Recently President-elect Barack Obama's citizenship has come under suspicion. But I have come to realize it isn't how a person's name is pronounced or spelled that raises concern; it is what the individual looks like that really matters to some.
Alexander Hamilton came to America before there was an America, from the East Indies, to attend college as a teenager in New York. Years later he would become this nation's first secretary of the Treasury.
Henry Kissinger and his family arrived in America penniless except for the clothes they were wearing after fleeing from Germany's atrocities being inflicted on fellow Jews. He would become secretary of State for two Republican administrations.
Native Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger came to the U.S. to compete in bodybuilding contests. After a successful career in his sport and becoming a film star making action movies, he married into a Democratic family and then got himself elected California's governor as a Republican.
John Kalikashvili said when he came to America from Poland he learned how to speak English by watching John Wayne movies. His brilliant U.S. Army career culminated in him becoming a four-star general and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Yet just over 20 years ago there was staunch opposition to President Reagan signing into law Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday, even though he was born and raised an American citizen in Atlanta.
Barack Hussein Obama Jr. was born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and a young lady from Kansas who met, fell in love and married while both were attending college. Personally I think the only thing that might be more American than that is baseball and apple pie.
Ernest Leysath, Augusta
Comments
Mr. Leyseth, excellent built up to your final premise, sir. However, if Obama refers to himself as an Africa-American, he is not, in my opinion, as American as apple pie. He is an African only wishing to be an American. I don't believe any of the gentlemen you have cited ever referred to themselves as Polish, German, East Indian, or any other nationality placed and hyphenated before the word, American. GGpap.
Very good point, GGpap.
Poor close to your LTE Mr Leysath. Obama probably wasn't born in Hawaii since all he can produce is a forged birth certificate and his parents were never married. The controversy over Obama's citizenship ended when his camp quit trying to claim his parents were married. That left the place of his birth irrelevant since an unmarried female American can have a baby anywhere and still have it considered American, regardless of who the father is. The point being, your letter is moot. Obama is elected president and stories about his origin are meaningless.
They weren't so meaningless just a few weeks ago when republicans were grabbing at straws trying to change the up coming election results, Now, everybody wants to get on board. Well, we welcome you aboard because President Obama said he was president for all the people. Now, You have a blessed day.
Apple pie....Ever wonder what that slimy stuff is hidden just beneath the crust? Barry would be right at home in baseball. Lots of drug use there, too. Wonder how long it would take him to do something about that 3 srikes rule?
jack234, you consistently give new meaning to the term vacuous. Congratulations on your fine effort.
GGpap - Point well made. While there should be no doubt I did not vote for Obama -- just look at my truck -- he did win the election. He is the President-elect, and it is everyone's responsibility to give this a shot. I can support him, as long as he causes me no pain. As with everything else, if I don't like something, I will voice my displeasure. Happy New Year. Now let's clean up Augusta.
Are you people still in the month of october? There has been an election, the voters has spoken, as you did. Regardless as to where he was born, he is still the president elect.Get over it.If you people are still unsure as to where he was born, just pick a country,and say that is where he was born, and get on with life.No one else gives a damn.
what kind of apples yall buying?
Barack Obama is as American as ... the corruption in Washington, Chicago and New Mexico ... and most other areas that supported him. I'm not saying he is corrupt, just pointing out how the corrupt and the filthy rich supported him overwhelmingly. I'll give him a chnace but I don't see him rising above the sewage in politics. I'd love to be wrong on this one!
jack1234, the lawsuit challenging PE Obama's citizenship was brought to the Supreme Court by Philip Bird, a Hillary Clinton supporter. Just thought you ought to be somewhat informed.
Mimsy, you say to "pick a country" where Obama was born and get on with life? Do you not understand the Constitutional requirement to become POTUS?? Ok, let's just let the government ignore the rest of the U.S. Constitution as well, OK? As long as it makes the people feel good, who cares about that pesky little document anyway, right?
