Help! My mom and I arguing about Obama and I need an answer.

[LiberalHeart]

She heard on the radio that Obama is going to form an army or militia or something if he's elected. WTF is that?

[MissMillie]

did you ask here where she heard it?

and did you ask her whether or not she actually checked it out to see if what she heard was true?

Tell her not to be lazy. She can't just believe everything she hears... if she wants to be truly informed, she has to verify stuff....

[LiberalHeart]

5. She's 92 and blind. She listens to Glenn Beck. She can't use a computer.

She just told me if Obama is elected there'll be no more talk radio.

[wryter2000]

11. Tell her that's a lie

Obama isn't going to eliminate the 1st Amendment. Tell her that's something rw radio liars are saying to scare people.

[Virginia Dare]

27. What's Obama going to do to talk radio?...

mom needs a check-up take her to her doctor and let him/her know she's suffering from delusions and paranoia. She also needs another hobby, turn on NPR, or get her some books on tape.

[YOY]

1. Whatever the hell she's listening to is bullshit.

If she buys it I don't know what to tell you save googling the DJ's salary and pointing out that he sure make a lot of money for someone telling "the truth".

[klyon]

45. It was Bush that formed the private army called Blackwater

hopefully their government contracts will be ended in Jan

How did I get on top of this thread?

[CJCRANE]

2. Is she listening to Alex Jones?

[liberalmuse]

3. Crazy right wing talk.

It is a bold-faced like that the wingnuts have been spreading around.

[lojack]

4. Last I heard...

...America already has an army.

[niyad]

14. yes, and part of it has been stationed here for "civil unrest", etc.

welcome to DU, by the way

[lojack]

23. Thanks!

Very hospitable around here!

[wryter2000]

15. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[CJCRANE]

6. Tell her you saw on the internet

that McCain is really supervillain "The Penguin" in disgiuse.

[Danieljay]

7. Mom. I love you. But if you believe that you are BATSHIT CRAZY! N/T

[LiberalHeart]

12. I do tell her that, but she thinks I'm getting all my info from people with their minds made up.

[niyad]

17. as opposed to all the reichwingnuts who also have their minds made up?

[wryter2000]

8. Ask her for her sources

You can't prove a negative. In other words, you can't prove that Obama isn't going to do X. You can only say that there's no evidence he is. She needs to tell you what evidence she's going on.

You might mention that Bush has already stationed an army unit in the US. Ask her if she's confused Obama with Bush. :)

[niyad]

9. maybe this is what she heard--in a very twisted way, of course:

Obama Forms Internet Militia To Combat The Non Believers of Change
A crack team of cybernauts will form a rapid response internet �war room� to track and respond aggressively to online rumours that Barack Obama is unpatriotic and a Muslim.

As he gears up for his general election fight against John McCain, Mr Obama and his chief advisers are aware of the danger of such rumours, amid polling data showing that a significant number of Americans believe he is a Mu More..

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3bf_1213137954

or maybe you can ask her if THIS is what she means:

McCain Supporters Suggest That They Will Form Militias To Kill Barack Obama: Are you aware that there will be a lot of angry people after election day?
John McCain created these monsters
http://www.sodahead.com/question/179109/mccain-supporters-suggest-that-they-will-form-militias-to-kill-barack-obama-are-you-aware-that-there-will-be-a-lot-of-angry-people-after-election-day/?link=samf

[uppityperson]

13. Excellent! that is great!

[wryter2000]

18. Rumours?

Just look at the extra u. RumoUrs. That's fern. The OP can't tell his/her red-white-and-blue mama that. :sarcasm:

[uppityperson]

10. The USA has an army, he is going to make sure they are used properly and not misused and hurt like t

they have been. He will actually support the vets also.

[orwell]

16. Ask her how that makes sense...

...if Colin Powell endorses Obama?

Is Colin Powell in on the overthrow plan along with Warren Buffet and Paul Volcker?

[dorkulon]

19. Maybe this?

Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday advocated a major expansion of the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and other national service programs, saying "This will be a cause of my presidency."

The Illinois senator said that the government is not keeping pace with those who want to serve. "We will create new opportunities for all of us to serve," he said at a rally at Cornell College.

Obama evoked the memory of President John F. Kennedy and his Peace Corps volunteers. "JFK made their service a bridge to the developing world," he said.

His plan would:

—Expand AmeriCorps from its current 75,000 positions to 250,000, with new units to deal with education, clean energy, health care and homeland security.

—Expand service programs involving retired individuals and those over age 55.

— Double the size of the Peace Corps from its current 7,800 volunteers to 16,000 by its 50th anniversary in 2012.

— Set goals for middle-school and high-school students to serve 50 hours a year of public service, and for college students to serve 100 hours a year.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,315361,00.html

These guys will twist anything. But if your mom listens to Glenn Beck, etc., why even bother?

