Thursday, June 12, 2008
We live in interesting times. Should Obama become president, someone from my generation, a man with a Kenyan [not Nigerian as I previously stated] father and a white woman with southern US ancestry, will break the long string of white men who have controlled our country since before it was a country. His mother's southern ancestry is of interest, because of the seventh cousin thingy that I have alluded to in past blog entries.
Did you know that my middle name is Homer? Isn't that interesting that I don't go by my first name! I wonder why, is it because I am hiding something?
Well, no, it has to do with how common my first name is (John) and how many Johns there were in kindergarten in 1969 (six years after John Kennedy was assassinated). But anyway, if you were so inclined you could make up lots of bizarre theories about this situation and spread them around to make it look very suspicious. Of course, Homer is a Greek name so that proves that beyond reasonable doubt, something isn't quite right.
Why this rambling discussion of names? Barack Hussein Obama has a funny, strange name that doesn't cut it with those individuals who want only people with European-sounding names to run our country. According to the book "Ancestors of American Presidents," which sits on the yellow metal shelf behind me, the last 43 presidents have ancestors who originated from the British islands (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland), Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and France. We've never had a president who ancestry could be traced to Africa, Central or South America, or Asia.
And, of course, a lot of people really don't want someone with a different name (which he had every opportunity to make sound more American!) and whose father happened to be from Africa to be our president. It is somehow scary! So there is talk about how he wasn't born in the United States or that he is a secret Muslim. And other bullshit that spreads like shit flying out the back end of a manure spreader (which I well know about, growing up on a farm, you don't want to stand behind the manure spreader, believe me). I expect we'll be seeing a lot more of this shit and a lot of ignorant people will spread it and some people will believe it because it is easier to believe some stupid rumor than to spend five minutes researching the facts.
Another blogger said in an email to me today that I was sexist because I pointed out that Obama would be older than Bill Clinton when Clinton became president back in the 20th century. This makes complete sense to me. He says that he is going to vote for McCain instead of Clinton because Obama is too liberal and sexist. This also makes perfect sense. I noted that it was pointless to argue with him about this topic. That was really the kindest thing I could think of saying.
I'm inclined to point out bullshit when I see it. I have a strong interest in the truth- one of the reasons I am interested in archaeology and genealogy. If I see someone spreading lies I will tell them so, and if they continue I will shun them. I've had enough of the bullshit and like that line from that movie whose name I can't remember at this moment, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."
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Did you know that my middle name is Homer? Isn't that interesting that I don't go by my first name! I wonder why, is it because I am hiding something?
Well, no, it has to do with how common my first name is (John) and how many Johns there were in kindergarten in 1969 (six years after John Kennedy was assassinated). But anyway, if you were so inclined you could make up lots of bizarre theories about this situation and spread them around to make it look very suspicious. Of course, Homer is a Greek name so that proves that beyond reasonable doubt, something isn't quite right.
Why this rambling discussion of names? Barack Hussein Obama has a funny, strange name that doesn't cut it with those individuals who want only people with European-sounding names to run our country. According to the book "Ancestors of American Presidents," which sits on the yellow metal shelf behind me, the last 43 presidents have ancestors who originated from the British islands (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland), Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and France. We've never had a president who ancestry could be traced to Africa, Central or South America, or Asia.
And, of course, a lot of people really don't want someone with a different name (which he had every opportunity to make sound more American!) and whose father happened to be from Africa to be our president. It is somehow scary! So there is talk about how he wasn't born in the United States or that he is a secret Muslim. And other bullshit that spreads like shit flying out the back end of a manure spreader (which I well know about, growing up on a farm, you don't want to stand behind the manure spreader, believe me). I expect we'll be seeing a lot more of this shit and a lot of ignorant people will spread it and some people will believe it because it is easier to believe some stupid rumor than to spend five minutes researching the facts.
Another blogger said in an email to me today that I was sexist because I pointed out that Obama would be older than Bill Clinton when Clinton became president back in the 20th century. This makes complete sense to me. He says that he is going to vote for McCain instead of Clinton because Obama is too liberal and sexist. This also makes perfect sense. I noted that it was pointless to argue with him about this topic. That was really the kindest thing I could think of saying.
I'm inclined to point out bullshit when I see it. I have a strong interest in the truth- one of the reasons I am interested in archaeology and genealogy. If I see someone spreading lies I will tell them so, and if they continue I will shun them. I've had enough of the bullshit and like that line from that movie whose name I can't remember at this moment, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."
