America doesn’t like imperfect heroes. We want them to be a comforting stereotype- god fearing, flag waving, all-American character from a Hollywood movie script – instead of real people with real differences who represent more the ideal that the Founding Fathers envisioned.
Since Obama’s Rose Garden announcement of Sgt. Bergdahl’s release, the tone from Washington has completely changed. It’s not the prisoner swap for the 5 Taliban leaders that’s really bothering the politicians and the talking heads; it’s the different looking and different political beliefs of Bergdahl’s father that’s the true reason for the outrage.
On the father, Robert Bergdahl: “He has learned to speak Pashto, the language of the Taliban, and looks like a Muslim.”
Fox News host Bill O’Reilly
“I mean, he says he was growing his beard because his son was in captivity. Well, your son’s out now. So if you really don’t — no longer look like a member of the Taliban, you don’t have to look like a member of the Taliban. Are you out of razors?”
Fox morning show co-host Brian Kilmeade .
“…the sketchy ‘I’m-ashamed-to-be-American’ Sgt. Bergdahl”
Sarah Palin
“The Bergdahl family is creepy. Terrorist sympathizers”
-comment on Sarah Palin’s facebook page
