A few thoughts on this madness surrounding Donald Trump, Barack Obama and the Birther nation..
First we should keep in mind this ‘papers please’ mentality is being levied on several other communities. Many of us got upset about seeing a Black president have to prove his citizenship to a white racist.. Hopefully we’re just as upset knowing that many of our Brown and indigenous brothers and sisters have to do that everyday in places like Arizona where they passed the infamous SB 1070 law. Proposals to pass similar laws await in places like Georgia and Texas..
The fact that we have white citizens, many of them the offspring of immigrants running around demanding proof of authenticity from folks who’s lands they colonized and stolen is beyond insulting. Sad part is many of those being stopped and accused of being ‘illegal’ are actual ‘legal’. Try explaining that to your Trump-like racist and its hard for them to comprehend. To hear them speak the country is under seize with dangerous Mexicans and hence everyone and anyone must be stopped and frisked.
Texas lawmaker Debbie Riddle
Some like Texas nutcase Debbie Riddle have taken this hysteria to insane levels by claiming that our country should be afraid of so called Anchor and Terror Babies and thus laws should be passed to deny American citizenship to someone born here..
Be sure to connect the dots to the indignation we’re feeling with watching this President hand over his papers.
We should not forget the insult levied on Asian Americans when Texas lawmaker Betty Brown suggested that they change their names to ‘American sounding’ names so they wouldn’t confuse people at the voting booths. Brown was responding to the concerns voiced by members of the Asian community who were discovering that the names and spellings on their IDs weren’t always matching on voting rolls and as a result many Asians were being denied an opportunity to vote.
Just another example of ‘Papers Please.’.
Peter King
We should not forget the demand for papers and proof of Americanism being levied on Muslim Americans… We saw some of this ugliness rear its head during the Ground Zero debates this past September. But the real insidiousness occurred when NY Congressman Peter King held hearings on Islam public claiming that Muslim Americans were more loyal to their religion than the country. Of course King conveniently overlooked that any devout person of any religion in theory would be loyal to God then to man. What religion doesn’t demand that?
he also conveniently overlooked that all religions have extremist including good ole Christianity where in recent years have led to the arrest of Christian militia members bent on committing heinous acts.. Nevertheless King and his supporters put Islam on trial and like Donald Trump demanded papers from entire populations of American citizens.
All this was supported by the numerous states from Oklahoma to North Carolina that decided to lambast Islam by passing or proposing to pass laws banning Sharia Law as if the extreme practice of that was somehow a problem..Its amazing that all these Papers Please type laws have gotten on the books at a time when we have record unemployment and all sorts of economic upheavels. One would think law makers would be hard at work tackling these other issues.
Donald 'Klansman' Trump
With respect to Klansman Donald Trump..What more can be said about the overt racism he displayed? Our reaction to such nonsense should be firm, impactful and without delay. We can start by boycotting his show ‘Celebrity Apprentice‘ and more importantly his sponsors which include; Enterprise Rental Car, Clorox, Sprint, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Walt Disney, and Groupon.
We must also remind ourselves that given his racial attitude that things shown on that show like the upcoming fight between Black participants Star Jones and Nene Leaks from Real Housewives of Atlanta are akin to slave owners pitting their prized property to fight one another.. Star and Nene bring Klansman Trump high ratings and while we understand that most of what has been shown on the show has been pre-taped, their antics should not be supported in the least. I’d be embarrassed to be associated with a show such as Celebrity Apprentice after seeing the display Trump put on this week.
I think this commentary by Baratunde Thurston of the Onion explains it best..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX5ueEKsSWc
Lastly we should not lose sight at some of the larger issues at play, primarily President Obama’s policies.. While smashing back at the racism of white folks demanding proof of citizenship, we should also remind our president that some of his policies including support and signing of the Patriot Act, him approving warrant less wiretaps and having increased surveillance of American citizens helps foster the Papers Please environment that we’re experiencing.
Sometghing to think about
-Davey D-
Do you not realize that when people constantly throw out the race card every time someone has a negative comment about Obama, that the word itself become diluted? No one even takes it seriously anymore, because liberals throw it out every time they hear something they don’t like. So, when there is a true situation that arises where someone is truly being discriminated against because of their skin color, no one reacts? It’s just another accusation being thrown around.
