This is sad

[luckystar112]

A "campaign official" has already apologized, but still.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/NEWS07/80618043/&imw=Y

 

[ladypirate]

It is sad, but I also think it''s sad that Obama is being judged (for the second time just on this board) by things his campaign volunteers did.

 

[MoonWater]

No, what''s sad is that the citizens of this country allowed such a climate against Muslims and Islam to develop in the first place.

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 6/18/2008 9:14:31 PM
Author: MoonWater
No, what''s sad is that the citizens of this country allowed such a climate against Muslims and Islam to develop in the first place.

But Obama''s message is one to change that - not perpetuate it.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 6/18/2008 9:11:43 PM
Author: ladypirate
It is sad, but I also think it''s sad that Obama is being judged (for the second time just on this board) by things his campaign volunteers did.

I didn''t say a thing about it being Obama''s fault. But I think it''s scary that the people that support him and his message the most clearly have no idea what that message even means.
Save the eye-rolling for the people who deserve it--the volunteers.

 

[Rank Amateur]

Huh?

You don''t want Obama to be judged by the actions of a couple of his supporters but you whitewash a whole country with bigotry? Please.

Dr. Salem likely practices here BECAUSE of the tolerant society instead of in some intolerant Muslim nation in the ME. She''s not in Detroit because she likes hockey!

 

[Rank Amateur]

Date: 6/18/2008 9:43:10 PM
Author: LAJennifer

Date: 6/18/2008 9:14:31 PM
Author: MoonWater
No, what''s sad is that the citizens of this country allowed such a climate against Muslims and Islam to develop in the first place.

But Obama''s message is one to change that - not perpetuate it.

The way politicians are I think it''s about 50/50 that one of the PAID staffers guided those people to sit elsewhere.

I''m sure they arrange the close-up supporters just so. And to do that you definitely place certain persons in certain places. Surely it''s not a random event.

 

[luckystar112]

Found this on Perez...not sure who his source is though.
Sickening, not to mention ironic.

The volunteer, an African American woman in her mid-20s, asked if their friends looked and were dressed like the men, who were all light skinned and wearing suits. One of the men mentioned that their friend (Aref) was wearing a headscarf with her suit.

That''s when Aref''s friend says that the volunteer, "explained to me that because of the political climate and what''s going on in the world and what''s going on with Muslim Americans, it''s not good for [Aref] to be seen on TV or associated with Obama."

As for the second incident, that occurred while waiting in line, two of Shimaa Abdelfadeel''s non-Muslim friends were ahead of her. A volunteer approached them and asked if they wanted to be seated in the special section behind Obama. The friends said yes and asked for Shimaa to come along.

That''s when the volunteer told them their friend would need to take the headscarf off or stay out of the special section. The friends declined the invite.

When Shimaa confronted the volunteer she was told, "We''re not letting anyone with anything on their heads like baseball [caps] or scarves sit behind the stage. It has nothing to do with your religion!"

Although photographs of the event show men with hats seated in the section behind Obama and former VP Al Gore.

 

[Rank Amateur]

Same story - slightly less credible details.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 6/18/2008 10:22:33 PM
Author: Rank Amateur
Huh?


You don't want Obama to be judged by the actions of a couple of his supporters but you whitewash a whole country with bigotry? Please.


Dr. Salem likely practices here BECAUSE of the tolerant society instead of in some intolerant Muslim nation in the ME. She's not in Detroit because she likes hockey!

Excuse me? I hardly think I "whitewash[ed] a whole country with bigotry"...I merely pointed out that for the second time, Obama was being blamed for the actions of his supporters. Although really, if you don't believe there is a climate of hostility and prejudice toward those of the muslim faith in this country, I think you're being a bit naive.

I certainly don't believe that they were in the right--it was a horrible thing to do. I just don't believe in judging people by those who support them.

luckystar, I did not mean to offend you--it just frustrates me that Obama is being judged on the actions of others, not his own.

 

[MoonWater]

Date: 6/18/2008 10:22:33 PM
Author: Rank Amateur
Huh?


You don't want Obama to be judged by the actions of a couple of his supporters but you whitewash a whole country with bigotry? Please.


Dr. Salem likely practices here BECAUSE of the tolerant society instead of in some intolerant Muslim nation in the ME. She's not in Detroit because she likes hockey!

Huh? You don't want to re-read what I said, think for a while, and understand the point? Please.

Oh, and I just love when people talk about how tolerant this country is as if to say you can not criticize the times when it is NOT tolerant. I don't simply judge this country by it's peers. I judge it from what I see and experience. I pay taxes HERE, I live HERE. There is obviously room for improvement and that is my concern.

 

[luckystar112]

I agree with every comment on this thread!

I didn''t take any offence LP!

And believe me, if this happened at a McCain rally I would not be defending it.

It just makes me sad that there is so much racial bigotry in this world coming from all races...and since Obama is all about unison and acceptance, it''s irritating that his own supporters would act in such a way...at his OWN rally, representing HIM. Blows my mind.

 

[Rank Amateur]

I completely agree that the USA has miles and miles of room for improvement, especially on the Muslim relations front.

I completely disagree that the intolerant acts of those few Obama supporters is the fault of some sort of nationwide bigotry pandemic.

 

[luckystar112]

.

Oops...double post. I thought my last one didn't go through.

 

[luckystar112]

P.S. Hasn''t this exact thing happened at another candidate''s rally? For some reason I''m thinking the last election...

 

[MoonWater]

Date: 6/18/2008 11:29:53 PM
Author: Rank Amateur

I completely disagree that the intolerant acts of those few Obama supporters is the fault of some sort of nationwide bigotry pandemic.

I guess it''s a good thing I didn''t say that.

 

[swimmer]

This probably wouldn''t happen at a McCain rally, they would be thrilled to find someone of color to sit near him, sort of like that university publication that had a sea of white faces in the crowd and someone photoshopped in an African-American male''s face with sunlight hitting him in the opposite direction.

Yes, political rallies are very much planned and staged events. That doesn''t necessarily make the candidate false any more than how orchestrating a wedding doesn''t diminish the love of the couple.

His staffers are also volunteers or quasi volunteers. They are young and fiercely dedicated to their candidate and they want him to win. They know that some voters in the US (not necessarily in PS) think that Obama is a radical Muslim who is plotting to burn the Constitution (or whatever). And for some reason they thought that seeing Senator Obama with a Muslim woman would flare up that passionate hatred in this fringe element of voters. Or at least I hope they are fringe. The volunteers were guided by an overgrown desire to protect their man, I just hope they did not offend the women who were not given preferential seating.

 

[Erin]

Date: 6/19/2008 8:03:06 AM
Author: swimmer
This probably wouldn''t happen at a McCain rally, they would be thrilled to find someone of color to sit near him, sort of like that university publication that had a sea of white faces in the crowd and someone photoshopped in an African-American male''s face with sunlight hitting him in the opposite direction.

Yes, political rallies are very much planned and staged events. That doesn''t necessarily make the candidate false any more than how orchestrating a wedding doesn''t diminish the love of the couple.

His staffers are also volunteers or quasi volunteers. They are young and fiercely dedicated to their candidate and they want him to win. They know that some voters in the US (not necessarily in PS) think that Obama is a radical Muslim who is plotting to burn the Constitution (or whatever). And for some reason they thought that seeing Senator Obama with a Muslim woman would flare up that passionate hatred in this fringe element of voters. Or at least I hope they are fringe. The volunteers were guided by an overgrown desire to protect their man, I just hope they did not offend the women who were not given preferential seating.

This is also how I see it. With people in this world like my aunt and uncle who sure aren''t voting for a Muslim (and shame on them for being so closed-minded and uneducated) because he''s the "antichrist," the volunteers CHOOSE to not put someone in the background wearing a hijab. That''s what his supporters were keeping in mind (I think.)

I remember Hillary''s speech the same night as the green background McCain speech. Hillary had this red headed girl to the right who smiled and nodded and clapped and for some reason I couldn''t stop watching her instead of Hillary. I think that''s why I was so focused on McCain''s bizzare wet smile. There was nothing to distract from it. And then came Obama who''s stadium was so full it provided a sea of people in the background. I really liked that visual the best.

However, I will also agree that Obama''s camp shouldn''t be protective of him because of those minority morons who pick on people because they''re, ooh, different. Jeez. Get over it! They''re different than you. I wish YOU were different. This is where tolerance begins. I say put them on tv. Make the background look like Noah''s Ark and show the American people that he attracts more than just a room full of white men over age 58.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 6/18/2008 11:28:51 PM
Author: luckystar112
I agree with every comment on this thread!


I didn''t take any offence LP!


And believe me, if this happened at a McCain rally I would not be defending it.


It just makes me sad that there is so much racial bigotry in this world coming from all races...and since Obama is all about unison and acceptance, it''s irritating that his own supporters would act in such a way...at his OWN rally, representing HIM. Blows my mind.

Good! I totally didn''t mean for it to come across like that, so I wanted to make sure.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 6/19/2008 8:40:05 AM
Author: Starset Princess

This is also how I see it. With people in this world like my aunt and uncle who sure aren''t voting for a Muslim (and shame on them for being so closed-minded and uneducated) because he''s the ''antichrist,'' the volunteers CHOOSE to not put someone in the background wearing a hijab. That''s what his supporters were keeping in mind (I think.)

It makes sense, but it doesn''t.
My logic says that voters who wouldn''t vote for Obama because he has a muslim in his audiece have already decided not to vote for him because the color of his skin. Not that I''m saying that if you fear terrorism you''re racist....I don''t really know what I''m saying.

And I think it''s sad that to some young people the election is nothing but a game. That''s what I was trying to say (very poorly) a while back in the obama thread.