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Who is Barack Obama?
Many were surprised at his strong showing in Iowa, probably none more so than New York Senator and opponent Hillary Clinton, who came in third behind Obama and Senator John Edwards. As this was being written, Barack Obama was leading in New Hampshire by 10 percentage points over Senator Clinton, prompting her to revert to personal mud-slinging.
So, we thought we'd investigate some claims that we've received by e-mail (several times), and we bet you have, too. Our point is that you need to be informed before making your voting decision. And anonymous e-mail is often not the most reliable source. The only problem is, whom can you trust? We don't know, either. So we will present to you what we found, and let you make your own decisions. Muslim?The first e-mail, which began circulating even before Barack Obama declared last February his intent to run for President, "accuses" him of being Muslim. The last time we checked, that wasn't a crime. But it could be a VERY effective smear tactic that could help an opponent. Or it could backfire. The early indications are that it may be backfiring, given the size of Barack Obama's lead over Hillary Clinton, whose camp is accused of circulating the rumors. Here's the gist of the first e-mail:
Or, the e-mail you received may have looked like this:
Well, that created a firestorm of attention, as you might imagine. Both Snopes.com and Urban Legends concluded that the majority of the claims are false, specifically the ones that claim Barack Obama is a Muslim. Snopes has a claim-by-claim discussion of the allegations in the e-mail. CNN went so far as to send a reporter to Jakarta to check out the claim of Barack Obama being educated in a radical Muslim school known as a "madrassa." The reporter, after visiting the school and talking with its deputy headmaster and one of young Barack Obama's classmates, concluded those claims were also false. In November 2007, the Washington Post also published a story discussing the various claims. Christian?Just when that controversy died down, we received another e-mail:
Unfortunately, the link was missing, so we have no idea what it led to. Let us first correct a factual error. Senator Obama's middle name is not Mohammed. It is Hussein. Racist?But Barack Obama is indeed a member of Trinity United Church of Christ on the South Side of Chicago, home of the fiery racist pastor Jeremiah Wright, and here's the church's "about" page, copied from the link embedded in the e-mail: "We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization. God has superintended our pilgrimage through the days of slavery, the days of segregation, and the long night of racism. It is God who gives us the strength and courage to continuously address injustice as a people, and as a congregation. We constantly affirm our trust in God through cultural expression of a Black worship service and ministries which address the Black Community. The Pastor as well as the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ is committed to a 10-point Vision: 1. A congregation committed to ADORATION. So there is at least SOME truth in the allegations contained in the e-mail. We find these comments in the e-mail also interesting, given the recent disclosure that Barack Obama has been openly aiming for the White House since kindergarten: "Maybe Obama "found religion" before he went into office purely because he wanted to follow the Christian path, but that's highly doubtful, especially considering . . . the fact that politicians don't get into politics overnight." And "Since it is politically expedient to be a Christian when you are seeking political office in the United States, Barack Obama joined the United Church of Christ to help purge any notion that he is still a Muslim." The Race CardThis information certainly makes the recent flap between Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama over the "race card" more interesting. Given that Senator Barack Obama is a member of this church and adheres to its beliefs, and its web site indicates it is "Unashamedly Black," wouldn't it be safe to assume he agrees with its racist position, as loudly proclaimed from the pulpit by Jeremiah Wright? I'm not a fan of Senator Clinton, but it appears to me that, at least with Barack Obama's claims of racism on her part, "the pot is calling the kettle black." It would appear, from this information at least, that Senator Obama may be the more racist of the two, if, in fact, he agrees with the church's beliefs as stated on its web site and from its pulpit. Snopes has an interesting discussion of these claims here, most recently updated January 11, 2008, where it states the claim as "Illinois senator Barack Obama's church has a racist, "non-negotiable commitment to Africa" that excludes non-blacks." It then states the claim is false. In the discussion, however, everything it lists to support the notion that the claim is false, would support it as true, IF the words "that excludes