I can’t speak for everyone, but many people don’t like him, ONLY because they disagree with his policies. I don’t care what someone’s color is, if I disagree with their politics, I won’t vote for them. Maybe some people didn’t vote for him, just because he’s pro-choice. Maybe some people just don’t like his plan for high taxes and more spending. Maybe some people are just worried about living in a more socialistic society. Do you not know that 43% of whites voted for him? If we were all racists, he would have never been voted into office.
Also, you made some comments about white people who came from immigrants. Here’s the difference. Many of those immigrants came over LEGALLY. No one said they don’t want immigrants to come here. We just expect them to follow the law. Is that so crazy? I think not.
Lets see ms Righthook.. the Pilgrims came over here legally and took over people’s land legally?? yes of course i forgot… Slavery?? Oh yes it was legal back in the days… The irish Immigrants who came over legally to NY and then discriminated and smashed on Black folks..?? yep I wont let those facts get in the way of your logic.. and of course those good xenophobes who only want people here legally like the ones in Arizona are only stopping & frisking all brown folks.. just to make sure their papers are in order.. Thats the American way…
Nick I’m quite clear.. there’s along history of racist white folks demanding for folks to show their papers and prove their Americanism.. I cited recent public examples by law makers..yes the truth hurts.. so much so that you avoided it..
I think the issue of citizenship was raised due to Obama having a non-English sounding name and his upbringing outside of the continental U.S. Remember, there were and still are Blacks who do not consider him a Black American, but half Black African and half White American (which that is a whole other debate). Interestingly, I believe that if you have a name of Hispanic, Middle-Eastern, African or Asian origin, YOU will get the question of whether or not you are a citizen. Even within the various communities, the question of origin comes up as to whether you are Black-, Hispanic-, Middle-Eastern-, or Asian-American. Have a name like Robert Smith, Fred William, David Hanson and the questions are mute and your political views become center stage. Unfortunately, the U.S. is not alone in this view. Look at the growing movement throughout Europe and the par for the course actions throughout Asian and African countries in which your name and looks factor more than your mind. As for the rhetoric here in the U.S. about Obama’s citizenship, if he was a “non-citizen”, should someone ask the federal government how it allowed this oversight to slip through. It would seem there is a weakness in vetting/background process, not the individual. Otherwise, Obama is as American as anyone else. These “birthers” and Trump are just media whores looking for something to whine about. Documents were revealed, certified, verified, and probed… move on and get a life. Or as the old commerical slogan goes, “I see your true colors shining through” and it is not a pretty one for those individuals playing the citizenship card.
Dave
Anyone can make the argument that one group of people is more rascist than another group and give examples; and at the end of the day you will have gotten nowhere. You seem stuck in yoour head with just one group of people Rascism comes from all people and at all angles. We all need to get over it; includin g yourself. Now your going to hate me for saying that but I’m just speakin the truth.
I do like your website you have a lot of heart for bringing up a lot of issues; but I think this is an issue where you have some pent up resentments and anger that only you are going to have to deal with.
Peace Respect
Nick
To the first three comments…
I think you guys missed the point. Despite “Obama” being in the title, this piece is not about him. Yes he is a part of it, but only in that he is a non-white living in America, of which there are millions. The issue here, the issue Dave is addressing, is that the politicians discussed (King, Riddle, Trump) are creating an impractical, unconstitutional, and immoral stance on immigration. There is no denying that immigration is a serious issue, but there is a right and wrong way to address it, and these politicians fall into the latter. Rather than turning Arizona police into Gestapo, wouldn’t it be more effective to go after the businesses that are employing illegals? The reality is that this will never happen because it would have devastating consequences on our economy. So instead these named politicians create a political sideshow, and here we are discussing them and their questionable practices instead of real issues that actually address immigration.
Does race have anything to do with it? Well, a majority of immigrants are non-white, so what do you think?
