Baracknophobia : The Irrational Fear of Hope
By DAVID ORTEZ on June 30, 2008
The rumors that continue to develop about Obama’s character never fail to amaze me. That is until I realized that countless of people actually entertained some of those claims and took it as fact even when Obama took the steps to dismiss any false claims about his background. Steve Benen sheds some commentary on a Washington Post article regarding this subject. Jon Stewart added some comic relief by coining a new term: Barcknophobia – The irrational fear of hope.
The Washington Post article states, “On the television in his living room, Jim Peterman has watched enough news and campaign advertisements to hear the truth: Sen. Barack Obama, born in Hawaii, is a Christian family man with a track record of public service. But on the Internet, in his grocery store, at his neighbor’s house, at his son’s auto shop, Peterman has also absorbed another version of the Democratic candidate’s background, one that is entirely false: Barack Obama, born in Africa, is a possibly gay Muslim racist who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Benen adds, “Peterman sounds sincere, and inclined to vote Democratic, but conflicted. A friend told him that Obama refuses to wear an American-flag pin. Another friend told him that Obama is a radical Muslim. Peterman’s friends, in other words, are lying to him, but he doesn’t realize it.”
Leroy Pollard, who lives in Peterman’s neighborhood, claims, “I understand [Obama’s] from Africa, and that the first thing he’s going to do if he gets into office is bring his family over here, illegally. He’s got that racist [pastor] who practically raised him, and then there’s the Muslim thing. He’s just not presidential material, if you ask me.”
Obama has taken steps to counter any false rumors by setting up “Fight the Smears” website so that people can inform themselves. As I claimed earlier, How Lies Become the Truth, the best way to counter the rumors is not to repeat them but instead inform voters of the actual facts.
Benen’s over argument is that these individuals may just be willfully ignorant. I concur but does it help that there is someone out there that is fueling the fire? Should I be surprised? As a cynic, I can state no but as an idealist I am saddened. Ideally, America should be comprised of some of the most intelligent people in the world but sadly that is not a fact. The truth is that open-minded, progressive thinking; intelligent individuals comprise a small minority of our population. It doesn’t matter if someone has an “education” if that individual cannot think for himself or herself and ignore talking points. As long as there is a television that broadcasts pointless hours of brain candy to Americans, our political discourse will be undermined. A combination of apathy and willful ignorance is detrimental to democracy and that is why we are in the current economic and political state. Stupid people do deserve a Stupid President.
Senator Obama is NOT a Dirty Muslim!
"What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge," says Mr. Obama, while denouncing statements of him being a Muslim as a smear. Why is the presidential candidate who claims to be religiously inclusive is treating the word "Muslim" as an insult? Apparently, it is OK for Mr. Obama to be associated with terrorists like William Ayers or racists like Jeremiah Wright, but God forbid somebody would call him a Muslim! No, he won't stand for that kind of smear! We admit that most terrorists are Muslims, but most Muslims are not terrorists and the statement on Mr. Obama's website is insulting to hundreds of millions of people.
How could a man who discards his family heritage in favor of political expediency be even considered for presidency of the United States? Where are all the so-called "Islamic civil rights groups" like CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, MAS, etc. who are quick to defend every Islamic terrorist, but are silent when Muslims in general are being denigrated? Would Mr. Obama have the same reaction if someone claimed that he was raised as a Jew? We sincerely doubt that.
"In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction." Barack Obama, "The Audacity of Hope", page 261.
Well, the political winds did shift in an ugly direction. Is equating "Muslim" with "smear" Obama's idea of "stand[ing] with [Muslims]?
Muslims Against Sharia demand immediate removal of "SMEAR: Barack Obama is a Muslim" statement from the official Barack Obama's website as well as an apology for giving the word "Muslim" a negative connotation.
http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/06/senator-obama-is-not-dirty-muslim.html
Close but No Cigar
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog. Although I agree with your intentions, there should not be anything wrong with an individuals Muslim faith, in this context it is much different. It isn't that it is "negative" to be Muslim as much as it is wrong to label someone that is not as one.
If the statement claims "SMEAR" Barack Obama is X" and if one were to apply any label such as Gay, Woman, Chinese, Poor, Old or High-School Dropout- does this then become offensive and of a negative connotation? Instead of attacking Obama for denying the false claim, one should seek those responsible. They are typically purported by the right-wing and loony talk-radio that share similar talking points.
Obama never claimed that he was not Muslim because he felt that he needed to smear the religion. He was labeled as one as a smear tactic and he responded appropriately. In a society and culture that hosts some individuals that still think Hussein was involved in 9/11 or that the world is flat . . . should we not be surprised that these simplistic yet negative attacks will do damage.
Instead of attacking the individual that was falsely labeled as Muslim . . . dedicate MAS' resources to finding the culprit. It was they who concieved the ingenious idea that being "muslim" is bad.
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