Structo wrote:As far as BO's ethnicity, this is what I read.
"Mr. Obama is 50% Caucasian, that from his mother. What those who want Mr. Obama to write history by becoming "America's first African-American president" ignore is that his father was ethnically Arabic, with only 1 relative ethnically African Negro - a maternal great-grandparent (Sen. Obama's great-great grandparent, thus the 6.25% ethnic contribution to the senator's ethnic composition.).
That means that Mr. Obama is 50% Caucasian from his mother's side. He is 43.75% Arabic, and 6.25% African Negro from his father's side."
Even if that's correct...
so what?!
This is our (U.S. Citizens) to put down our differences and to present a positive example to the world. Let's not blow it. This from me and I'm the goddam Negativity Poster Boy!
The part that has me laughin' my ass off is that I've nearly gotten my ass kicked on numerous occaisons by misc. "patriotic" tweakers, drunks and multi-substance abusers who have nuthin' goin' on besides sympathy for their Cowboy in Chief. J.P. is exactly correct, asking the important questions is a good thing. Blindly following the leader is what totalitarianism is all about. Yeah I know, I also said I'm all for dictatorship... and later validated that by saying I don't mind bein' a hypocrite. Hell, "If ya can't beat 'em... join 'em!"
The part that makes me nauseous about the last eight years is resurgence of bigotry and the attenuation of First Ammendment rights. There's an ever-present undercurrent of bigotry, it's just that the focus has shifted to the designated ("n" word) du jour. It's like Carlos Mencia said about Achmed, "Tag... you're it!" So the Arabs are our new designated whipping boys. African-Americans have finally been assimilated as bein' part of "Us" while Arab-anythings are across our self-imposed fence as "Them". The mechanism of demonization then kicks into gear, we're angels, they're devils and that's all there is to it.
Too bad I'm a Devil's Advocate...
So... the old bigotry just won't do. Say that like Obama, "just won't do."
The old bigots hate what they hate but the U.S. truly is a cultural melting pot. The only way to make the old bigotry work is to re-define "African" as "Arab" then kick demonization into gear. It's not even nominally honest but such are the politics of hate.