Oh No: Obama Once Again Talks About ‘Sacred Trust’ with Vets
Charles Dharapak/AP
By
Bob Brewin
The president has used the line repeatedly since 2007.
Speaking at the American Legion convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, this Tuesday, President Obama invoked the “sacred trust” between those who serve in the military, the citizens they defend and himself.
Obama proclaimed, “The bond between our forces and our citizens has to be a sacred trust, and that for me, for my administration, upholding our trust with our veterans is not just a matter of policy, it is a moral obligation.”
That’s not much different than what candidate Obama said at the 2007 Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.
“To America's veterans, our country must speak with one voice: We honor your service, and we enter into a sacred trust with you from the moment you put on that uniform. That trust is simple: America will be there for you just as you have been there for America,” Obama promised.
At the 2009 VFW convention in Phoenix, Obama hauled out the “sacred trust” line again, telling the assembled veterans that “America's commitment to its veterans are not just lines on a budget; they are bonds that are sacred, a sacred trust we're honor bound to uphold. These are commitments that we make to the patriots who serve, from the day they enlist to the day that they are laid to rest.”
“Sacred trust” morphed into a video at the 2012 Democratic Convention that reinforced the theme with heartstring-tugging photos and music.
Anyone who has been on the planet over the past several years outside the White House knows the Department of Veterans Affairs did not take care of vets as a sacred obligation, as evidenced by scandals in the health care system and woefully backlogged disability claims.
A suggestion to whomever writes these speeches: Check out how many times a phrase has been used in past speeches and remember it is better to walk the walk than talk the talk.