non-blacks" were removed from its statement of the claim. Personally, I didn't find anything in the e-mail I received and quoted above, or in the e-mail quoted at Snopes, that claims in any way that Trinity "excludes non-blacks." Snopes' pro-Obama bias clearly shows in its pieces about him. We've noticed it, and it's been brought to our attention by readers. We believe this language was added by the Snopes editor so she could find one piece to grasp onto in order to brand the entire claim false. Since this page was originally written, Snopes has also added the language "which is covertly Muslim." Snopes cites as proof of the claim's falseness some comments published by Martin E. Marty, a professor of religious history for 35 years at the University of Chicago, and clearly white, as shown by his photo. He is the "Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus" at the University of Chicago, and founder of the Martin Marty Center, Institute for the Advanced Study of Religion there. Marty was ordained a Lutheran pastor in 1952, and joined the University of Chicago faculty in 1963. The page cited is clearly stated to be "not about Senator Obama." It is a defense of Trinity United Church of Christ, the largest congregation in the entire United Church of Christ, with some 8600 members. Marty challenges that the church's position as "Africentric" does not make it "cultic" or "sectarian." And he says, "More important, for Trinity, being 'unashamedly Black' does not mean being 'anti-White.' My wife and I on occasion attend, and, like all other non-blacks, are enthusiastically welcomed." Oops. This man just lost his credibility with me, by adding those three tiny letters that spell "all." They are a clear indication of exaggeration to make his point. While he may be in a position to see how some non-blacks are welcomed (he and his wife, for example), it is a physical impossibility for him to know how "all" non-blacks are treated by Trinity. After all, he said he attended "on occasion." And frankly, Snopes just lost some credibility with me, too, with its analysis on this one. Snopes goes on to cite a Chicago Sun-Times piece by journalist Monroe Anderson in March 2007: "If it was the Holy Trinity Polish Church on Chicago's North Side, proclaiming its Polishness, who'd care? This is how African Americans find ourselves in a trick bag. We're defined racially even when we're acting like any other of this nation's ethnic groups. Issues knee-jerkily become black and white when in reality they may be African American and Irish American. Or Serbian American and African American. Remove black and substitute another American ethnic group so that Trinity's Concept No. 6 reads, "Adherence to the Mexican Work Ethic." Does that still sound separatist? Or racist? Of course not. But, if you're insincerely espousing color blindness, while holding the race card up your sleeve, you know you can easily trump African-American ethnic pride every time." Is this guy serious? The problem is that African-Americans and Mexican-Americans DON'T act like other "American ethnic groups." Ethnic pride can be maintained and nurtured without promoting racism. What rock has he been hiding under while thousands of Mexican-Americans (many of whom are in this country illegally) demand that we provide welfare and Social Security benefits to them, teach their children in Spanish, fly the Mexican flag alongside Old Glory, and provide Spanish labeling on commercial goods. How many times, in this country, have you had to "Press 1 for English?" Perhaps this reporter should visit Southern California or Arizona or Texas, and ask his question about the "Mexican Work Ethic." Maybe he's missed the news reports about schools in Southern California being shut down as "Mexican-American" students protested that the Mexican flag should be flown at their schools. He's right, if it were the "Holy Trinity Polish Church on Chicago's North Side, proclaiming its Polishness," most likely no one would care. But that's because we haven't seen Polish Americans demanding that we teach their children in Polish, or adopt Polish customs, or display the Polish flag in public places. They've assimilated themselves into the melting pot culture that is America, and have become Americans. Those who distinguish themselves as "African-Americans" or "Mexican-Americans" or any other separate types of hyphenated Americans are the ones who are perpetuating the division between ethnic groups in America. This country was founded by immigrants. It adopted English as its official language, and for more than 200 years, immigrants who wanted to live in this country have become Americans, and learned to speak English, because that's the language spoken in America. That's the way it should be. That doesn't mean they've lost their ethnic identities, and there is no requirement for them to do so. The United States of America should be just that -- UNITED. We shouldn't be flying more than one national emblem, we shouldn't be labeling goods in more than one language (as they