“No one said they don’t want immigrants to come here. We just expect them to follow the law. Is that so crazy? I think not.”
probably more truthful to say you’re not thinking. there are so many things wrong with this, i dont know where to begin.
no wonder michelle bachmann is a historical revisionist, as tea party zealots can’t deal with the actual facts.
first of all, let’s start with the original immigrants, the pilgrims and their descendents, who broke every single treaty they made with the native americans. now you want to act like you’re lawful?
then let’s go to the slaveowners and the folks who wrote into the constitution that black people are 3/8ths of a human being. how crazy is that?
now let’s look at the current debate over immigration. you dont have a problem with exploiting cheap labor. but you want to change the laws that say that people born in this country are citizens by birth, even if their parents are immigrants.
unless you want to retroactively repeal the citizen ship of all people of European descent, why, yes, that is crazy.
and, you want to complain about liberals “throwing out the race card.” hmm, donald trump, bachmann, and palin aren’t liberals, are they?
as a matter of fact, john mccain wasnt even born in this country — doesnt that make him an illegal immigrant in your book? or does that only apply to black and brown people?
also, when did davey say all white people are racist?
that’s obviously not the case.
it is fair to say, however, that most white people have benefited from racial inequality, whether they are overtly bigoted or not.
by the same token, black and brown folks are harmed by institutional racism, whether they throw out the race card or not.
the percentage of white people who voted for Obama is completely irrelevant. that’s not a referendum on racism explicitly, more like a measure of disapproval for the Bush Administration and the McCain/Palin ticket.
Obama didnt come in on a race-based platform. so who plays the race card in politcs these days? the GOP congressmen and their racist cartoons, the governor of Arizona and her anti-immigrant platform, and Donald “Bad Toupee” Trump.
what i find interesting, actually, is how people like you, righthook, always deny that you’re racist, when your words and rhetoric speaks otherwise.
nick, if it were possible to simply “get over” America’s history when it comes to race relations, don’t you think that would have happened by now?
not trying to come from a place of anger on this, but i think you can understand why viewpoints like righthook’s are problematic.
this has been a public service announcement.
Remember where this shit first started,right here for both our Native amerikkan an lost Afrikan folks.Same shit different day.
Not to play devil’s advocate here, but I honestly think Donald Trump knew all the time Barack was a citizen. He was just bringing press to his enterprises and possible candidacy. Remember he’s a business man. As for being a racist I don’t think he is. A number of black folk has from Tyson to Russell Simmons has said Donald cool behind closed doors. Don was just getting those bigots on his side to get his sh*t going.
E-scrib,
You write well and are organized. I think you laid out a very godd message with good points. I agree with you mostly; especially on righthook. The dialogue is good so that everyone me included can see something from a different viewpoint or angle.
Let me go back and make clear that I am a fan of Daves website. Specifically I don’t know why; but mostly because the issues that are brought up are quote sensitive burt none of the mainstream media will address.
I repect the fact that Dave and yourself are not afraid to say your opinion; regardless. I am the same.
Speaking for myself I can always tryn to digest and understand a different point of view or try to put myself in anothers shoes. I’ve learned this the hard way and through maturity, this is a blessing. Back in the day I ran stuff through sheer terror where people feared me anyuthing less I though was quote weakness; but with the grace of God I’ve found that only inhibits and cause misery.
Peace,
Nick
I’ve always found the statement because whites voted for President Obama makes them not racist problematic. If voting for one Black man proves that your not racist, what did it prove when whites were voting for all previous white Presidents. Righthook38 you prove my point with your socialistic comment. White Democrats and Republicans since the beginning have always increased spending and made the masses foot the bill. The socialistic term was never applied to them! I had white people tell me that hated then elect President Obama the day after his election victory. How did they dislike his polices before he conceived them? To view America going down the drain because of President Obama is to falsely place blame. First, we all have had a hand in this titanic sinking, so we all need to look in the mirror. Secondly, you fail to deal with the concentrated white power structure that determines the direction of America. It’s bigger than one Black President. Lastly, since all things rise and fall within cycles, maybe America’s cycle is compete. I understand that the previous statement is hard for people to deal with because most Westerners deal with time from linear perspective. They delude themselves into thinking their place on top has no end in sight.
