You're next my friend...
Posted on 07/30/2009 1:08:24 PM PDT by lbryce
The President announced today the 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilan honor. The President praised the recipients for breaking down barriers and lifting up their fellow citizens: "These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way."
The awards will be presented on August 12. Here is a little bit about this year’s recipients: Nancy Goodman Brinker is the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading breast cancer grassroots organization.
Pedro José Greer, Jr. is the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Florida International University School of Medicine. Stephen Hawking is an internationally-recognized theoretical physicist, and is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.
Jack Kemp was a U.S. Congressman, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Republican Nominee for Vice President in 1996. He died in May, 2009
Sen. Edward Kennedy is one of the longest-serving and greatest Senators of all time. He has worked tirelessly for health care reform over the last five decades.
Billie Jean Kingis known for winning the famous "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, and championing gender equality issues not only in sports, but in all aspects of life.
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, and encouraged LGBT citizens to live their lives openly.
(Excerpt) Read more at whitehouse.gov ...
But a few of the recipients were inspired choices such as the physicist Steven Hawking,Jack Kemp was a U.S. Congressman, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Republican Nominee for Vice President in 1996. He died in May, 2009
“Billie Jean Kingis known for winning the famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match, and championing gender equality issues not only in sports, but in all aspects of life.”
Yawn. She would have been crushed by McEnroe, Sampras, or Federer. And everyone knows it.
The Williams sisters could probably beat a lot of guys. That’s mostly because they’re extremely manly.
Sen. Edward Kennedy?
Yeah, one of the last people on the planet that deserves a medal for anything.
Gosh that last name is magic isn’t it???
Here is a little bit about this year’s recipients:
- Nancy Goodman Brinker is the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading breast cancer grassroots organization.
- Pedro José Greer, Jr. is the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Florida International University School of Medicine. He is also the founder of Camillus Health Concern, an agency that provides medical care to over 10,000 homeless and low-income patients each year in Miami.
- Stephen Hawking is an internationally-recognized theoretical physicist, and is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.
- Jack Kemp was a U.S. Congressman, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Republican Nominee for Vice President in 1996. He died in May, 2009
- Sen. Edward Kennedy is one of the longest-serving and greatest Senators of all time. He has worked tirelessly for health care reform over the last five decades.
- Billie Jean King is known for winning the famous "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, and championing gender equality issues not only in sports, but in all aspects of life.
- Rev. Joseph Lowery has been a leader of the civil rights movement since the 1950s, and co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King.
- Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow is the last living Plains Indian war chief, and author of works on Native American history and culture who has served as an inspiration to young Native Americans across the country.
- Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, and encouraged LGBT citizens to live their lives openly.
- Sandra Day O’Connor was a Supreme Court Justice from 1981 until her retirement in 2006. She was the first woman ever to sit on the Supreme Court, and has received numerous awards for her outstanding achievements.
- Sidney Poitier is an actor known for breaking racial barriers. He is the first African American to be nominated and win a Best Actor Academy Award.
- Chita Rivera is an actress, singer and dancer, who has broken barriers and inspired a generation of women. In 2002, she was the first Hispanic to receive the Kennedy Center Honor.
- Mary Robinson was the first female President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Since 2002, she has been the President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative.
- Janet Davison Rowley, M.D., is the Blum Riese Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago. She discovered the first consistent chromosome translocation in a human cancer.
- Desmond Tutu is widely regarded as "South Africa’s moral conscience," and was a leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa.
- Muhammad Yunus is a global leader in anti-poverty efforts, and pioneered the use of "micro-loans" to provide credit to poor individuals.
Blood pressure rising, blood shooting from eyes, head exploding...............
Unfortunately Teddy had a problem with lifting up a fellow citizen named Mary Jo.
He gave a medal to Sidney Porter?
“I would include George W. Bush. He made many unpopular decisions needed to protect this country and asked for no recognition in return. Has showed more class as President than Obama ever will”
Please! It is bad enough that Jack Kemp is included in that bunch.
