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The Proof of Citizenship Vineyard
Apr. 27th, 2011 01:38 pm[This is adapted from a I response in someone else's journal and I felt like sharing it here because... well, um, because it's *my* LJ. Um, right?]
So Barak Obama asked the Hawaiian government to make an exception and release his long form birth certificate. He is offering it as proof that he was indeed born in the US, and hence, constitutionally eleigible to beome President of the United States. His supporters can now be smug and say, "See we told you".
Not so quick, there's one small problem.....this was never about the birth certificate.
This birther thing has been a heel nipping annoyance since Barack Obabma was running for office. However this has never been about whether Barack Hussein Obama was born in the US and is a citizen. It has always been about the "othering" of Obama. This sewerage flows from the same cesspool as the whole "Barack Obama = Muslim" brou-ha-ha. The whole birther movement has always been code for a huskily whispered, "he's not one of 'us'. Who is "us"? You be the judge.
I'm already hearing in the news there are still people who are questioning the validity of this new document ("how come it took him so long? because it gave him time to bribe someone to plant it." "I won't believe it until I see the actual document, in person, with my own eyes".) If I were a birther I'd look for some real meat to chew on and if I were a supporter I wouldn't make the assumption that this issue has been put to rest.
A note to The Birthers, if after nearly *4 years* you're still worrying that old bone about "is he or isn't he a US citizen" then you are too *something* (dumb, ignorant, deluded, scared, fill in blank) to craft a persuasive argument against the positions the president has taken during his presidency. For god's sake, knock it off and let's talks about issues that matter.
This current batch of birthers are grasping for illusory low hanging fruit and that will make for some very bitter w(h)ine.
So Barak Obama asked the Hawaiian government to make an exception and release his long form birth certificate. He is offering it as proof that he was indeed born in the US, and hence, constitutionally eleigible to beome President of the United States. His supporters can now be smug and say, "See we told you".
Not so quick, there's one small problem.....this was never about the birth certificate.
This birther thing has been a heel nipping annoyance since Barack Obabma was running for office. However this has never been about whether Barack Hussein Obama was born in the US and is a citizen. It has always been about the "othering" of Obama. This sewerage flows from the same cesspool as the whole "Barack Obama = Muslim" brou-ha-ha. The whole birther movement has always been code for a huskily whispered, "he's not one of 'us'. Who is "us"? You be the judge.
I'm already hearing in the news there are still people who are questioning the validity of this new document ("how come it took him so long? because it gave him time to bribe someone to plant it." "I won't believe it until I see the actual document, in person, with my own eyes".) If I were a birther I'd look for some real meat to chew on and if I were a supporter I wouldn't make the assumption that this issue has been put to rest.
A note to The Birthers, if after nearly *4 years* you're still worrying that old bone about "is he or isn't he a US citizen" then you are too *something* (dumb, ignorant, deluded, scared, fill in blank) to craft a persuasive argument against the positions the president has taken during his presidency. For god's sake, knock it off and let's talks about issues that matter.
This current batch of birthers are grasping for illusory low hanging fruit and that will make for some very bitter w(h)ine.