nick i appreciate your viewpoints i don’t always agree but i like the perspective you bring.
just to clarify, i wasnt taking shots at you. and i do agree that wisdom often comes from a place of peace, which shouldn’t be mistaken or confused for weakness. whether it’s religious or spiritual is up to the individual.
it would be great to have a civil debate on these issues, but it’s difficult when some people insist on being idiots. i dont know if you saw that Michelle Bachmann compared tax reform for the wealthy to the Holocaust, but she’s been elected to two terms despite her penchant for making ridiculous remarks — search youtube for some of her factually-challenged speeches. In 2008, she accused Obama of being “anti-american” simply because his middle name is Hussein.
i would really like to think that people are smarter than that, but she keeps getting re-elected, and even championed by the Tea Party, so i have to wonder if maybe her hate speech is what appeals to her constituency.
these are some of the reasons why we can’t simply “get over” racial issues — they keep getting brought back up.
that said, i don’t necessarily equate Trump with a Klansman. That’s not a reference i would have made.
Obviously Davey felt strongly enough about this to use that wording. To me, it’s a bit of a distraction, since he does list some really pertinent and relevant information which helps to frame this issue in context.
The bottom line is that racial discrimination and bigotry has become a political agenda item, which is also a distraction designed to keep folks from thinking about the real issues, i.e. the only reason why the rich keep getting richer is that they steal from the poor.
It essentially comes down to that.
FUCK that racist shitbag punk Donald”Fake 70’s hairpiece”Trump and his birther cronies.It was a mistake for Obama to sink to their level and show them his birth certificate.Its funny how the former oppressors and warmongers all of a sudden what to know whose born here or not while they raped,murdered,enslaved and colonized the good ole USA FOR MANIFEST DESTINY!This is what you would call utter nonsense.Might as well keep the glocks and gauges ready so if these racist krackkas set out of line they get dealt tha business!!
If Obama were white, we probably wouldn’t be asking for his birth certificate.
But then again, if he were white we would be vehemently protesting his imperialistic policies. This is grossly unfair. I demand equality! I demand that he be treated like Bush!
Human nature will never change. There will always be xenophobia, racism(subtle and not so subtle).
My question to righthook38 is this: What about all of the spending that bush did? What about all of the negative things that he did, and the positive things that he failed to do?
Righthook, Bush and his cohorts wasted thousands of lives and billions of dollars on false information that was proven to be false by the UN yet he still waged war. For some strange reason everyone feels sorry for him all of a sudden after he released his bullshit memoir.
Futhermore, I am so sick of you muthafukas talking this socialist bullshit!!!! If you think about it, there is a socialist like movement to protect the corporations and/or the rich. However, you all would like to leave the average American worker hanging. This so called socialist nonsense is nothing more than the corporations planting psychological seeds in the minds of the common folks so that they continue to rape us like they have for years.
Do you even understand the concept of socialism?
After reading these entries, no wonder y’all aint got no jobs!
didnt know the KKK was hiring, Jose. how are the benefits?
Daveyd, Jose sounds like a Mexican!!!!!
I GOT A BUGGED OUESTION – WHAT IF THE ARAB MUSLEMS JUST START BOMBING ALL BLACK PEOPLE BECAUSE BARACK OBAMA KILLED BIN LADEN AND IS USING TAX PAYERS DOLLARS TO GIVE ISRAEL $7-8 MILLION DOLLARS A DAY IN MILITARY AID TO FIGHT AND KILL ARABS? WILL AMERICA STAND UP FOR THE BOMBED BLACK INSTITUTIONS, CHURCHES AND CLUBS IN AMERICA – OR WILL THEY JUST TREAT THEM LIKE THE DID AS “REFUGEES” IN LOUISIANA AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA? JUST A QUESTION, DAVE. SHORT MEMORIES AND I HONESTLY BELIEVE BALCK PEOPLE WILL FIGHT FOR EVERYONE ELSE “EXCEPT” FOR THEIR OWN.
This is so true “BALCK PEOPLE WILL FIGHT FOR EVERYONE ELSE “EXCEPT” FOR THEIR OWN.”… they only hide behind computer screens and rabble rouse.