do in Switzerland, where there are four official languages!), and we shouldn't be fostering a distinction of any type of hyphenated-Americans. We are, as the founding fathers clearly stated, "One Nation, Under God." If that's not what or where you want to be, there are several hundred other countries on the planet for you to choose from. The borders are just as easy to exit as they are to enter. Back to the race issue. I grew up in Mississippi, where some pretty significant events of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's took place. I was in elementary school at the time. But I can still remember seeing two entrance doors at the local hospital, and inside, two water fountains. The signs over them read "White" and "Colored." My parents taught me that was wrong, and that all people are equal in the eyes of God. I didn't see anything in Trinity's statements that even left room for anything other than "Black." It seems ludicrous to me that Blacks in this country can claim that the signs in the Deep South that said "White" meant "No Blacks" (which they did), but at the same time can claim at that their statement that their church in Chicago is "unashamedly Black" means that non-Blacks are also welcome. If that's the case, how difficult would it be to add a line on their web site's home page that says something like, "Although our religious practices are Africentric, and the vast majority of our congregation is African-American (or Black), we also enthusiastically welcome non-blacks who would like to join us." If they wanted to do so, it would take less than five minutes, and would take the wind out of the sails of those who are attacking them now. As I said, I grew up in Mississippi in the 1960's. Yes, I'm white. And I have friends from junior high and high school who are black (I was in junior high when our schools were desegregated). If you asked them, they would tell you that I was one of only a handful of "white kids" who would even talk to them at school, much less openly be friends with them. I recently drove 50 miles (across town) to have dinner with one of those friends and his family when they were visiting the city where I live now. It's been more than 40 years since the Civil Rights movement. It's time for Senator Barack Obama to address this issue in more definitive terms and either acknowledge that he shares Jeremiah Wright's views, or explain why he's listened to this kind of "divisive" proselytizing for more than 20 years, and why he wants this brand of bigotry taught to his young daughters. [Since this page was originally written, Barack Obama has publicly stated his disagreement with Wright, and claims that in the 20 years he spent sitting in church pews listening to Wright, he never heard these types of views expressed. Is there anyone who believes that? . . . Nah, didn't think so.] It's time for the double-talk and the racial double standard in America to go away. Personally, I'm ready for some Straight Talk! What do YOU think? Join the discussion!  Join our election discussion! Tell us which candidate you support and why. Related pages: Is Barack Wright? The Real Candidate behind Obama's Superficial Appeal We've not had a chance to check its claims for authenticity, but we found this interesting commentary on Obama's extended family, including a number of photos. We advise you to conduct your own check for authenticity of these assertions. The 2008 Presidential Election Senator Joe Lieberman urges non-partisanship and explains why this election is so critical, and why we must vote as Americans, not Republicans, Democrats, or Independents. Of the major Presidential candidates, only John McCain has military experience. Will that be important in this election? Senator John McCain speaks with the voice of experience. Senator Hillary Clinton is a polarizing candidate. Most people either love her or hate her. Very few are ambivalent about her. To find out which candidate's views are closest to your own, take the survey at the Minnesota Public Radio site. You can also view the cumulative data and the candidates' positions on the major issues by clicking on the tabs. The issues covered include: the war in Iraq, Iran and nuclear power, immigration reform, tax cuts, collapse of the mortgage industry, education, social security, and health care, among others. Regardless of which candidate you support, be sure to VOTE! Voice Your Opinion! Tell us which candidate you support and why. Some previous reader comments:
You may also be interested in these pages: Anti-Military Activism in the US is becoming increasingly frequent and violent. The City Council in Berkeley, CA, takes an anti-military stance. Add your comments about Berkeley's anti-military-stance. Some previous reader comments:
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A relative unknown, Illinois Senator Barack Obama has emerged as an early leader in the race to be named the 2008 Democratic candidate for President of the United States. 
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