Lincoln Vs Churchill?

It seems that there are many who feel that military experience confers political acumen and historical perspective.  Many letters here begin with "I am [age], and have [years and branch of service] and I think...whatever."  In a recent letter in the Sun of Tuesday,  August, 21, a  Mr. Allen is apparently offended that President Obama returned a bust of Winston Churchill  to its owners, the British Government, citing Churchill's position (in his opinion) as the "greatest person in the history of Western civilization!." This act apparently is reason enough to designate Obama as an "Enemy of the American Dream."  As is all too common in the internet age,  this reflects ignorance of the facts, and less than full understanding of who Churchill really was. 

The bust was lent to President George W. Bush when he was furnishing the Oval Office, as have all presidents in the 20 century, in accordance with his own tastes. He further asked that the loan be extended through his second term. President Obama's personal hero is Abraham Lincoln, and he therefore returned the statue with thanks to the British Government  and it now sits, not in England, as Mr. Allen states, but in the British Embassy. In its place is a bust of Abraham Lincoln.  If Mr. Allen takes issue with honoring Abraham Lincoln, an American president, in place of Churchill, we have greater issues!  

Secondarily, many here in the Villages lost family members in WWII. Churchill is remembered, and rightly so, as the man who bolstered British morale during that conflict, and, as such is a huge figure in western history.  He also is the man who tried desperately to keep the British Empire together through the first 40 years of the 20th century. In the furtherance of this goal he: 

Advocated using poison gas against Kurds  in the 20s, fought in three different military actions to keep politically enslaved persons under British rule, masterminded a failed attempt at Gallipoli that made his own party desert him, Introduced "The Peoples' Budget" in 1909 that greatly increased taxes on the rich, switched political parties twice, worshipped Mussolini ("The Roman genius, the greatest lawgiver of our time"),  hated Mohandas Gandhi for advocating Indian independence,  advocated forced sterilization of mentally challenged citizens, and publically stated his hopes that conflict between  Muslims and Hindus in India would be "bitter and bloody."  Even ultra rightist Patrick Buchanan draws moral equivalence between Churchill and Hitler in "Churchill, Hitler and the Unnecessary War."  Churchill also stated, "I have always said that if Great Britain were defeated in war I hoped we should find a Hitler to lead us back to our rightful position among the nations."

The above are stated only to point out that sometimes our idols are just men and women with the same flaws many of us have. To criticize the President for his choice of heroes seems small minded and, especially if that hero is Lincoln, says more about the author than the subject! If I learned anything in 26 years in the nuclear navy and 20 years teaching history, it is that having the facts trumps having an opinion every time.

                                        Mike Dorman, Poinciana