Jose I fight for black people all the time. Which is part of the reason why I disagree with DaveyD. Worrying about racist mexicans will only hurt us and our community. Give me your address and I’ll show you what I’m made of Jose!!!!
loverboy, making racist comments about mexicans doesn’t make you any better than Jose.
true notice, writing in all caps just makes you seem like an idiot. your post supports this theory, which doesn’t seem to be rooted in reality. first of all, fundamentalist Arabs are less than 5-10% of the Arab world. you might as well say, what if evangelical survivalists started bombing all white people?
“black people” didn’t kill bin Laden. the US military did.
one result of Bin Laden’s death should be a drop in Islamophobia in America — the tea party, the GOP, and donald trump all look stupid(er) now. there is less hatred without a living symbol of hate. Bin Laden killed a lot of Arabs too, so you can’t automatically assume that entire region is behind him. also, the Taliban seem like yesterday’s news after what happened in Egypt.
What racist comment did I make escribblah?
DaveyD, said to left hook that the Irish smashed on black people. My question to Daveyd is: Aren’t the Mexicans smashing on us as well?
In my opinion it’s history repeating itself!
ESCRIBBLE OR WHOEVER YOU ARE, IS YOU NAME “DAVE”? WELL, SHUT UP!!! WHO ASKED YOU. ERRAND BOY.
It was inevitable that this is where this email conversation was going to end up
The birth certificate is a nice red herring that really doesn’t even answer the larger question of what Obama’s citizenship status is and what happened to it when he moved to Indonesia.
Obama is around 6 years old living with his mom in Hawaii. She decides to get married and move to Indonesia with her new husband, a high ranking military officer Lolo Sotera right after Indonesia’s bloody military coup that eventually ended up killing anywhere from 500,000 to 2,000,000 civilians. Obama is adopted by Lolo Sotero, has his name legally changed to Barry Sotero, and he is enrolled in a public school at a time when only Indonesia citizens can attend public schools and Indonesia does not recognize dual citizenship. The question is, what was Barry’s citizenship status when he came back to America some 4 years later?
You also have to ask yourself, what kind of single mom would move her kid from Hawaii, FUCKING HAWAII, to a country that was just taken over by a bloody military coup?
Fuck you Paradise! Hello genocide! Yeah, this seems like a much better place to raise a kid!
Also, what was his mom doing in Pakistan in the 1980s? What was Obama doing tooling around in Pakistan in the 80s?
That and the fact that Barry’s first job out of college was with the Business Information Council, a well-established CIA front is somewhat suspicious.
Good job Hawk!
Honestly, it’s a pretty fu@king legitimate question to ask.
There’s a LOT of shady things about Obama’s past. He comes from one of the most corrupt cities in the country, has ties with sleazy mobster types like Rezko and cop killers like Bill Ayers and CIA connection galore with him and his family (Try googling any of the Wayne Madison articles) Everything about this guy is stinks.
Remember when people were asking Bush to produce evidence that he really was in the National Guard and not AWOL? I remember some protest but I don’t recall anyone being called a racist for asking those legitimate questions.
Yet anyone dares to ask Obama the same questions and it’s yet another excuse for black folks to get all butt hurt and then go cry on YouTube like there were on the Dr. Phil show or something.
Malcolm X is looking down on all this nonsense right now and wondering how his people became such gullible p@ssies.
“Malcolm X is looking down on all this nonsense right now and wondering how his people became such gullible p@ssies.”
gotta love it!
Hawk, how come your “legitimate questions” sound like Tea Party talking points?
tell me this, mr. smarty: what country was john mccain born in? hint: it aint America.
and Jose, dont you ever get tired of saying stupid shit?
I’m aware of the issues surrounding McCain’s citizenship and I would ask the same thing of him that I would of Obama.
And you know what? I don’t think McCain would have had a problem with it.
As opposed to Obama who Phil Berg has estimated has spent at least 2 million dollars in legal fees fighting this issue. For those of you that still have the capacity to think for yourselves, that should be a red flag. When he came out in that press conference and said he had been watching all this nonsense from the sidelines like a bystander he was lying to your face. Dude has spent over 2 million fighting this issue.
