My reply when some idiot brings up Obama's "Hussein" middle name...

[HardWorkingDem]

Yesterday while sitting in an in-house training session with my predominately Republican co-workers, one started lampooning Obama's middle name. My reply to him was it was really showing his ignorance because when contrasted to other names, "Hussein" is the same as an American being named William, Richard, or Tom.

Also, as for the Obama flag picture, that also came up and my barb back on that was actually, it was the National Anthem being sang and if anyone was not following flag etiquette it was Richardson, HRC and Vilsack's wife - you are to FACE the flag, not point your ass at it and that Obama's hands at his waist was perfectly normal and current in today's flag etiquette.

But what really gets me is how people are so oblivious to shrill acts of fake patriotism by politicians while ignoring the important ones (lapel pins versus civil rights and liberties because they are controversial).

[yardwork]

1. That's it exactly

People allow themselves to be influenced by the stupidest things, while ignoring or making excuses for genuinely harmful behavior.

Attacking a politician for not wearing a flag lapel pin while ignoring the fact that the pin itself and practically everything else for sale in this country is made in other countries by workers unprotected by even the most basic rights. Americans losing their jobs because American corporations have moved their operations overseas, always seeking the cheapest possible labor pool.

Americans poisoned by the products made by supposedly "American" companies who have zero control over the quality or production of the products themselves.

All in the name of profit. How is this patriotic?

[maxsolomon]

3. elections are not won by facts

they're won by appealing to the emotions of the easily swayed. sure, you can USE facts & logic, but innuendo & fear work just as well.

regardless: McCain is going to get fucking STEAMROLLED by Obama.

[jackson_dem]

18. Yup. Ask John Edwards. Substance lost to slogans

[question everything]

20. Rigth, as we have seen in our own primaries and caucuses

People are swooning over Obama not knowing much about him except that he is charismatic and is black and is not Hillary.

And people will not vote for Hillary (mostly white, divorced educated women) because she did not divorce Bill, because she shows cleavage, because she does not have pets.. white men will not vote for her because she reminds them of their 5th grade teacher and because they do not want an old woman in the White House.

[Mz Pip]

2. My reply to his middle name

It's not like he named himself just to piss people like you off. :eyes:

[HardWorkingDem]

6. Huh?

I'm confused - what do you mean piss people like me off? I'm the one pointing out to them how ignorant they are about his name......it pisses me off when they act so ignorant and pass along lies.

[Mz Pip]

13. No not to you!

To people who make disparaging remarks about his name. This was not directed at you. I was just commenting on how I would deal with it.

[HardWorkingDem]

14. OH, I get it now...thanks...

Got it now...thanks for the clarification...I need to try that one (but oddly, while this was going on, there was a terrorist case in the paper and the terrorist also had a middle name of "Hussein-al-Jihad." We just can't win with these folks.

[rox63]

7. He was anamed after his father

Who just happened to be named Barack Hussein Obama.

[maseman]

8. What is in a pin?

You could wear a pin and show everyone how patriotic you are OR you could actually donate money, donate time and try to get someone elected who will actually work in your best interests.

If Osama bin Laden wore a lapel pin with an American flag does that make him patriotic to the US? No.

I happen to shoot large firework shows as a hobby so does that make me MORE patriotic on Independence Day? No

If you fight to keep jobs in America does that make you more patriotic? Yes.

[BadgerKid]

17. .

The sarcastic version of that would work well, too. :)

[backscatter712]

4. One of my coworkers pointed that out

He's of Middle Eastern descent, and he pointed out that having the name Hussein was like having the name Steve here in the U.S. It's a very common name.

[MonkeyFunk]

10. He's not of Middle Eastern descent.

and I don't understand the argument that "Hussein" is like an American being named "Steve".

Obama IS an American. Americans have all sorts of names.

[backscatter712]

15. The argument being that Hussein is a very common name.

And that the idea that just because Obama has the middle name Hussein doesn't mean he has any relation whatsoever to characters like Saddam Hussein.

Oh, and I used the term "Middle Eastern" because I didn't want to identify on an anonymous forum exactly what country he's from and violate his privacy. He's a good friend of mine.

Why are we arguing?

[Debi]

5. It was actually Harkin's wife and the flag in the pic was being used as a backdrop

(or decoration against the flag code). :hi:

[HardWorkingDem]

11. Hey, but the right can do all the decorating they want...

That's what gets me about the right and fake patriots when it comes to the flag - when it comes to their purposes it's all good, but when it comes to the things that really matter, it's not.

Years ago Michael Kinsley wrote a great piece about the flag and what it would mean to make a law the stopped it's "desecration" and what a silly measure it was to even try (the commercialization of the flag for one - shorts made of cloth stained like the flag and so on).

Thank you for the correction, too.

[Debi]

16. I agree - flag shorts/shirts/baseball caps - napkins/plates/cups

all should not be used. Yet to prove we love America we purchase these Made in China goods. Crazy.

Why cares if he wears the pin or not. Does he say he loves America? Do his actions and words show a love for his country? Then that's 100x better than a jackass that professes love for their country while voting and spending money that leads to it's destruction.

:hi:

[GDAEx2]

9. Personally, when the National Anthem is played

I face the flag and stand at the position of attention as my 14 years of military service has conditioned me to do.
Seems Barack does the same.

[Benhurst]

12. I don't disagree with your main points. And lapel pins are tacky.

As for facing the flag, from the way the candidates are positioned, I imagine there is another flag, probably on a pole, to which they all are directing their attention. It's still silly to make a point of Obama's failure to put his hand over his heart, but there's no reason to assume the other candidates, and Oboma as well to be fair, are pointing their ass at THE flag. All are doing that to the flag used to decorate the platform, but probably are looking at another.

