On this day, let us all be proud of America

Actually Subbie I can look at it this way.You have no more reason for calling Barack Obama black, than I do for calling him white (actually I think my reasons are better).I have to ask myself why you CHOSE to call him black instead of what he actually is.Why exactly did you in the OP call him black, and the left in the election do that, when he is 1/2 black and 1/2 white????Do you, Subbie, think that if a person has a single drop of black blood they are a nigger???It sure looks like it to me!

Hi All. Long time, no post.I went third-party Libertarian this time around but am thrilled for Obama.I am truly happy for Obama, for his family, and for African Americans, as this means much to them. I saw the emotions and pride boiling over as I stood in the University cafeteria and watched the Oath and Address on TV, along with hundreds of others. I saw the pride on the faces of African Americans who were in attendance and I could not help but be moved by the tears I saw flow during the speech. It truly was an historic and moving moment.With that being said, I have some mixed emotions. Obama is inheriting one hell of a mess and my fear is that the expectations are set way too high. Failure to deliver may result in a psychological crash among voters and this may lead to further disenchantment with the system. The agenda laid out during the campaign is quite formidable. We are on a slippery slope and Obama will truly be tested, quickly. I truly wish him the best and if he delivers on only half of his fiscal and foreign policy goals, our Nation will truly prosper.Also, I don't know why some are ragging on Buzzsaw for his positions. I also remember a lot of high profile celebs stating they would leave the country if Bush was elected back in 94. Politics can be an emotional topic and people sometimes speak in the heat of the moment, when instead, they should take a deep breath and put things in perspective. Often, I don't understand Buzz's reasoning and he certainly holds a world view that I am odds with, but he never came across to me as a hateful or mean spirited individual. He has convictions and I don't think they stem from bigotry, prejudice, or malice, but rather true moral conviction. I don't agree with all his convictions and views, but he certainly should be able to discuss them without being insulted. Our nation has always supported a diversity of opinion. We live in a pluralistic society -- conservative, liberal, far left, far right, and everything in between. As long as you play by the rules, there's always room at the table for everyone. That's what makes us free and not a dictatorship. Edited by Grizz, : No reason given.

Brilliant! You're a genius. I'm a racist, the only reason I think President Obama is black is because the purity of White blood has been defiled by Black blood, and I'm proud of our country for electing our first Black President.Cognitive dissonance much?

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For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers. -- Barack ObamaWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

Well, by your reasoning, I would be Swedish. I should not be considered an American (my mother is Swedish). Or I would be half-Swedish, half-American.But how do I identify myself? Quite frankly, as an American.So why would you call me Swedish?Obama identifies himself as black. The black community, it would seem, accepts him as black. That's what he is.And really, this whole argument is ridiculous. To misquote you, Why are you making such a big deal out of his biracialness?

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To misquote you, Why are you making such a big deal out of his biracialness?

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The answer is obvious. He, like Buz, thinks President Obama is the worst thing that ever happened to this country. And, like all ideologues, he cannot conceive of there being anything good in the success of someone from the opposing camp.

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For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers. -- Barack ObamaWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

That's BS.I don't post much, but I do read thousands of posts here.You can judge me by my 95 posts, and I'll judge you by your 2100.I have seen you again and again refer to being in Sweden or being Swedish, or saying what people in Sweden do. I don't know many people who are Americans who CONSTANTLY do that.Now I would still call you an American and leave it at that.What do you think I should do if you claimed special rights for being a Swedish American?Suppose you complain about people making fun of the way Swedish people speak english. Do I owe you something?Do I owe you a free pass on social, political, or scientific issues because you're Swedish and speak funny?I don't give people a free pass at all ever, doesn't matter who they are.Do I Think a free pass was given here?Yes, this is the least qualified person to become president in American history.So you tell me why that was?Edited by petrophysics1, : No reason given.

No, the worst thing that happened to this country was Jimmy Carter being elected.God, and I voted for him!The Republic will endure, makes a small difference who is at the helm.

