Saturday’s football game against Tennessee may have brought victory to Mizzou, but there was a disgusting spectacle that plagued the stadium and this campus during the game.

During the National Guard swearing-in ceremony at halftime, I heard fans from both sides booing when the office of the president was addressed. This is inexcusable and took away a lot of pride I had in my school.

I’m not one to say that President Barack Obama has done nothing wrong in his presidency, and I would not put myself in his fan club. However, I hold great respect for the office of the presidency. I believe that, at one point, this was the case for all of our presidents. There has always been a silent respect for the office and for the president of the country, no matter what your own political beliefs are.

I have only lived through three presidencies — two of which I remember — but I know that when I spoke of any president, even if I did not agree with his policies, I held respect for the office. Sure, there are times I called former President George W. Bush’s policies odious, idiotic or just plain ill-advised, but there was not a point I would have booed the office of the president at a ceremony — and certainly not during a solemn ceremony involving any branch of the military.

This is a spot that irks me to my core — the blatant disrespect for men and women pledging their lives to the military. I do not care what your political affiliation is. You respect the United States military and all of the men and women serving in its many branches.

We as a people do not need to support any war or military interference in any country. I certainly do not. However, just because you do not support the cause does not mean you do not support the troops. Many military servicemen and servicewomen do not support wars we have fought, or wars we are currently participating in, but they consider it their duty to defend our country.

As citizens of the United States, we owe a duty to the office of the president. I am all for freedom of speech and voicing your opinion, no matter what that opinion is, but there is a time and a place for it. If you loathe a political policy, party or politician individually, go to Speakers Circle, write a congressperson or acquire a political column at The Maneater. There, you can spout whatever you want. People might not agree with you, as you might not agree with me, but you will be voicing it in a place where no one is being disrespected.

I encourage all MU fans who participated in the booing of the office of the president to consider what they actually did. They added a political discord to a politically neutral ceremony, probably after one too many hours of tailgating. This makes all who participated look moronic as individuals, loathsome as a fan section and despicable as Americans. I hope this does not happen again so that I may celebrate a victory for my team and not be embarrassed to sport my black and gold.