After hearing that woman at the Sarah Palin rally not wanting to vote for Obama because he was an “Arab,” I did not know whether to laugh or feel upset. However, the more I thought about it, I wondered how people actually view me? Well, other than being that loud obnoxious guy.
I do know that when I talk to most people, they usually do not see a Lebanese guy. I am always amazed at the reaction though once I tell them I am Lebanese. It is almost like I just came out of the closet or told them something shocking such as, I have 7 illegitimate children in Thailand.
Really??
I cannot believe it!
No Way!
Prior to September of 2001, I really did not get that reaction. It probably wasn’t until I graduated high school that I embraced it because, to be honest, I was somewhat embarrassed. In reality, there were not many Arabs around me growing up and all the Armenian kids were so Armenian that I needed a flag to sail on my lawn.
Plus, it’s not like I was Asian or Black where you wear your ethnicity on your skin. But outside of family where I did embrace my culture, I told everyone I was Italian, which is not a lie because I am through my great-grandmother. But I am not Italian enough to start a Scungilli farm.
These McCain/Palin rallies are beyond scary and not because you can barely see a person of color. Just the reactions of what people seem to believe makes it evident that they want the “South” to rise again.
Ok, so what if Obama is an Arab, Black or Muslim? What is so wrong with that? Isn’t that what makes America so great? Did my generation learn anything from the School House Rock Song the “Great American Melting Pot?”
Just watch this video and tell me your reaction:
Do any of these people who are voting for McCain really understand who Arabs, Muslims or anyone who is not white are? Let’s stick with Arabs here. Take a look at this list. Many of them share the same views and were in the cabinets of Republican Presidents:
• Selwa Roosevelt, American Ambassador and longest-serving White House Chief of Protocol (1982-1989)
• George Mitchell, Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader; Lebanese on his mother's side.
• Donna Shalala, Former Secretary of State for Health and Human Services under the Clinton Administration (and the longest to serve in the post)
• John E. Sununu Sr, Former Governor (NH) and White House Chief of Staff (1989-1991)
• John Elway
• Doug Flutie
• Bobby Rahal
EVEN A NASCAR DRIVER! COME ON NOW!
My family has been in the US since the 1860’s. They have served in World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam for you, me and everyone in between. I won’t even get into my cousin Bobby sacrificing his own life 7 years ago. All of them shared the same vision, and that of course is the American Dream.
The funny thing is most Arabs here and overseas, share the same values and beliefs as most conservative Republicans. Some may say, even more so. Yet for some reason, many of the non Arab culture think we are going to ride around on our magic carpets and murder the masses as we scream AY YI YI YI YI holding a machete.
I am in fact in the minority in my family for being liberal. Which of course makes it all the much better when I hear they are not voting for McCain. That really shows you something is wrong in this current state of affairs if Arab-Americans are not voting Republican.
Maybe there is a change coming after all…
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1 comment:
I've seen most of that video twice now and it's so freaking scary. It makes me almost physically ill.
The thing that KILLS me is the people who say Obama is anti-white. WTF? He's 1/2 white!!! Which goes back to your comments about people whose race is obvious vs. those whose race is not. Bottom line, what does it matter what color or religion we are? I hope that Obama can show these Yahoos they're wrong, but sadly, they're so ignorant to facts, they'll likely never change.
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