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Forgetting? No. We've just been told over and over by the Obama campaign that if you're white, you HAVE to vote for Obama to prove you're not a racist; that if you live in the country, unless you vote for Obama, you're a redneck; that if you're poor, you have to vote for Obama or else you're stupid AND poor; that if you have traditional moral values, you're a "hater," unless you vote for Obama to prove you're not; if you're a woman, you only have a right to dignity if you work for Obama -- if you don't, or you don't "do enough," Obama and his minions will trash you.
Obama has set up the dichotomies early and reinforced them throughout his campaign. He is re-defining what it is to be an American and much of it involves embracing him.
this is absolute garbage. No one in the Obama campaign has ever said if you're write you have to vote Obama or you're a racist.
there are, I'm sure, plenty of legitimate reasons why a person might not vote for Obama that are unrelated to race.
Now, there are certainly people that are prejudiced against african americans and won't vote for him because he is black. that is the sad truth, but i doubt it's a majority.
However, not voting for him because of his middle name or because some people still think he's a muslim IS racist. Not racist towards african americans, but toward Muslims and people of middle eastern descent.
So sad that some people just can't comprehend that.
Wow. In the space of an hour, only a few people managed to describe themselves. Only a few managed to describe who makes up America. Why this is such a wonderful nation.
This is not a thread about Obama. Or McCain. That's why I deliberately didn't name any candidates in the original post.
Real Americans. Who are you? Where were you raised? What do you believe in, hope for, fear? Try to answer without bashing, if at all possible.
What a shame to see this really positive, thread, hijacked by those "real americans" that, instead of standing up and stating their basic values, influences, etc., want only to put down those that they see as the "enemy"
This real american was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, spent her summers on the family farm in Nebraska, and learned to love both Urban and Rural America equally. I've got to admit, though, that I still struggle with the impulse to be "intolerant" of those who are "intolerant". . . oh well. . . . nobody's perfect!
That doesn't make sense to me. It's safe to say that people voting for either of these main candidates want to work toward the best for family and community. I mean, that's pretty basic.
I think most of us want what's best for our country. The difference lies in what we all think makes us great and the best way to go about achieving it. Hence the various political parties.
This 32 year-old American is public-school educated public high school, public university, public medical school), owns a 'small business,' has been all over the world her whole life, loves nature/wildlife/environment, believes in equal rights for all, despises welfare (corporate or individual), wishes we had tougher laws/harsher punishments, is anti-drug, drives 3 gas-guzzlers, believes in always giving to charity but does not believe in using it as a tax write-off, loves dogs and not cats, owns 3 guns (.380, 9mm, AR-15), has friends from all over the political spectrum, loves Texas, adores college football, is married to a woman, and usually votes republican.
I believe we live in the greatest country in the world.
I believe liberals and conservatives, left and right, black and white (and in-between), rich and poor, sick and healthy--all have equal rights to be here, to speak out, to vote for whom they see fit.
I believe that there are those in Congress today who want to amend some of that great document I linked to above and that scares the shyte out of me.
What's funny (and sad) is, I guarantee you that all Americans agree on 90-95% of issues we everyday civilians encounter in our lives. It's the 5-10% difference that is dividing this country to the point of hatred of each other.
When a member of one party (myself included) complains about the practices of another party they don't target the real guilty entity: government. Instead, they target their vitriol and disgust at ALL civilian members of the opposing party. "You Republicans are racist", "You Democrats are all anti-American" yada, yada, yada. Members of our esteemed government are doing this purposely or not. How many of you agree with 100% of what your party stands for? I don't agree with everything the Republicans do.
The citizens of this country SHOULDN'T be diverse; we SHOULD be just one: AMERICANS!
Oh, rest assured, that if Obama is elected, those of us who see him for what he is will NOT be "handing in our freedoms." We will be exposing him, Pelosi, and Reid as they TRY to force their vision of an all-controlling federal government on states and individuals and take away our rights.
Hey, the "free markets" have done a GREAT JOB for this country in the last 8 years haven't they? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? BY WHAT FAT CAT HAVE YOU BEEN INDOCTRINATED?
...not particularly religious, straight, raised in a big city, fiscally conservative, has a special needs child, pro-choice, pro-gay-rights, pro-gun-rights, pro-death-penalty, not afraid of Muslims, very afraid of religious extremists (any religion), shop at Sears and Walmart, Ivy League educated. Loves America. Doesn't love all of its policies.
Next?
Raised in a small city, betta-fish owner, likes hiking in the mountains, loves The Office, coffee drinker, Ivy league and Public school educated, shops at REI and Target.
Feels lucky to be raised in America, but wishes the government would do more on environmental issues, among other things.
*I think being a true American is showing compassion for your American brothers and sisters, who are struggling and are in desperate need of help
*I think being a true American is accepting people for who they are, and not what I'd like for them to be
*I think being a true American is being confident and secure enough in my own personal values to not feel threatened and insecure by anothers
*I think being a true American is having a deep desire to continue to move forward in a positive direction that will benefit not only myself but others so that each person has the means to experience the American dream
*Lastly, I think being a true American is believing that everyone is inclusive and no one should ever be excluded from health care because they may have had a precondition, that no one should ever be exluded from a wonderful education because we are too cheap to invest in our teachers and educational system, that no one should ever have to work 3 and 4 jobs just to keep up in todays economy because they are not receiving equal pay for equal work and have responsibilities to their families who depend on them.
We, as Americans are obligated to make sure that we are uplifting one another and working together, anything less than that is totally un-American and you might as well move to an isolated island by your lonesome if you are that selfish and disbelieve in American teamwork!
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