The media portrays the leaders of the United States as heroes well above the average human or bombards them with personal attacks. The photograph, The Situation Room by Pete Souza, offers viewers a glimpse at the human aspect of our leaders. Through facial expressions, attire, posture, and individual focus the photo captures the human emotions and feelings of important leaders, including President Obama, Vice President Biden, and then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The photo captures the reactions and emotions of our leaders eagerly awaiting updates from Seal Team Six’s mission to get Osama Bin Laden. These powerful men and women displayed the same emotions as other Americans during a significant moment in our country’s history. The photo serves as a remainder of the typical human emotions, feelings, and thoughts of our leaders. 

The facial expressions of men and women in the photo suggest a sense of nervousness and anxiousness present in the room. Numerous other Americans, including myself, shared these same emotions during the raid the get Bin Laden. President Obama’s eyes are focused squarely on the screen, which is not pictured, and he is leaning forward in his chair. Even President Obama, one the busiest people in America, is locked into this mission despite many other important issues on his agenda. President Obama also expressed anxiousness and nervousness while awaiting updates about the mission. He worried about the welfare of the brave soldiers and desperately hoped the mission would be a success. He was under immense pressure and this photo captures him expressing these human emotions shared by the same people who fail to recognize him as a human being. He was emotionally invested in our attempt to get Bin Laden just like his fellow Americans. Hillary Clinton expresses genuine nervousness in the photo. As Secretary of State, she too is under intense pressure. But as human and American, she is deeply concerned with the welfare of the soldiers and the success of the mission. With her eyes set squarely on the screen, she gasps and covers her mouth. She is obviously nervous and concerned with the mission and those involved in it. Other Americans definitely mirrored Hillary Clinton’s posture and emotional makeup while watching the mission unfold.

Aside from one man on the computer, the focus of all people in the room is fully directed towards the screen providing updates on the mission. The people in this room are some of the busiest people in the country, but they, like so many other Americans, just had to make time for this mission. Despite the jam packed agendas, computer screens are blank and nobody is on a cell phone. The mission to get Osama Bin Laden resonated with Americans and captivated an entire nation, including the people in this photo. Even an unknown staff employee is eagerly leaning around a person in order to view the screen. This employee’s devout focus on the screen not only represents the focus of those in the room, but also the focus of fellow Americans on the mission. The door into room is also closed, possibly to prevent any interruptions so they can remain focused on the mission.    

At first glance, the photo does like one that includes three of the most important people in the United Sates and their staff based on attire. Nobody is dressed up for typical politician photoshoot where each person is focused on looking their absolute best. President Obama especially appears almost unrecognizable without his usual nice suit and tie. He and the others are dressed like typical Americans. A person who could not recognize faces would have a difficult time believing this photo shows the President and other important leaders awaiting updates from one the most important events in the history of the United States based on the dress code. Many people struggle to look beyond the typical fancy suit and tie of our leaders and fail to see the emotions, feelings, and thoughts underneath it. The photo shows our leaders’ emotions by removing the suits they are so often associated with. The removal up the fancy attire represents an opportunity for people to observe our leaders’ human aspect hidden beneath it.  

This photo by Pete Souza provides a much more genuine representation of our leaders by giving viewers the rare opportunity of observing their human side. In the photo, President Obama and Secretary State Hillary Clinton shared the same emotions as other Americans awaiting news on the mission to get Osama Bin Laden. President Obama displayed anxiousness while Hillary Clinton showed nervousness during the mission. Even the clothes the people are wearing do not suggest a group of our country’s most powerful leaders. They are not dressed like typical politicians posing for pictures. None of them even tried to noticed a person taking pictures of them. Finally, the focus of everyone in the room was squarely on the mission to get Bin Laden, just like so many other Americans. Dispute such busy agendas, they became emotionally invested in a monumental moment in US history. Overall, the photo offered people a small glimpse into the human emotions, feelings, thoughts, and actions of powerful leaders. Too often, people forget our leaders are humans at their core when they put them on such a high platform or bombard them with personal attacks. Our leaders are more than just a prestigious title and stereotypes, they are human beings.