Too bad GWB didn’t have the gullions to award Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It really would have frosted the left.
If that’s an example, it’s a very bad one. Riggs had been retired from professional tennis for 20-odd years and getting near his 60s, while King was in her prime at 30. A later one with Connors vs. Navratilova, both in their primes, resulted in a Connors win despite Navratilova having a larger court and Connors getting only one serve per point.
It’s a shallow victory when the circumstances are loaded in your favor.
And I’d like to see how King would handle an Ivan Lendl serve. Ouch!
You're next my friend...
I see your point. We need to wait until a President who actually “gets it” is in office.
Surprised he included Jack Kemp - now safely dead; the remainder listed are “noteworthy.”
The awards will be presented on August 12. Here is a little bit about this year’s recipients:
* Nancy Goodman Brinker is the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading breast cancer grassroots organization.
* Pedro José Greer, Jr. is the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Florida International University School of Medicine. He is also the founder of Camillus Health Concern, an agency that provides medical care to over 10,000 homeless and low-income patients each year in Miami.
* Stephen Hawking is an internationally-recognized theoretical physicist, and is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University.
* Jack Kemp was a U.S. Congressman, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Republican Nominee for Vice President in 1996. He died in May, 2009
* Sen. Edward Kennedy is one of the longest-serving and greatest Senators of all time. He has worked tirelessly for health care reform over the last five decades.
* Billie Jean King is known for winning the famous “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, and championing gender equality issues not only in sports, but in all aspects of life.
* Rev. Joseph Lowery has been a leader of the civil rights movement since the 1950s, and co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King.
* Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow is the last living Plains Indian war chief, and author of works on Native American history and culture who has served as an inspiration to young Native Americans across the country.
* Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected official from a major city in the United States. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, and encouraged LGBT citizens to live their lives openly.
* Sandra Day O’Connor was a Supreme Court Justice from 1981 until her retirement in 2006. She was the first woman ever to sit on the Supreme Court, and has received numerous awards for her outstanding achievements.
* Sidney Poitier is an actor known for breaking racial barriers. He is the first African American to be nominated and win a Best Actor Academy Award.
* Chita Rivera is an actress, singer and dancer, who has broken barriers and inspired a generation of women. In 2002, she was the first Hispanic to receive the Kennedy Center Honor.
* Mary Robinson was the first female President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Since 2002, she has been the President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative.
* Janet Davison Rowley, M.D., is the Blum Riese Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago. She discovered the first consistent chromosome translocation in a human cancer.
* Desmond Tutu is widely regarded as “South Africa’s moral conscience,” and was a leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa.
* Muhammad Yunus is a global leader in anti-poverty efforts, and pioneered the use of “micro-loans” to provide credit to poor individuals.
Hmmn.
So foreigners are receiving the American Freedom recognition now?
OK. There is one old white guy. The rest? Minorities, homosexuals, women, and international NGO “others” who are the Obama’s administration real constituents.
I think the only real criteria for most of these is to be the “first” - hyphened-something-somewhere to “do” something. I wouldn’t really even add Kemp to the mix.
Absolutely, but this dog and pony show is really all about the President, his political agenda, the message he wants to convey, less to do, about the actual recipients of what is nothing but a left-wing agenda booby prize, especially when they find out all the pawn shop is going to fork over for it is $3.59.
I see he gave one to Dr Stephen Hawking, the British astro-physicist who is the new Einstein and holds the Isaac Newton chair of science in UK. I wondered the other day if Hawking would rate medical care under Obama’s plan or is he one of those Justice Ginzberg would consider someone we don’t want too many of. (He suffers from a severe debilitating medical codition that allows him to only more his eye lids and maybe one finger).
Sidney Portier’s cool. Better than Harry Belefonte. In the Heat of the Night (”They call me Mr Tibbs!”), A Raisin in the Sun, Blackboard Jungle, Porgy and Bess, To Sir With Love, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. The guy is 82 and is deserving of recognition.
I guess the Gays have officially been thrown a bone. How long before they start barking again?
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