Tragedies when American president is a national eulogist

Our nation's Constitution "to form a more perfect union" did not intend for the country's executive officer to be a professional eulogist. Unfortunately, this responsibility has recently become ingrained in the Presidential job description.

Article Two of the United States Constitution creates the executive branch of the government, consisting of the President, the Vice-President, and other executive officers and staffers appointed by the President, including the Cabinet. Pursuant to Article Two, the executive power of the federal government is vested in the President.

Yet again, President Obama will perform this tragic function to eulogize the legacy of Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was among 9 people murdered in a racist killing at the AME church in Charleston, South Carolina.

President Obama will eulogize the pastor killed in the Charleston SC church massacre:  

On Friday June 26, President Obama and Vice President Biden will attend the funeral services for the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, one of nine victims killed in last week's shooting at the historic AME black church in Charleston, South Carolina. 

President Obama will also deliver the eulogy at Pinckney's funeral. The funeral will be held Friday morning June 26 TD Arena at the College of Charleston.

Pinckney, 41, was a married father of two. In addition to his role at the Emanuel AME Church, he served in the South Carolina Senate. He was first elected at the age of 23.

Suspected gunman Dylann Roof, 21, who has reportedly confessed to the shooting, was charged with nine counts of murder in what appears to be a racially motivated attack. by Ben Frumin

Charleston Shooting Victim State Senator Clementa Pinckney 'Was a Family and Religious Man,' Says Friend

The prominent South Carolina state senator identified as one of the nine killed in June 17, Wednesday night's mass shooting at the AME historic church in Charleston, South Carolina, was a hugely influential man in his community, Elder James Johnson, president of the National Action Network's local chapter, told PEOPLE.

Clementa Pinckney, 41, who served as the pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, was killed when 21-year-old alleged gunman Dylann Storm Roof opened fire during a Bible study.  "He was a very religious man," says Johnson. "He cared a whole lot about people. He always wanted to correct wrong."

Pinckney was a major force in the spiritual community. He answered the call to preach at the age of 13 and at age 18 he received his first appointment to be a pastor.

At the age of 23, he was the youngest African-American in South Carolina to be elected to the state legislature.

On Friday, President Barack Obama will eulogize Pastor Pinckney in Charleston (while the red rag Dixie flag still flies on government property). Unbelievably, the litany of eulogies given by our American presidents are creating an anthology about America's history of gun violence. These funereal occasions show the nation's rapid progression into an epidemic of preventable deaths.  

Our American presidents were never intended to be professional eulogists, but they are. Neither was our nation's Constitutional second amendment meant to cause the epidemic of gun violence deaths, whereby our Presidents have learned how to become professional eulogists.


America's presidents are likely growing accustomed to their growing oratory role as the focus of funerals, but the eulogy President Obama will deliver for Rev. Pinckney will be given while the ugly symbol representing the reason for the young leaders murder will continue to fly, in South Carolina. This terribly symbolic situation makes President Obama's eulogy one of the most important speeches of his Presidency.  

South Carolina must remove that red rag flag from government buildings as soon as possible, or the state will never recover from the public relations consequences of having it flying while President Obama delivers Rev. Pinckney's eulogy.