In Defense of President Obama And His Family

By John L. Horton

As President Ronald Reagan would say, “Here they go …again.” Some of the “extreme” opposition to President Obama is at it … again.  (Please note that these “incidents” have occurred in the past three months.) 

On Thursday (March 1, 2012), the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled a judicial review of Montana’s chief federal judge Richard Cebull, who sent an email to friends that contained a racist joke involving bestiality and President Obama’s mother.

On Thursday (March 1, 2012), Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio unveiled preliminary results of an investigation, conducted by members of his volunteer cold-case posse, into the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate and Selective Service card.

On Wednesday (February 29, 2012), Reverend Franklin Graham apologized for “questioning” President Obama’s faith.

On Sunday (January 29), Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus stated on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that President Obama was “our own little Captain Schettino.” Priebus compared Obama to the Italian cruise ship captain who allegedly abandoned his sinking ship.  Priebus accused Obama of abandoning ship in the U.S. and spending more time on his re-election campaign.

On Saturday (January 28), Republican Representative Allen West in a speech to the Palm Beach County GOP in West Palm Beach, Florida, his home state, said President Obama (and other Democratic leaders) should “get the hell out of the United States of America.” As reported in the New York Daily News and the Huffington Post (December 19 and 20), Jules Manson, a failed Tea Party/Libertarian candidate for a City Council seat in Carson, California, called for the assassination of President Obama and his daughters in a racial epithet-filled facebook screed. Manson explicitly stated: “Assassinate the f—– n—– and his monkey children.”

On Thursday (Dec 20), Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) issued a personal note and public statement apologizing for his  “inappropriate comment” referring to First Lady Obama’a “big butt.

”On Thursday (Dec 20), the so-called “birther movement” was dealt a legal defeat when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court (San Francisco) tossed out a lawsuit challenging President Obama’s U.S. citizenship and his eligibility to serve as commander in chief.

On a lighter note, (Dec 21), Senator John McCain (Washington Post) “criticized” President Obama for taking time out to go shopping with (First Dog) Bo. Obama and Bo went shopping at Best Buy and Pet Smart in Potomac Yards Shopping Mall, Alexandria.  Senator McCain said that Obama spends too much time shopping these days. I sincerely believe that there are political actors and participants who literally “hate Obama’s guts,” pure and simple.

“They” accuse Obama of being the Antichrist, a secret (closet) Muslim, and a serious threat to religious freedom and individual liberty. “They” call Obama the most radical President in the history of America.

“They” see Obama’s strategy in dealing with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and his “failure” to militarily attack Iran, North Korea and other trouble spots as “appeasement” and an inability to project America as the world’s foremost super power. “They” hate the man, person, family and all of those who are close to him. “They” intensely dislike and profoundly despise Obama.  They think him “arrogant” and “uppity.” “They” can’t stand the fact/reality that Obama and his family are occupying “their” White House.

How dare he and they sleep in those beds, eat from those “special” dishes, with that silverware, china, and crystal?

How dare Obama and Michelle represent the greatest country in the world on the international front and in foreign affairs? “They” don’t like any of this “stuff.” These venomous “haters” want their country back. “They” want one of them in the “White House.” “They” will do anything to prevent Obama’s reelection. This black mark, dirty stain and unfortunate mistake must not be allowed to happen again to “us.” The dog whistling, code talking and message signaling have always been there for “them.”

This President Obama is the President of: food stamps, welfare, lazy, brain washed, unemployed, illegal immigrants, free loaders, Wall Street protesters, criminals, anti-American, anti-Israel, anti-foreign policy, anti-capitalism, anti-job creators, pro-class warfare, pro-distribution of wealth, apologist for America, supporter of America’s enemies. (I constantly hear this “crap” on FOX News, Rush Limbaugh, and all over ultra-Conservative and Christian Right media outlets. Most don’t even pretend to be “fair and balanced” any more. These people have total disdain, disrespect and disregard for Obama as a Person and President. They “hate his guts.” And, they let their “special” audience, listeners and supporters know this.)

If “they” have to deny, debilitate and/or destroy America in the process … so be it. The end justifies the means. “Their” number one priority and objective is to prevent the reelection of this “outsider, stranger, pretender, faker” of a President. Hell, “they” want their country back. And, that is American as Apple Pie. 

And, they believe, hopefully, that most Americans are too damn stupid to “know the difference. ”To quote President Reagan, “This nonsense needs to stop.” Enough of it. Let us all be more civil and more respectful. “We” can be disagreeable, and we can have different opinions about important things. But, we don’t have to debilitate, denigrate and destroy “our” Country in the process. As “Americans,” we are better than that. Or, at least, I pray and hope so … for the sake of all of us.

John L. Horton, 71, is a retired Marine sergeant major and recently retired juvenile probation officer. Currently, he volunteers with inner city communities and organizations as his health and time allow.