Ignorant Americans?

One would think that experienced, knowledgeable hands in the US State Department would have had a handle on the protocol for this type of situation. If we didn't – why not? If we did – why was it allowed to occur? Seems like a 'Stupid, Insensitive, Ugly American' episode that America can do without.

Hindu priests who look after the memorial of Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi conducted a purification ceremony at the shrine after a visit from President Bush. But it wasn't the president who offended them, it was the sniffer-dogs who scoured the area ahead of his visit. The dogs, flown in from the U.S., were part of the intense security surrounding the president, but the Hindu priests believe they tainted the site.

Letting dogs into the memorial also drew sharp protest from Hindu politicians and Gandhi's great grandson, Tushar Gandhi, who called the incident a "national shame," the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Posted on The Human Stain