Ignoramus woman on Cleveland news: "I think he's an Arab"

[Berry Cool]

OK. I admit I try to make a habit of not watching the local Channel 19 "Action News," or any local news for that matter, but I happened to be switching channels and there you have it. I stopped on some woman at some cookout somewhere who was attempting to explain why she wouldn't vote for Barack Obama. She was spewing all the usual spam email nonsense--he won't say the Pledge of Allegiance, he won't put his hand over his heart when the anthem plays, etc.

The reporter, of course, said nothing to all this. Nothing.

Then she wound it all up with: "I don't think he's a real American. I think he's an Arab."

I cannot tell you how big my sigh is.

Watching people like this spout off just makes me want to throw things.

[dkf]

1. That is why reintroducing him will be very important.

[lonestarnot]

2. Makes me want to throw things at them.

[givemebackmycountry]

3. Well, you are after all in Ohio...

That woman should be asked if she remembers John Elway.
Because she's about to experience that kind of heartbreak all over again.

And I'll laugh my ass off just like I did in back in the 80's.

McCain = Schottenhiemer.

[Berry Cool]

5. Please. I experience just as much pain thinking about that as she does

if not more.

I look at it this way. I'm more worried about McCain resembling Elway. You know...going through most of a game thinking "This is it, I can't believe it, we're gonna make it"...and then...

No. Can't go there again.

[Bluebear]

4. And don't tell me - she pronounced it AY-rab.

[Berry Cool]

9. Actually, surprisingly, no.

But her voice did have that little bit of southern Ohio country twang that West Virginians and Kentuckians have to a deeper degree. The one I really try and try as a northern Ohioan NOT to be prejudiced against, because I know not all southern Ohioans think as she does. But I have to admit that 90 percent of the time when you hear people up here spouting that kind of shit, their origins are from somewhere further south in the state.

[Buzz Clik]

6. Arab? Hm.

She doesn't read much. Or even listen to the news.

Damn.

[Dorian Gray]

27. Or even look at him...

he's obviously not ethnically ARAB.

The idiocy of the world astounds me sometimes.

[Buzz Clik]

33. Which of these men is an Arab?

[Dorian Gray]

36. Not Barak Obama

[Clark2008]

35. Well, you sound a bit uninformed yourself

Yes... there are dark Arabs - consider those from the Sudan or Egypt:





Being "Arabic" isn't determined by your skin color, but by where you live and whether you were a descendant of Shem, the son of Noah (most Jews also were descended from him, as well).

[Dorian Gray]

37. I know that there is such a thing as Afro-Arabian

However, most people, like the woman being interviewed on the news, interchange Arabic with Muslim. Since Obama is neither, I suspect that her ignorance is more than mine. Obama's family history is not from Northern Arabic Africa, in which there is a lot of prejudice between the various tribes. Sudan has hundreds of ethnic tribes there, and while many of the Muslims are of Arabic background, many of them have also intermarried with other tribes. Certainly not all Sudanese, Libyans or Algerians are considered Semitic descendants of Shem, so it has more to do than with where one lives, as well.

But, of course, through descendancy and racial miscegenation, not all Arabs have the skin color. That was short-sighted on my part.

[hobbit709]

7. It's idiots like that give me a reason to deny the vote

to anyone that can't solve an elementary logic problem.

[Berry Cool]

11. Well, that's not the kind of country we live in.

Please, let's not forget that literacy tests and other kinds of tests were used for years to deny African Americans the vote.

Here, we let any citizen vote, educated or not, literate or not. Sometimes it makes you grind your teeth to see how ignorant they can be, but at least there's a cure for ignorance. There is no cure for stupidity.

What bothers me is not the people who are told the emails are lies and say "Wow, I didn't know that." They were ignorant and were cured. What bothers me is the ones who are told the truth and say "Well, I still don't think that's true. It's my opinion that..." and spout off the crap.

That kind of person cannot tell a fact from an opinion, and is stupid. And stupid isn't curable.

Either that, or so prejudiced that they'll never see anything any other way from how they want to see it.