President-Elect Barack Obama is an American citizen. It does not matter who brought this frivolous case to the Supreme Court door. The Supreme Court did not pursue this implausible case due to no credibility. Get over it! Whether you acknowledge it or not, Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th President of the United States signed, sealed, and delivered.
The Bush administration certainly didn't care about that "pesky little document". Those days are gone for at least the next 8 years. There is a new vision for America. Good-bye Cheney - go hunting please. HELLO! HELLO!
It does, in fact, matter Lorraine. jack was accusing the Republicans. It appears it is Hillary supporters that need to get over it.
I'm so excited about going to D.C. I have been packing for last 6 months. HELLO! HELLO! I want to continue to be a part of this history and our vision for America. Do you think 2 suit cases will be enough. I might stay for the whole 8 years. HELLO! HELLO!
We got the Hillary voters, had to, in order to get the landslide. There might be a few sour grapes - but were're not perfect yet. HELLO! HELLO!
There is a great day coming for America. I know, I'll just unpack and re-pack until I leave to relieve the tension. HELLO! HELLO!
Jack234 I am also highly excited about the upcoming historical inaugural ceremony and events that are planned in Washington DC. I am looking forward to it. Enjoy!
Mr. Leysath, you mentioned Arnold Schwarzenegger in the list of famous Americans who have contributed to our nation. The big difference between Obama and Governor Schwarzenegger is that according to the constitution, the governator can't run for president because he wasn't born in this country or of naturalized American citizens. You can fight and die for this country if you are not native born, but you can't run for president. Strange rule for a nation of immigrants. Obama's election might refute this rule, but we'll never know since nobody seems to be able to corfirm where he was born.
Jack234- 8 years? So Obama has already won the 2012 election huh? Interesting... Keep your eyes on Jindal in 2012. Hes doing great things in Louisiana.
Enjoy your trip to our nation's sinkhole, goodbye, goodbye, good-muh-effing-bye.
Dashiel, have you been to Washington lately? It's more like the nation's stinkhole.
What is that saying about "One Bad Apple Spoils the Whole Bunch"? Not where Obama is coming from or going to does a bad apple matter; they are all rotten to the core! Please don't compare politicians to apple pie, use cow manure, it is much more fitting.
Such pitiful and sorrowful statements from the failed right-wing. The right-wing will always be characterized by social, economic, and foreign policy failure. Oh, I forgot, they will also be characterized by irrational conspiracy theories, and fear of anyone who is a minority. Good-bye, you will not be very missed!
No, CH, the last time I was through there was aboard a train hurrying toward NYC. Train smelled fine but can't vouch for DC. Do you mean it actually stinks? If so, would the source be from what Congress is constantly stacking? Or poor personal hygiene outside the gates?
Shivas, your statement shows how misguided and uninformed you are. Do you know what Bobby Jindal(the Gov. Louisiana) looks like and what ethnicity he is? Many Right Wingers like this guy and think he will be our next pres one day. "fear of anyone who is a minority" - this means only blacks to Shivas. The others do not count as minorities, right Shivas!
Dashiel...probably both.
You ever get the impression that jack234 is retarded or just immature. I find it humorous that people find it is the fault of the right wing or capitalism when it is the failure of govt period. I loved Clinton don't get me wrong, but although he balanced the budget and ended with a surplus the stock market also crashed during his presidency in Oct of 87. He was also planning regime change to end Saddam's reign as the law he wrote inacted. Corruption is the problem within govt and out of it. Our govt is doing nothing to assure this bail out is being spent judiciously. Blame doesn't go to a party but the whole shebang. Perhaps our little experiment in govt has failed and done so at one of the faster rates in history. We haven't even made it 300 years. But we are older than Marxism so I guess we do beat out communism.
You have to remember too that unlike evolution which is a fact and has theory to explain it. Marxism is just a theory of Marx and Engel. All models of the theory have failed or are failing. What is ironic is that Americas seems to be following Marx's predictions of an initial aristocratic, then capitalistic, then the uprise of the working class.
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