Elizabeth Lauten is right about one thing: There is a glaring lack of decorum in our society.
Unfortunately, it was her own shallow, impolite dig at “first kids” Sasha and Malia Obama that drove home the point and forced her to resign Monday as communications director for Tennessee Republican U.S. Rep. Steven Fincher.
Lauten, for all I know, may be one of the sweetest, most gentle people on Earth. I’m willing to give her the benefit of any doubt.
But on this we can all agree: Miss Manners she is not.
On a day when most Americans were celebrating the fine tradition of turkey, football and family — not necessarily in that order — Lauten had a small bone to pick.
“Dear Sasha and Malia,” Lauten, 31, wrote on her Facebook page the day after President Barack Obama — with his teen daughters in tow — pardoned a pair of turkeys at a zany White House ceremony.
“I get you’re both in those awful teen years, but you’re a part of the first family. Try showing a little class. At least respect the part you play. Then again, your mother and father don’t respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter, so I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ department.”
One need not be a seasoned political analyst to spot the derisive jab at the Obamas. Perhaps that’s a raw partisan dig.
Or maybe it’s just Lauten’s own personal baggage. And we now know that she has plenty of that, dating to her own teen years.
Either way, finding fault with the president and the first lady is fair game. Even on a day of thanksgiving.
But it’s never OK to take a cheap shot at kids. That’s precisely what Lauten did. She went out of her way to carve an unflattering image of the teenagers.
How are teens supposed to dress and act when one of the most powerful men on the planet — their dad — is “forgiving” a bird?
I thought both were good sports, cringing at times, giggling occasionally. And their stylish, age-appropriate outfits were more than suitable for the moment.
“Rise to the occasion,” Lauten instructed the girls.
Yes, by all means, make the turkeys proud.
“Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at the bar. And certainly, don’t make faces during televised public events.”
There’s not enough space here to fully disassemble Lauten’s condescending diatribe.
Just keep in mind that Malia is 16 and Sasha is 13. And, again, looking through my old-fashioned lens, neither behaved nor dressed in a way for which they owe anyone an apology.
If anything, the president — like most modern-day parents — probably was breathing a sigh of relief because the teenagers weren’t texting or taking “selfies” with Mac and Cheese, the two turkeys.
Lauten, on the other hand, was publicly forced to eat her words.
“After many hours of prayer, talking to my parents, and rereading my words online,” she wrote Friday on her Facebook page, “I can see more clearly just how hurtful my words were. Please know, those judgmental feelings truly have no place in my heart. “
Well, they certainly have no place on Facebook, or any other public platform.
Lauten, mind you, isn’t the first to take a cheap shot at young children in the White House. The Carters, Clintons and Bushes can all attest to that.
Lauten simply reminded us that too many adults aren’t setting the right example. If we are to remain a decent, civilized society, we must maintain manners and respect boundaries. Being crude and mean-spirited is never cool, no matter how you dress it.
To that end, Lauten can’t possibly like what she sees, whether she’s holding a mirror up to society — or to herself.
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