[hobbit709]

13. I said logic problem, not literacy test

If your synapses aren't firing well enough to use basic logic, you have a problem. It's like the low water crossings around here-I call them IQ tests-is you or is you not smart enough to stay alive.

[Berry Cool]

17. I'd agree, but I guess logic tests would be as bad as any other test.

Essentially, this country tells you that as long as you're a citizen and a mirror fogs when held under your nostrils, you're qualified to vote.

[Ghost Dog]

19. I thought "having your papers in order" (with photo)

and registering yourself (rather than being automatically registered) is now required in many parts (plus, not having done even minimal jailtime, being able to get the time off work, tolerate the queues, etc)? Plenty of impediments (for the more underpriviliged), I thought (from watching closely here last time, and since)... Not to mention the machines, lack of documentary evidence, recounts...

[Berry Cool]

26. Yeah, but the first of them are self-imposed.

Only the machines, etc., are problems forced upon us by the Repugs to disenfranchise people.

[hobbit709]

25. That may be the reason the repukes keep getting elected.

There's too many people that can't count past ten unless they're barefoot.

[Gabi Hayes]

8. please contact the station and ask them to allow YOU on the air for a rebuttal. at very least,

demand they offer a correction to such garbage

not that Ohio is an important state or anything

[Median Democrat]

10. Ask Conservatives - Which Candidate Was Born In America?

And who was born in a foreign country. Before they answer, offer them a dollar if they guess right. John McCain was born in Panama on a military base. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii.

[Berry Cool]

12. Wouldn't do any good.

These kinds of people probably don't know Hawaii is a state.

[Median Democrat]

14. True, Guess We Shouldn't Profit Off Ignorance

Plus, they would probably just insist that Panama was a state.

[DogPoundPup]

15. That right leaning station tried their very best to smear Kucinich too

Go ahead and give 'em a good lashing ... http://www.woio.com/Global/story.asp?S=149455&nav=menu68_9

Honest, fair, everywhere is their motto ... riiiiiiiiiiiight.

[Berry Cool]

18. "Honest, fair, everywhere" is their version of "Fair and Balanced."

They're really the local sensationalist station. The one first to go for blood, guts and nudity whenever possible. You know you have them on when you hear a teaser like "Your underwear can kill you! Story at 11!" or "How just breathing in and out can endanger your children!" or "What it's REALLY like to be a stripper!" and it's not even sweeps month.

[OwnedByFerrets]

16. Same thing happened in W. Virginia.....

after the primary there. But in this case the reporter did correct her and say that he wasnt a Muslim and her response was..... I dont believe you. Nothing will convince these idiots.

[Maraya1969]

20. It would be great if you could write an email to the news about this

[ccharles000]

21. ...

My grandma says she does not like Obama because he was born in Africa. I tried to tell her you can not run for POTUS if you are not born here. She told me to shut up.

[and-justice-for-all]

22. Dumb....nt

[BeeBoppinLula]

23. like we couldn't see this coming from a mile away, and there's more where that came from.

Obama IS a muslim, as far as many people are concerned, and that number will only get larger, not smaller.

[Douglas Carpenter]

24. "I'm not voting for him because he's a Muslim and I don't like his Pastor..and why didn't he leave

his church earlier?" ---

[Richard Steele]

32. Why would that number get larger? Please explain.

[zanne]

34. WTF are you talking about?

Obama IS a Muslim? And the number of people who think that will only get larger? Are you planning on spreading that lie?

[DFW]

28. You think that is bad?

I was in a hotel breakfast room in Brussels last month, and the TV had CNN on,
and there was an American mother telling her daughter, when Obama's face came
on the screen, "well, his name is Hussein, of course he's a Muslim" or something
to that effect.

Willful, malevolent ignorance. Not easy to combat, and not easy to correct.

[ourbluenation]

29. why are so many du'rs apologetic about watching tv news?

[Lex]

30. because it's largely infotainment and it is often incorrect

just for starters

[ourbluenation]

31. but why the need to apologize and make disclaimers when they watch it?

besides, two bits says most du'rs watch tv news more than they will admit. but they often open up there posts with "I just happened to be flipping channels and caught Tweety". It's so silly.