A. Civ Mil Paper
Assignment
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•••• Details Read the two attached articles “POTUS and Marines” and “WOTR Open Letter CiyMil” Write a 1-page opinion paper – Calibri, 12 point font. Name upper left corner, one space, title centered, one space, begin writing. Body of the paper will be single spaced.
Read both the attached articles. In your opinion, was it appropriate of President Biden to have two Marines in the background when he gave his speech? Consider these additional questions (you do not have to answer them, but think about them as you write and address them if appropriate for your response): Are there other recent incidents in which a President used the military as backdrop to an important policy announcement or campaign-style speech? Is it ever appropriate to have the military involved in Presidential speeches? Does the President, as commander-in-chief, always the right to have the military around him or her during their speeches? Is it feasible for a President to pick and choose when the military is present for certain speeches, but not for others? Ensure you cite any outside sources by hyperlinking to the source. Do not copy anything word-for-word – use quotation rnarks and cite if you are using someone else’s work. You are not allowed to collaborate with any other student in the class. Do not copy someone else’s paper. Do not attempt to alter someone else’s paper and then pass it off as your own original work. A plagiarism check is being performed on all papers utilizing Canvas provided software.
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President Biden’s Use of Marines During His Speech
[Your Name]
In my opinion, it was not entirely appropriate for President Biden to have two Marines standing at attention in the background when he gave his recent speech announcing new policies. As commander-in-chief, the President does have the right to be surrounded by members of the military. However, using active duty service members as a backdrop during what appeared to be a campaign-style speech sets a concerning precedent.
There have been other recent incidents of presidents utilizing the military during important policy announcements or campaign events. For example, former President Trump had service members present for some of his speeches at the White House (Smith, 2020). While the President does outrank all members of the armed forces, it is debatable whether military personnel should be present simply for visual purposes during political events. Their attendance could be perceived as attempting to use the military’s prestige and authority to bolster the President’s message or agenda.
It is understandable that the President would want military advisers nearby as the commander-in-chief. However, unless the speech is directly related to the armed forces, it seems inappropriate to have troops standing at attention like props. Their presence could undermine the long-held American principle of separating the military from domestic politics. A better approach may have been to give the speech without any service members in the background, while still consulting military leaders on relevant policy issues.
In conclusion, as the leader with ultimate authority over the armed forces, the President does have the ability to incorporate military members into speeches. However, only using them as backdrops or visual aids, especially during campaign-style announcements, risks politicizing the military. A wiser choice may have been to deliver the speech without any service members visibly present.
References
A. (2020, August 31). Trump defends use of military as political props. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-defends-use-military-political-props-n1238672
