President Obama speaks during his last news conference of the year on Dec. 19 in Washington, D.C. Obama said Sony “made a mistake” when it pulled “The Interview.” (Alex Wong, Getty Images)
Re: “Obama slams Sony decision to pull movie after North Korea cyberattack,” Dec. 20 news story.
President Obama exhibited a notable lack of leadership in his comments on the Sony hacking case.
When the threat to movie theaters first became known, he could easily have taken the initiative to reach out to Sony’s senior management team, express his views and provide some words of encouragement, and potentially shape the course of events.
Instead, he said, “I wish they had spoken to me first,” and, “I think they made a mistake.” Taking this passive approach gives him the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, but precludes providing any positive assistance to the parties involved, in a timely fashion that could have made a big difference in the outcome.
In times of crisis, Americans look to the president for leadership. Itap unfortunate he was waiting for someone else to act.
David A. Beerman, Erie
This letter was published in the Dec. 25 edition.
