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If you are speaking among your friends or piers, sure, it is an informal conversation, however; when speaking of the president in a formal setting, i.e. interview, press release, symposium, he should be refered to as Mr. President, Mr. Obama or President Obama, at no time should he be address by his first name unless you intend to use his full name in conjuction with President (President Barack Obama)
This came up yesterday on the radio, as well...like why we don't show respect by using "President (last/first or last name)..."
I wouldn't call our President by his first name only. I have called, and I think our culture does call the President by his last name only...ie Bush, Clinton, Obama...and it is accepted. People even said "G.W." for Bush.
It was brought up that most other countries always use the title first, as a sign of respect...President so and so or Prime Minister so and so.
Personally, I think the host was making too much of a big deal about how we should address President Obama, specifically, because he's our first Black president...cuz we've used just the last name for President's for years, in conversations.
Easy...you're right. I just think the problem is that some people just don't have etiquette to know better.
I don't think we should ever use the first name only, even informally.
What would you do if someone used our President's first name only in conversation? I reitterated "President Barack Obama"...with stress on the title...hoping the person noticed that saying just "Barack" was not acceptable.
I other countries people will refer to their leader in informal tones when having private conversations, its when his/her name or position is invoked in public conversations or news reports that they precede his/her name with their title. I blame the schools though, they don't teach that the presidency is an institution, not just an office, the President is a proper noun, not a pronoun.
I'll have to ask my daughter about how they're handling it in the schools today (and I'm afraid...cuz Lawd knows the system, in general isn't that great)
Growing up, we were only taught to use the full title and first/last or title and last name...and nothing else.
In private conversations among my peers and friends, I'll be refering to him in a miriad of terms; all depending on what he is doing and how he is doing it.
9 comments:
If you are speaking among your friends or piers, sure, it is an informal conversation, however; when speaking of the president in a formal setting, i.e. interview, press release, symposium, he should be refered to as Mr. President, Mr. Obama or President Obama, at no time should he be address by his first name unless you intend to use his full name in conjuction with President (President Barack Obama)
This came up yesterday on the radio, as well...like why we don't show respect by using "President (last/first or last name)..."
I wouldn't call our President by his first name only. I have called, and I think our culture does call the President by his last name only...ie Bush, Clinton, Obama...and it is accepted. People even said "G.W." for Bush.
It was brought up that most other countries always use the title first, as a sign of respect...President so and so or Prime Minister so and so.
Personally, I think the host was making too much of a big deal about how we should address President Obama, specifically, because he's our first Black president...cuz we've used just the last name for President's for years, in conversations.
Easy...you're right. I just think the problem is that some people just don't have etiquette to know better.
I don't think we should ever use the first name only, even informally.
What would you do if someone used our President's first name only in conversation? I reitterated "President Barack Obama"...with stress on the title...hoping the person noticed that saying just "Barack" was not acceptable.
I other countries people will refer to their leader in informal tones when having private conversations, its when his/her name or position is invoked in public conversations or news reports that they precede his/her name with their title. I blame the schools though, they don't teach that the presidency is an institution, not just an office, the President is a proper noun, not a pronoun.
I'll have to ask my daughter about how they're handling it in the schools today (and I'm afraid...cuz Lawd knows the system, in general isn't that great)
Growing up, we were only taught to use the full title and first/last or title and last name...and nothing else.
Call him President Obama. Even amongst your peers.
In private conversations among my peers and friends, I'll be refering to him in a miriad of terms; all depending on what he is doing and how he is doing it.
HELL NO address him MR PRESIDENT...unless he is with fam and friends
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