Being in Sweden does not make one Swedish. Commenting on what Swedes do does not make one Swedish. By blood I am half swedish, by citizenship, I am dual. But that does not make me culturally a swede. Having been born and raised in the US, I identify as an American first. I'm not claiming any special benefits because I'm swedish, but then, the US hasn't exactly persecuted swedes like it has native americans (nothing more than a sanctioned policy of genocide for a long time) or african americans (hello, slavery?). The US hasn't persecuted swedes at all, to my knowledge. But if you want to insult the swedish accent when spoken in english, I will simply point out that the swedes know english better than we do. Oh, and actually know a foreign language or two. Now we're getting somewhere. You're pissed because you think Obama was elected because he's black. Because we all felt guilty over having enslaved black people. That because he's black, we looked past his shortcomings. Or perhaps, Obama earned his inauguration. Like every other president. By convincing the public that he would be the better candidate. And so far, it seems like he's doing a pretty good job (I'm counting transition here).The only qualifications to become president are those laid out in the constitution. 35 years old, resident of the country for 14, born in the country. That's it. Every president has met those qualifications. Beyond that, the people of this country decide who they think will do a better job. Or, the least worse job. You may think he's the most unqualified person. But quite frankly, you would have probably thought the same of Lincoln (4 years state-house rep, 2 years US rep) or many other presidents who were elected. I tend to think that Bush was one of the most unqualified elected, so I may well ask you: how did a frat-boy with a president for a father get elected?

Barack Obama is 1/2 black and 1/2 white.I still have not seen a rational reason from you for WHY he's black.Why would people claim a person was BLACK when in fact the person is in fact 1/2 black and 1/2 white.Since you are doing this. Please tell me why you are doing it.

Here, I'll make it a bit bigger so you can't miss it. More to the point of this thread, race is almost entirely a societal distinction that (some) people use in deciding how to treat another person. It is based almost entirely on appearance. Given that President Obama is treated by most of the country as Black, the fact that he was elected is remarkable.You claim, without support, that lineage is traced through the mother. You give no explanation why this should make any difference, even if true. You argue that he's half and half. But you've said absolutely nothing responsive to my rationale. Let me spell it out a bit clearly.This country has a racist past, including atrocious inequities as little as 50 years ago. Biologically, there's no significant distinction between any of the races. Race is a societal distinction based on appearance. That's why, in the past, some Blacks had an easier time of it by "passing." They didn't look Black, so nobody treated them as if they were Black.President Obama looks Black. Everyone treats him as if he were Black. My point is that our country has made great strides in 50 years or so in its treatment of Blacks. If everyone in the country treats President Obama as if he's Black, his election to the Presidency is a powerful statement about the progress our country has made.Pedantic quibbles about how Black he is are irrelevant. Unless you can come up with a particular reason related to my OP that makes them relevant, this is the last post I will waste on you. I can't make it any clearer than I have. If you don't get it, you never will, at least not from me.

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For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers. -- Barack ObamaWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

yea, obama is a ding dong. he hasn't done anything yet. if he does finally do something, i doubt it will be good. you racists people need to understand that race isn't a divisive topic and quit worshiping the ground this guy walks on, just because he's black.

Well, thanks for the rant.Do you have anything to say relevant to the topic of this thread? Or did you just need to exercise your fingers a bit?

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For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers. -- Barack ObamaWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat

oh yea, i agree with petro. he is horribly liberal and unqualified. i wouldn't fret suprise if we found out this country was ran from over seas.

Hi Grizz. Thanks very much for your fair mindedness. I pray God's blessings on you for that.

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BUZSAW B 4 U 2 C Y BUZ SAW.
The immeasurable present eternally extends the infinite past and infinitely consumes the eternal future.

I take that to mean that you don't in fact have anything to say relevant to the topic of this thread.I note that you are new here. This is a moderated forum. Participants are expected to stay within the topic of a given thread. If you want to start a bash the President, feel free. However, I will ask you to stop in this thread, since it's not the topic.

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For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers. -- Barack ObamaWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat