Posted on
April 28, 2011 by
Alpha Man

I tried not to write about it. I didn’t want to be just another liberal blogger uninentionally calling attention to the “birther” movement and thereby adding legitimacy to it in the subconscious minds of many Americans who vote. When the White House went above and beyond any legal requirement of any American citizen to do anything (not to mention presidential candidate, not to mention sitting president) and released his long-form birth certificate I patted myself on the back for staying out at least one pointless debate. And now they want his college records. And of course the birthers are not satisfied with the long-form birth certificate.
So let’s go over what we know. Birthers are racist, and not the pseudo-intellectual “there exist some gifted negroes but as a race they are intellectually inferior” but the “there are just some things nobody with mongrel blood should ever, ever do and being president is damn sure one of them.” All Republicans, racist or not, know that birthers are racist and deliberately pander to this group for political points by pretending that the birthers really care where Obama was born not as much what he looks like and who he was born to. Polls indicate that over half of people who identify themselves as Republicans don’t believe Obama is American or aren’t sure. Believe it or not, I can live with that. Or rather, I have to – I’m black in America.
But here’s what makes me angry. It’s the fact that so many people, with nothing to gain to from this slander and libel against the President, don’t get angry and don’t stand up to make any sort of change. Case in point: If you haven’t struck up a conversation with an acquaintance or stranger about how absurd this birther thing is, then guess what? Black or white, you’ve failed the racism/self-hatred test.
Ok, let’s back up. Raise your hand if you’ve overheard a birther talking on the bus or in a bar sounding all authorative like he’s king shit of fuck mountain? Yeah all right, all of you. Now, raise your hand if you’ve EVER heard someone DENOUNCING birtherism loudly and in the same manner? Now put your hand down if you’re at a small liberal arts college North of the Mason Dixon line with no division 1 or division 2 athletics. Yeah, not a single hand raised.
Look people. It’s 2011. We know that progress isn’t guaranteed with the passing of time. We’ve seen slavery, holocaust, genocide and the like. It’s not just that we know what our primal demons are like, we also know, as people how extremely cowardly we are. I mean, you won’t come to the defense of the President of the United States? Your President? Supposedly the most powerful person in the world? If not then guess what, you’re not coming to the defense of the gay kid who is being bullied. You’re not coming to the defense of the Hispanic-American who is having his citizenship questioned by an angry mob. Come on people, we need to start controlling how the masses think.
Oh, you’re one of those “you can’t control how people think” people are you? Ever heard of advertising? Your deepest most sacred convictions are bought, sold, bundled, divided and sold again every day on Wall Street. Your very concept of what it means to be American is 80% commercials you’ve watched during Major League Sports.
So read a book, figure out what your convictions are, and PLEASE don’t just STAND UP for them if they get attacked in front of you. Convictions aren’t to be used for self-defense only. ADVOCATE for them. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I hate stupid people as much as the next guy. But you know what I hate even more? A coward.