I'm sure has been a guest at the White House during the current administration? Are any Bush appointees divorced? What the fuck is going on here, and what's next?
Since when is it appropriate for the US President to pass judgment on the spouses or traveling companions of heads of state and heirs to thrones? Would this decision have been different if Charles were King and not Crown Prince? Will there now be routine screenings of all dinner guests at the White House? Are you now or have you ever had an extramarital affair? Premarital sex? Have you ever been divorced? Have you ever had any homosexual experiences? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your savior?
Other speculation is that the divorce status is simply a means to avoid alienating the many, many people who cherish the memory of Princess Diana and might feel that hosting Charles and Camilla would be a violation of her memory. I'm still not buying it. What would have been the White House reaction if Bush were turned away from dinner with European leaders on his "mending fences tour?" After all, lots of Europeans are opposed to the current administration and current policies, and hosting the Bushes for dinner might alienate those people.
But maybe this is all just reporting in error. I really hope so. Otherwise, I'm really nervous about what the next White House policy will be.
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What? The prince himself was divorced from Princess Diana prior to her death. Does her subsequent death erase the divorce? Or does the Bush White House simply not recognize divorce, which would make Charles simply a widower, while Camilla is technically an adulterer? Since when does being divorced make you inappropriate for the White House, anyway? What about Reagan? What about every other divorced person who I'm sure has been a guest at the White House during the current administration? Are any Bush appointees divorced? What the fuck is going on here, and what's next?
Since when is it appropriate for the US President to pass judgment on the spouses or traveling companions of heads of state and heirs to thrones? Would this decision have been different if Charles were King and not Crown Prince? Will there now be routine screenings of all dinner guests at the White House? Are you now or have you ever had an extramarital affair? Premarital sex? Have you ever been divorced? Have you ever had any homosexual experiences? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your savior?
Other speculation is that the divorce status is simply a means to avoid alienating the many, many people who cherish the memory of Princess Diana and might feel that hosting Charles and Camilla would be a violation of her memory. I'm still not buying it. What would have been the White House reaction if Bush were turned away from dinner with European leaders on his "mending fences tour?" After all, lots of Europeans are opposed to the current administration and current policies, and hosting the Bushes for dinner might alienate those people.
But maybe this is all just reporting in error. I really hope so. Otherwise, I'm really nervous about what the next White House policy will be.
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Posted by Rogueslayer at 1:19 PM 
