Posted by my friend Kelly on Facebook (posted here with her permission)
The Terrorist's Defense (Kelly Carlisle)
"I don't trust Obama," a woman said. "I have read about him. He's an Arab."
McCain shook his head in disagreement, and said:
"No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with (him) on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about."
---Friday, October 10th. McCain Campaign Rally in Ohio, as reported by The Associated Press.
Today John McCain “stood up” for Barack Obama against people who said they were scared of Obama and who claimed, as did the woman above, that Obama was an “Arab,” and, by implication, a terrorist.
This after more than a week of the McCain campaign’s attempt to link Obama to terrorism in various ways. At more than one McCain rally, emcees have used Obama’s full name, with particular emphasis on his middle name, Hussein. The campaign has run ads falsely claiming a close relationship between Obama and William Ayers (a claim most media outlets have determined to be false), and both Palin and McCain have echoed this claim at their rallies. Supporters of McCain continue to circulate rumors and emails that claim Barack Obama is, in fact, some sort of closet Muslim. In response to this rhetoric, members of the crowd at rallies have shouted, in reference to Obama, “terrorist,” “traitor,” and “kill him.” McCain supporters have been recorded outside of rallies calling Obama a terrorist, including one who said terrorism was “in his bloodline.” At one rally, a crowd surrounded a group of reporters, intimidated them by screaming and beating noise sticks in their ears, and, finally, hurling racial epithets at one reporter who was African-American. These reports have slowly been filtering their way into the mainstream media’s coverage of the campaign. Print journalists and media commentators are condemning this rhetoric and these incidents. But, until today, John McCain and Sarah Palin have been strangely silent. Their supporters have called Obama a terrorist-someone who aspires to violently harm this country and its innocent civilians-and have called for him to be killed-and the McCain campaign has said NOTHING, thereby tacitly condoning and encouraging these view points.
To his credit, I believe that McCain has finally realized the harm his irresponsible rhetoric has done. I believe that the violent anger of his supporters towards Obama has, in some sense, shocked him. But Mr. McCain, you reap what you sow. You cannot simultaneously work for change in our political system while using the same bloody tools of divisive, racist rhetoric. You cannot simultaneously appeal to Americans’ best and highest ideals, while appealing to their most base fears and prejudices. You cannot imply that someone is a terrorist and then be surprised when your supporters take you at your word. You cannot standby when your supporters threaten violence against your opponent and then feign innocence if that opponent is, God forbid, killed. Because that’s what frustrated, desperate, scared groups of people do when they have been whipped up into hatred and righteous anger. They get violent. Mr. McCain, no one can control a lynch mob, not even one of his own making.
But, so, today McCain defended Obama. But within that defense lies the heart of the problem.
“I can’t trust him,” the woman says. “He is an Arab.”
“No, ma’am. He’s a decent, family man, a citizen…”
In that exchange lies the binary opposition that is responsible for so much of the prejudice and hate speech in this campaign. No, McCain says, Obama is not an Arab-he’s a decent, family man, a citizen. Because “Arab” is the opposite of “decent”? Because a person of Arab descent cannot be a family man, a citizen? Imagine if he had something like, “Oh, no he’s not a Jew. He’s generous and honest,” or, “No, he’s not Hispanic. He doesn’t eat beans or steal.” Of course, the silly thing is that, of all things Barack Obama might be, an Arab is not one of them. His father is Kenyan. And that’s probably what McCain meant-he’s not an Arab, he’s an American of African descent. But that’s not what he said. He said, “He’s not an Arab, he’s a decent, family man.” This is the careless rhetoric that supports the intentionally hateful, profoundly racist propaganda of the far Right-wing rumor mill.
A consistent undercurrent theme of this campaign has been the question over whether or not Obama is a Muslim. The Obama campaign has had to spend a great deal of time countering that rumor. Yet, that rumor continues, and we are constantly presented with sound bites of voters saying they will not vote for Obama because he is a Muslim.
