How can anyone look at those sweet, smiling faces and feel bigotry or fear?

[kpete]

[daleanime]

1. Unfortunately.....

yes.....


And it makes me sick that they can.

[roguevalley]

38. children are everything. wonderful picture of all these American people.

[atreides1]

3. Perhaps

And I'll bet he's your hero, too!!!

[malaise]

4. That's a beautiful photo

There's something very genuine about Obama

[Stellar]

5. Have you ever seen another President do this in the oval office?

Talk about genuine.

[jberryhill]

10. Does this count?

[Stellar]

12. ROFL! nt

[malaise]

20. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah hahahahha

[Initech]

40. Harooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

[GoneFishin]

43. Just what I was thinking. But Google didn't have the correct spelling. I like yours.

[B Calm]

50. I love that picture!

[forest444]

57. And let's not forget this:

Last edited Sat Feb 6, 2016, 04:17 PM - Edit history (1)

[malaise]

19. Just adorable

[Stellar]

23. Have you ever seen another President cry?

Genuine indeed. Salon

[malaise]

25. You know the killing of those children and their teachers and adminstrators

will go with me to the grave. Anyone who was on the side of the NRA after that is an enemy of our common humanity and basic decency.

[Stellar]

30. hear, hear! nt

[jberryhill]

28. Once that I can recall

[Stellar]

31. He was crying?! Man, he sure cries ugly. nt.

[Mendocino]

35. Looks like he's wearing

a toad on his chin.

[GoneFishin]

44. I thought he fell asleep face down on a walnut shell.

[Stuart G]

7. + 1...

[WinkyDink]

6. Re: Feeling "fear." I don't recall any news reports of gangs of Muslim women and children.

[Orrex]

8. The assholes who feel that way feel the same way about the man in the foreground

Terrific picture!

[jberryhill]

11. Ummm.. Where they "came from" is the U.S.

[pampango]

17. "Send the anchor babies back too." You definitely clicked on the wrong link when you came to DU.

There are other - RW forums - where you will feel right at home.

[kpete]

13. excuse me,

send them back?

They Are Americans.

OBAMA: You’re part of America, too,” Obama said, his volume rising as he said he was speaking in particular at that moment to young Muslim Americans. “You’re not Muslim or American, you’re Muslim and American. And don’t grow cynical.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/02/03/president-obamas-mosque-visit-will-spotlight-a-new-generation-of-muslim-americans/


peace for ALL,
kp

[newfie11]

15. Your kidding right!

This is the most racist obnoxious post I've read in a long time.
These people did not start this mess in the Middle East, Bush DID.
All for oil.

Think about it! These people are Americans!!!

Because they dress differen has means nothing . You want the Amish gone too?

[malaise]

21. You can't help these people

Damn!

[pampango]

16. "Send them back where they came from. I don't care what they claim might happen to them over there,

it's not my problem."

Donald, is that you? Does "send them back where they came from" apply to whites, African Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans?

... a whole bunch of mouths to feed, people who need to be housed, more people to put a burden on our schools and healthcare service, and we just can't afford it.

Again, just Muslims or those other groups as well. If you are Native American, I can see where you are coming from. If not, "THEM" is in the eye of the beholder.

[Mendocino]

27. MIRT

[oberliner]

18. The photos are of women and children

That's not really a fair illustration.

[Rebkeh]

22. It is when Muslim women and children are vilified and attacked.

Need an example?

Ahmed Mohamed, for starters. Even Malala dealt with a lot of hate... (how can anybody hate Malala????) How about refugees fleeing the very people some accuse them of being?

Mosques with Muslim women and children in them have been vandalized, some women have had their hijabs ripped off their heads. We've seen this before - it's always the same pattern.

Have a seat.

Unless you're joking ... I can't tell if you're serious, it's such an absurd comment to make.

[oberliner]

36. Bigotry and fear do not emanate from pictures of smiling women and children

There are other images that one could post that might generate such a reaction.

That would apply to any group of people regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion.

[roguevalley]

39. oh god. just enjoy the picture. it would probably surprise you how many people in this

country wouldn't.

[oberliner]

42. It's a very cool picture

I do enjoy it.

[Mendocino]

24. I see three adult men clearly.

[TubbersUK]

26. Illustration of what ? n/t

[uppityperson]

33. Considering there are 4 men and 4 women in that photo, not really sure what your issue is

4 men, 4 women, 8 children seems like a "fair illustration" of family groupings.

[oberliner]

37. Different types of photos yield different types of reactions

Obviously a picture of smiling women and children displayed prominently in the foreground of the photo is not going to cause someone to be fearful.