[MyNameGoesHere]

19. You are to face the colors that are posted. So you are a little incorrect. n/t

[HardWorkingDem]

23. What is the definition of "posted"....

Can you elaborate on that? Does it mean placed on a pole, hung or does it include what is in the back drop?

Thank you,

[MyNameGoesHere]

25. i wish i could tell you all the protocols involving flag display and rendering honors

but it is really a multi page document. posted vs. decorative. it could be any of the above you mentioned. As a back drop not so much.

[HardWorkingDem]

31. Okay...thanks...

Thanks for pointing that out.

[cboy4]

21. What your co-worker(s) said only reinforces my argument

that Obama doesn't have the White House in the bag like so many of his followers believe he does.

One can never underestimate the dirty tricks machine known as the Republicans.

[HardWorkingDem]

22. the vast majority of my co-workers would not vote for him...

one way or another.

They are mostly Republicans.....

[cboy4]

26. I know. My point is your co-workers are good examples

of what's yet to come from the GOP.

"Hussein," etc.

[zbdent]

24. Ask him the name of his favorite "western" film star of all time ...

Marion Morrisson ...

[MyNameGoesHere]

27. What's the big deal it's not like people gave HRC any shit when she used her maiden name

Oh wait they did. She seems to have made it through that ok. She is a big girl now.

[itcfish]

28. Forget Hussein

I like his other name Barry better.

[RememberWellstone]

29. Maybe Adolf?

I don't think either of these names help a candidate. They might hurt them with the other party, but no one should vote because of a name at any rate. The inexperience hurts Obama the most imo.

[madfloridian]

30. Florida cartoonist may be right. Obama might keep us safer.

Think about it. Unique idea.



From Chan Lowe cartoons in the Sun sentinel

Cartoon Gallery Sun Sentinel

[CalGator]

33. ROFL!

That is funny as heck. Kind of the perfect backfire to the racist "Hussein Obama!" rants.

[madfloridian]

38. I thought it was funny. I agree.

:hi:

[MagsDem]

32. Facts don't matter -- he's going to get his ass kicked

[CalGator]

34. Keep that head in the sand...

you'll miss a solid 8 year Obama presidency.

There is not a poll out there that shows HRC is a better candidate in the general election. If Obama is going to "get his ass kicked", then Hillary will get obliterated by those polls. It'll be back to 2003 with the WH, Senate, and House in Republican hands.

[Johnny__Motown]

35. That implies that he is not an American

Yesterday while sitting in an in-house training session with my predominately Republican co-workers, one started lampooning Obama's middle name. My reply to him was it was really showing his ignorance because when contrasted to other names, "Hussein" is the same as an American being named William, Richard, or Tom

[HardWorkingDem]

37. No, it implies...

that in a world where the US numbers 300 million in a total population of 6 billion, that this guy is an ignorant ass for not realizing that a name like "Hussein" is not far from common like he was leading people to believe. And that when idiots like him and the right wingers point this out, to the rest of the world, it only continues to show the startling ignorance and stupidity of American citizens when it comes to the rest of the world.

[grantcart]

36. Just remind them about the tragic race of Gaydolf Titler

[Leopolds Ghost]

39. Or you can point out that Hussein is a patron saint of Shi'ite Arabs-- you know, our supposed allies

Equivalent to naming someone Michael, Peter or Gabriel.

Oh, and almost every patron saint of Christianity that came before Mohammed
is recognized by Muslims and most Most moslim names are Biblical names
that are
simply variants of common English names!

Hussein = Hasan (Hebrew) = Hansen (!!!) (all meaning "good man")

Barack = Baruch = Brian

Ishaq = Yitzhak = Isaac

Ismail = Shmuel = Ishmael

Ibrahim = Avram = Abraham

Zakkaria = Zakhariah

It is a syncretic religion when it comes to anything before Mohammed.
They beleve that anyone who worships a creator God worships the same
God. In that sense, a liberal Muslim is not much different from a
Unitarian.

I find it insulting when a comedian lampoons a person of Muslim or East African descent
(Kenya was a colony of Oman for centuries) for having a name that is the
equivalent of
"Michael" or "Gabriel" or "Peter".

On Edit: You might also like to know that "Hussein" is unlikely to be discredited as an unacceptable name like "Adolf", even amongst the
people in Iraq who were massacred by Saddam. Because not only is Hussein
a name that is religious in origin, like Peter or Michael, it is specifically SHI'ITE in inspiration and most people named Hussein
or Hosseini, especially as a Middle name, continue to be Shi'ite --
the people Hussein murdered.

You don't see a lot of Jewish people naming their kids Adolph, but
Hussein has always been a nonpartisan, mostly Shi'ite name in Iraq
and Iran.

The original Husayn was basically a King Arthur figure for Shi'ite Arabs
who have never had their own independent country and have continually
been massacred by people like Saddam. The original Husayn was killed
in battle with Sunni oppressors and later essentially canonized as a
saint by the Shi'ites (an act that in itself is considered heretical
by Al Quaida -- just like radical Dominionist Evangelicals attack the
Catholic Church for their belief in saints.) So Shi'ites don't like it
when people associate the name Hussein with radical Sunni extremists.

Besides which, there are probably quite a few Kenyans named Adolph as
well, because in addition to being a colony of the Muslim sultan of Oman
for many years, Kenya was also a colony of Germany and was known as
German East Africa. And not having any direct experience with either
Hitler or Saddam, there is no reason for Kenyan villagers to repudiate
names like "Hussein" or "Adolph" that were imported into their culture
by foreign colonialists.