Of course, Obama is not a Muslim. He is a church-going Christian-which has brought with a different set of attacks from the Right. But why is the answer to that question important? Why should he have to defend himself from that “accusation” of being Muslim? Why is it an accusation at all?
So, what if Obama were a Muslim? So what? Are Muslims disqualified from seeking political office? Does being a non-Christian disqualify you from being president? From being a citizen? Should we revoke Kareem Abdul-Jabaar’s citizenship? Is Abdul-Jabaar a terrorist? President Bush didn’t think so when he invited the basketball star to the White House in 2006.
Have those who so ardently wave their American flags and chant ‘USA, USA’ at McCain rallies forgotten the foundation upon which this beautiful, great nation of ours was founded?
The question of whether Barack Obama is a Muslim was answered more than two hundred years ago and that profound answer is enshrined in the 3rd Amendment to the Constitution:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Is Barack Obama a Muslim? Our Founding Fathers thought it didn’t matter. Is Barack Obama a Muslim? In America, the answer shouldn’t matter. We’ve fought too hard, too many of our people have bled and died to make this country a free nation for ALL people, for the answer to matter.
Is Barack Obama a Muslim? If the answer matters to you, it is because you think being Muslim affects a candidate’s presidential qualifications. And if you think that, it’s because you think being Muslim means one is less willing or able to love and serve one’s country. And that belief, no matter how many flags or how much patriotism you wrap it in, is prejudice, as pure and vile as it comes.
How are we to judge a campaign and a political party that paints an African-American candidate as a shadowy figure, one who is not trustworthy, one who might be a Muslim, one who might be a terrorist? How are we to judge a group of people that asks us to vote based on those fears? Who even, through their rhetoric and silences, encourage us to act violently against that candidate?
What do you call a group of people who encourage prejudice and hatred against a group of people based on racial, political, or religious identity, to the point of encouraging or advocating violence against that targeted group? When the Weathermen, the KKK, or Hamas do it, we call them terrorists.
"I don't trust Obama," a woman said. "I have read about him. He's an Arab."
McCain shook his head in disagreement, and said:
"No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with (him) on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about."
---Friday, October 10th. McCain Campaign Rally in Ohio, as reported by The Associated Press.
Today John McCain “stood up” for Barack Obama against people who said they were scared of Obama and who claimed, as did the woman above, that Obama was an “Arab,” and, by implication, a terrorist.
This after more than a week of the McCain campaign’s attempt to link Obama to terrorism in various ways. At more than one McCain rally, emcees have used Obama’s full name, with particular emphasis on his middle name, Hussein. The campaign has run ads falsely claiming a close relationship between Obama and William Ayers (a claim most media outlets have determined to be false), and both Palin and McCain have echoed this claim at their rallies. Supporters of McCain continue to circulate rumors and emails that claim Barack Obama is, in fact, some sort of closet Muslim. In response to this rhetoric, members of the crowd at rallies have shouted, in reference to Obama, “terrorist,” “traitor,” and “kill him.” McCain supporters have been recorded outside of rallies calling Obama a terrorist, including one who said terrorism was “in his bloodline.” At one rally, a crowd surrounded a group of reporters, intimidated them by screaming and beating noise sticks in their ears, and, finally, hurling racial epithets at one reporter who was African-American. These reports have slowly been filtering their way into the mainstream media’s coverage of the campaign. Print journalists and media commentators are condemning this rhetoric and these incidents. But, until today, John McCain and Sarah Palin have been strangely silent. Their supporters have called Obama a terrorist-someone who aspires to violently harm this country and its innocent civilians-and have called for him to be killed-and the McCain campaign has said NOTHING, thereby tacitly condoning and encouraging these view points.