There are other pictures that might have that effect - and this would apply to all sorts of people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, etc.

[SheilaT]

29. Any time you see pics of Obama with children,

they are looking at him with joyful glee. I have NEVER seen anyone else elicits such a wonderful response from people of any age. And it's every single time.

Plus, He's an absolute natural with babies and young children. He is perfectly at ease picking them up, can even comfort crying babies. Like this one:

[redwitch]

32. Looking at pics of Pres. Obama with babies and children lowers blood pressure.

He loves them and they can tell. It's really sweet.

[Beaverhausen]

45. I'm going to miss him

Michelle and the girls, too

[BrainDrain]

34. Because these are children.....

and one of them in an all-American cub scout uniform, that's why. What kind of reaction would you get say, if all those children were replaced with all men between the ages of 18 and 30? Or perhaps a group of women in burkas?

What kind of reaction would you ask for then?

This is propaganda...pure and simple.

[Bad Dog]

48. What about this group of men?

It's not propaganda, it's setting the record straight.

[smirkymonkey]

53. Quite funny!

Thanks for that!

[Bad Dog]

54. Thank you.

This one is by the same bloke. It looks like a Jihadi video, but it's not. I must admit I felt a bit uncomfortable at first, then there's a real twist and it's very funny.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017326945

[BrainDrain]

59. ahhh yes......

how truly representative.

That is the part of the problem..."ohhh look (fill in appropriate picture here) and how could they hate/dislike whatever...blah blah blah.

Seriously, I bet I could find a great vid of blond haired, blue-eyed folks singing in Swahili...and WTF would that prove?

Nothing actually..just like your vid.

[Bad Dog]

60. Which one?

Imran Yusuf is very funny. And he's all over Youtube.

[Demoiselle]

41. First I fell in love with the little boy with the book closest to the President..

Then I fell in love with everybody else. What a beautiful picture!

[tclambert]

46. Here's a smiling face to fear:

[mdbl]

47. that is his "another Bankruptcy in my businesses was just approved" smile

[pampango]

49. How? By using collective guilt. Some men who attend their churches (mosques) do very bad

things. Therefore, the people in this picture are guilty too.

[Bluenorthwest]

51. Those kids are cute!!! The Imam at that Mosque is a purveyor of hate speech against LGBT!!!!

Both things are true:

Imam Yaseen Shaikh:

“This whole subject of homosexuality in the public sphere…is no longer a religious issue, unfortunately, as much as we want to use the religious card and try to defeat this, now it’s become a politicized issue. Politicians are highly influenced by people who back them, and we find that these politicians who are calling for gay rights and marriage and supporting gay rights are lobbied and campaigned by gay activists, by gay groups. And they are throwing money at it left and right to gain some acceptance in society, to be considered normal people, to be treated normally. We have to counter the efforts that are taking place elsewhere. If our children are taught that homosexuality is okay, we have to teach them it’s not okay.”

Now kpete, that man clearly targets my family, myself and my community with denigrating speech he himself says is political and not spiritual. Do you really assert that LGBT people must not object to political attacks launched on us if the bigots have cute kids? Or if the bigots say 'God'?
I'd like to point out that the Bundy Gang has cute kids and says God all the time. Are they also super wonderful and not to be feared because of cute kids?
Would you post a photo of the adorable Sunday School Classes at Saddleback Church as a way to say 'do not fear Rick Warren'? How about the cute tots at Pat Robertson's place? Do those kids in some way mitigate Robertson or the adults there who are bigoted sexists? You seem to hold that thinking. I do not share that thinking.

[MH1]

58. Good post, important perspective.

If you took Hitler youth out of their uniforms, they were just cute kids.

And in any case it's not the kids, it's what they are being taught by the adults.

If these kids are in a religious environment that's teaching them hate, they can still be cute and even innocent, but that religious institution is a problem.

Still, I think it is appropriate for Obama to reach out to the Muslim community. Dialog will get us further than violence. But that doesn't mean we have to say everything in that picture is 100% wonderful.

[el_bryanto]

62. Could I get a link to that quote, please? nt

[blackspade]

52. A soulless Repub....

[closeupready]

55. Well, nice thought, but the filth which was (predictably) brought out here

puts paid to the fact that racism flourishes even here on DU.

[el_bryanto]

61. Flourishes might be a bit of a stretch

It seems like a few people argued with it; and many more people disagreed with it - at least one person got banned.

Also in fairness, a number of DUers don't object to the race of those pictured, but to their religion.

Bryant

[closeupready]

63. Yeah, that's fair.

Cheers.

[rwsanders]

56. Amazing picture!!

May disagree with policy and method, but no denying he is a great man. Proud of our prez.