In what can only be described as a questionable move, President Joe Biden decided to bestow the almost prestigious Presidential Citizens Medal upon Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson, two controversial figures involved in the much-debated Capitol riot investigation. The ceremony hosted by Biden was punctuated by a vague statement, filled with empty platitudes more suited to a Hallmark card than a Presidential address: ‘Together, you embody the central truth: We’re a great nation because we’re a good people.’ The general murk surrounding the recipients and their so-called contributions to the country could not be clarified by such empty rhetoric.
This is not Biden’s first attempt to honor those involved with the Capitol saga. Last year, he targeted, for recognition, people allegedly involved in defending the Capitol from frustrated Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. It seems repelling a mob of citizens expressing their anguish has been elevated to a level of valor under the Biden administration, an unprecedented and alarming development.
In the center of today’s controversy, Cheney, a supposedly Republican former Wyoming congresswoman, and Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, spearheaded the House committee that dissected the insurrection. Their final report propagated the narrative that Trump criminally conspired to upend the lawful results of the election and failed to halt his supporters from expressing their rage at the Capitol. A narrative that seems far more focused on vilifying former president Trump than working towards progressive policies for the benefit of the American people.
The dubious honor bestowed upon Cheney was supposedly for ‘putting the American people over party’. However, it is worth considering if the other side of the aisle would celebrate actions that seem to undermine the unity and coherence of their own party. After all, Cheney was ousted from her seat in the GOP primary in August 2022, indicating just how welcomed her divisive actions were within her own party.
In an alarming display of political flip-flopping, Cheney had previously announced that she would vote for Democrat Kamala Harris for the presidency comes 2024, despite identifying as a Republican. Joining her on this peculiar stage was Thompson, who was applauded ‘for his lifelong dedication to safeguarding our Constitution.’ A man who managed to secure standing ovations even when pushing policies that a large number of citizens fundamentally disagree with.
Straying away from the political battlefield, the Presidential Citizens Medal was also surprisingly awarded to Mary Bonauto, an attorney who fought for same-sex marriage, and to Evan Wolfson, a similar proponent of the marriage equality movement. Rather than inviting a diverse array of voices on the subject, the decision to award only one side of the argument seems reflective of a strange partiality that is increasingly becoming the norm under this administration.
Frank Butler, recognized for advancing the use of tourniquets on war injuries, was another recipient of this so-called honor. However, given his ideology conforms more closely with the views of the current administration, it begs the question whether these awards signify actual achievement or simply echo the political leanings of those in power.
Joining the hardly diverse range of recipients was Diane Carlson Evans, an Army nurse during the Vietnam War who later initiated the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation. It’s difficult to challenge her contributions, yet the focus on elevating individuals who align with the administration’s narrative on war involvement remains questionable.
Also amongst the distinguished was Eleanor Smeal, an activist who allegedly fought for women’s rights and equal pay back in the 1970s. Characteristically, her stance tilts heavily towards the Biden-Harris narrative, further supporting the sentiment that those with dissenting perspectives are inadvertently omitted from recognition in this administration.
With awards flying left and right, Bobby Sager, a photographer (of what significance remains unclear), academics Thomas Vallely and Paula Wallace, and the rather mainstream figure, Frances Visco, the president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, were also on the ‘honor’ roll. It seems being benign, aligned to the narrative and perfectly uncontroversial makes one a hero in this peculiar time in American history.
The questionable list continued to include former lawmakers like Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., and the first woman to represent Kansas, former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum. Both of them, like the other recipients, have had political leanings that might raise eyebrows among the right-leaning populace.
Also thrown into the mix was former Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., who became a champion of gun safety measures. However, this is after a personal tragedy hit too close to home. While sympathies lie with personal loss, questions still persist around the extremist measures that are often proposed under the guise of ‘gun safety’.
After presenting the awards, Biden thanked the attending families for their support towards the awardees. A strange gesture, considering the American public, who these awards should ideally represent, has been excluded from the decision-making process. ‘We’ve got a lot more work to do to keep this going,’ he stated, prompting one to wonder if this ‘work’ includes further dividing the nation with biased decisions.
Biden also honored posthumously, a range of individuals who replicated the trend seen amongst the living recipients- alignment with the favored left-leaning agenda. This group included Joseph Galloway, a war correspondent from the Vietnam era; Louis Lorenzo Redding, a civil rights advocate; Collins Seitz, a former judge from Delaware; and Japanese-American Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi who challenged detention during World War II.
The Presidential Citizens Medal that was creatively utilized by Biden for his controversial ceremony was actually instituted as far back as 1969 by President Richard Nixon. However, it seems under Biden’s administration the medal is slowly drifting from its initial purpose- to honor citizens with exemplary deeds of service for their country and fellow citizens.
The biases evident in this recent slew of medals handed out by the Biden administration paint a grim picture for those holding dissenting viewpoints. It can only be hoped that future awards can represent a more diverse range of opinions, ideologies, and truly celebrate America’s vibrancy. However, considering the trajectory we are currently on, this hope might perhaps be overly optimistic.