To his credit, I believe that McCain has finally realized the harm his irresponsible rhetoric has done. I believe that the violent anger of his supporters towards Obama has, in some sense, shocked him. But Mr. McCain, you reap what you sow. You cannot simultaneously work for change in our political system while using the same bloody tools of divisive, racist rhetoric. You cannot simultaneously appeal to Americans’ best and highest ideals, while appealing to their most base fears and prejudices. You cannot imply that someone is a terrorist and then be surprised when your supporters take you at your word. You cannot standby when your supporters threaten violence against your opponent and then feign innocence if that opponent is, God forbid, killed. Because that’s what frustrated, desperate, scared groups of people do when they have been whipped up into hatred and righteous anger. They get violent. Mr. McCain, no one can control a lynch mob, not even one of his own making.
But, so, today McCain defended Obama. But within that defense lies the heart of the problem.
“I can’t trust him,” the woman says. “He is an Arab.”
“No, ma’am. He’s a decent, family man, a citizen…”
In that exchange lies the binary opposition that is responsible for so much of the prejudice and hate speech in this campaign. No, McCain says, Obama is not an Arab-he’s a decent, family man, a citizen. Because “Arab” is the opposite of “decent”? Because a person of Arab descent cannot be a family man, a citizen? Imagine if he had something like, “Oh, no he’s not a Jew. He’s generous and honest,” or, “No, he’s not Hispanic. He doesn’t eat beans or steal.” Of course, the silly thing is that, of all things Barack Obama might be, an Arab is not one of them. His father is Kenyan. And that’s probably what McCain meant-he’s not an Arab, he’s an American of African descent. But that’s not what he said. He said, “He’s not an Arab, he’s a decent, family man.” This is the careless rhetoric that supports the intentionally hateful, profoundly racist propaganda of the far Right-wing rumor mill.
A consistent undercurrent theme of this campaign has been the question over whether or not Obama is a Muslim. The Obama campaign has had to spend a great deal of time countering that rumor. Yet, that rumor continues, and we are constantly presented with sound bites of voters saying they will not vote for Obama because he is a Muslim.
Of course, Obama is not a Muslim. He is a church-going Christian-which has brought with a different set of attacks from the Right. But why is the answer to that question important? Why should he have to defend himself from that “accusation” of being Muslim? Why is it an accusation at all?
So, what if Obama were a Muslim? So what? Are Muslims disqualified from seeking political office? Does being a non-Christian disqualify you from being president? From being a citizen? Should we revoke Kareem Abdul-Jabaar’s citizenship? Is Abdul-Jabaar a terrorist? President Bush didn’t think so when he invited the basketball star to the White House in 2006.
Have those who so ardently wave their American flags and chant ‘USA, USA’ at McCain rallies forgotten the foundation upon which this beautiful, great nation of ours was founded?
The question of whether Barack Obama is a Muslim was answered more than two hundred years ago and that profound answer is enshrined in the 3rd Amendment to the Constitution:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Is Barack Obama a Muslim? Our Founding Fathers thought it didn’t matter. Is Barack Obama a Muslim? In America, the answer shouldn’t matter. We’ve fought too hard, too many of our people have bled and died to make this country a free nation for ALL people, for the answer to matter.
Is Barack Obama a Muslim? If the answer matters to you, it is because you think being Muslim affects a candidate’s presidential qualifications. And if you think that, it’s because you think being Muslim means one is less willing or able to love and serve one’s country. And that belief, no matter how many flags or how much patriotism you wrap it in, is prejudice, as pure and vile as it comes.
How are we to judge a campaign and a political party that paints an African-American candidate as a shadowy figure, one who is not trustworthy, one who might be a Muslim, one who might be a terrorist? How are we to judge a group of people that asks us to vote based on those fears? Who even, through their rhetoric and silences, encourage us to act violently against that candidate?
What do you call a group of people who encourage prejudice and hatred against a group of people based on racial, political, or religious identity, to the point of encouraging or advocating violence against that targeted group? When the Weathermen, the KKK, or Hamas do it, we call them terrorists.