Quote:Seriously, you people need to get over this presidential salute business.   It is not a tradition, and it is not required.   It was invented in the 1980s.   No president before 1980 ever did it.

The President is the Commander and Chief of the US Armed Forces. Strictly speaking, he is not just a civilian but at the very top of the CoC. So while a salute is not required, it is considered a sign of respect and acknowledgement. And the tradition of saluting goes all the way back to the Medieval period. When Knights would raise their sword hand in order to show respect to superiors.

 

Also, the salute is not strictly a military thing. In my school, I will see Teachers raising their hands and saluting one another as they would pass through the hall or when greeting one another. Even in volunteer organizations like the Boy Scouts or Civil Air Patrol, it's customary to salute one another. Emergency services personnel do it to. Also, Ronald Reagan was a former member of the military. He served in the film corps during WW2.

 

 

The point is that the "salute" is a sign of respect. And when it's not administered in the proper situation it's rude. Plain and simple.

---