Are you familiar with Cook v Obama? A military officer sued Obama to prove he was qualified to be the commander in chief and rather than provide proof the military backed down and canceled his orders to go overseas. That was a giant red flag. Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together knows that’s not how the military operates, especially in war time. You sign your name on the dotted line and they own you and don’t just let you off the hook when you’re expected to go overseas to war.
Yo Hawk,
Dude what’s all the rage and anger. Make your point and then shut the f.. up.
YOu don’t need to try and rip the whole board in the process.
Your comin accross as a MOQUITO much less a hawk. You know that irritating thing thats buzzin aroound; time to clean it up bro.
“Dude what’s all the rage and anger.”
That’s my hip-hop expressing itself. I’m just a reflection of the world I live in.
“Make your point and then shut the f.. up.”
Fair enough. Here’s some bullet points to discuss.
Let’s see if anyone really wants to discuss an issue or are we all going to just accuse everyone else of being racist and then go cry on youtube.
1) How come on his FIRST DAY ON THE JOB Obama signed EXECUTIVE ORDER 13489 that sealed off all of his personal records that he did not want released?
2) What was Obama doing when he was working for the Business International Corporation, a known CIA front?
3) Why did Obama’s mom, Ann Dunham, who he describes as a “leftist free spirit” move from Hawaii to Indonesia in the 1960s and marry a high ranking military officer just as the military conducted a brutal CIA backed military coup that killed what some people are saying was over 2,000,000 people? I don’t blame Obama for that, of course, but what the hell is up with his family? What kind of single Mom moves her kid from paradise to the killing fields?
4) What was Obama’s mom doing while she was working for USAID, another CIA front, and traveling to Ghana, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, and Thailand working on micro-financing projects (The girl gets around)
Keep in mind that Stanley Ann Dunham spoke French, Urdu, Bahasa Indonesian, and she studied Javanese at the University of Hawaii, in addition to Russian. The girl had the perfect skill set for someone in intelligence work.
5) What was up with Obama’s grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, the first female vice president at the Bank of Hawaii in Honolulu that was used to launder money for the CIA?
6) Why has Obama used a Social Security Number, issued in Connecticut, a state where there is no other evidence of his ever being a resident?
7) How come the majority of Obama’s college classmates do not recognize him and the few that do said his name was “Barry” while in college.
8) What is Obama’s ties to Zbigniew Brzezinski?
9) How come no one can find the paperwork that supposedly changed his name from Barry Sotero back to Obama?
10) How come none of this (really) came out during the presidential election? It was obvious that Obama was The Man’s candidate, he was on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine some 33 times that one year and the darling of the major media. Even Colin Powell came out to tell John McCain to STFU about talking about Obama’s ties to cop killers. Normal people with this kind of baggage are not let anywhere near the White House and given constant BJs from the major media unless The Man says so.
11) Why did Obama spend over $2 million in legal fees fighting the release of his long form birth certificate?
12) Then why did he turn around and release one that was obviously altered in Adobe Illustrator? Go on youtube and you can find hundreds of videos where even a child can see that it’s been severely digitally altered. Pixels don’t lie. Why, with all the resources at the White houses disposable, release this joke?
Obama IS NOT A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN!!! His birth certificut is fake! the serial numbers do not match up at all!! The words in the document you can obviously tell were used in word processer! which wasnt around when he was born! i belive racism is wrong!!!! i think everyone should be treated fair!!! but just because someone says obama isnt american dosent mean we are being racist! its the facts!!!
“just because someone says obama isnt american dosent mean we are being racist! its the facts!!!”
oh look, michelle bachmann is commenting…
I have no doubt you would characterize my views as “racist” (although that term, of course, has no real substance beyond its use as an epithet; I prefer to label critiques of the mainstream orthodoxy on race as “race realist.”)
However I believe Barack Obama was born in the United States.
Most people who share my views, agree. Some of us even voted for Obama.
Yes, that’s because the alternative, a half-senile warmonger, is just that dangerous.
So when you call people who don’t believe Obama was born in the United States ‘racists,’ you’re insulting ‘racists.’