[justiceischeap]

20. Right-wingers are taking it out of context from the following speech:

They are taking it from this:

Obama said as president, he's calling for more people to join the military and increase ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines.

"The burden of service has fallen exclusively on to the backs of our military -- and their families -- who have endured tour after tour of duty bravely and brilliantly, even though they haven't always gotten the care and support they have earned," Obama said.

"The men and women of our military -- from Fort Carson to Peterson Air Force base, from the Air Force Academy to the ROTC students here on campus -- have signed up at a time when our troops face an ever-increasing load. Fighting a resurgent Taliban. Targeting al Qaeda. Persevering in the deserts and cities of Iraq. Training foreign militaries. Delivering humanitarian relief. In this young century, our military has answered when called, even as that call has come too often. Through their commitment, their capability, and their courage they have done us all proud.

"But we need to ease the burden on our troops, while meeting the challenges of the 21st century. That's why I will call on a new generation of Americans to join our military, and complete the effort to increase our ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines.

Obama said in his speech that he's not just asking for votes but service and active citizenship if he is elected as president.

"Just as we must value and encourage military service across our society, we must honor and expand other opportunities to serve. Because the future of our nation depends on the soldier at Fort Carson, but it also depends on the teacher in East LA, the nurse in Appalachia, the after-school worker in New Orleans, the Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, and the Foreign Service officer in Indonesia. Americans have shown that they want to step up," Obama said.

Obama said he would expand the Peace Corps, Americorps and USA Freedom Corps, and start a new Energy Corps. He also said he would ask veterans to help other veterans find jobs and services, and to help military families.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/16768499/detail.html?rss=den&psp=news

[AlCzervik]

21. tell her that is incorrect and i really hope your mom takes your word over a rw

hate radio host.

[Jackpine Radical]

22. Do your mom a favor. Put her radio on Air America

and remove the tuning knob.

[brendan120678]

24. Is she thinking of the following Obama statement?

"We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

Of course, I don't even know if he ever even said that. It's right-wing blogs that attribute that to him.

[AngryAmish]

25. Less arguing, more crushing.

[bainz]

26. Civilian National Security Force?

Perhaps she is referring the the Civilian National Security Force BO brought up in a speech.

[LiberalHeart]

28. So how does that work in his vision? What would it do? Who'd staff it?

[bainz]

29. I have no idea...

I have no idea. The quote posted by brendan120678 is accurate. You can google or youtube it for video. However, it is open to interpretation, IMO. Was he referring to some sort of privatized army, or stating that we need to pump more cash in existing civilian programs. I guess we will find out on tuesday :-)

[rvablue]

32. Funny how this right wing meme caught your attention and not the post 6 up

that explained how the right wing nutjobs are using a call to national service by Obama and twisting to make it look like he is forming some kind of private militia.

if you did what they guy above said and googled his reference, you would find the only people talking about this are the same crazie wingers who think Obama wasn't born in the US.

[justiceischeap]

35. I went through all that trouble to find the actual quote and what they find is the wing-nut talking

point and seemed to ignore my fact-based reality... sheesh. ;)

[LiberalHeart]

38. Trust me, it was not ignored. It was appreciated. It led me to a lot of info via google.

But I didn't see this post as related, given the words used.

[justiceischeap]

41. It's more important to know the REAL quote than the reconstituted stuff the wrong-wing

Spouts, that way you can go to your mom and say, "Okay, what he really said is this and what they are saying is this."

Good luck with your moms! ;)

[LiberalHeart]

42. Thanks. The problem is, that link went to a video that shows Obama speaking...

Thus, I'm left wondering about the words he chose. I want to have all the ammo I need when I get back to Mom. I did read her what you posted, though, and I could tell it was making her reconsider what she'd heard. I went to sites for the various organizations and read to her what they do.

Edited to add: By "that link" I mean the one other than yours.

[LiberalHeart]

36. You're out of line. I read that post and read it to my mom. But this one...

...used different terminology and I wanted to know what it meant. I googled it and the other one, so go peddle your insinuations somewhere else.

[rvablue]

30. Why did you passively reference this right wing meme? n/t

[bdamomma]

31. say no mom that was is still is bush.

[madaboutharry]

33. I don't know what this is about, but

someone said something like this to me when I was calling "undecided" voters at the phone bank. No one in the campaign office could figure out what the hell this person was talking about. My suspicion is that it is coming from some right wing jerk like Limbaugh or Savage.

[Matt_in_STL]

34. Here is a link....

I have been having a back and forth with my brother and brother-in-law on our family website and the brought up Obama's
"million man army". I hadn't heard anything of this so I hit Google and it looks like this is the new issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXvLWB_NLKE&feature=related

I personally don't see anything wrong with this and haven't found another mention anywhere of him using this terminology.

[LiberalHeart]

37. Odd that's called chilling. Didn't chill me. I'd like to see the details of what he's proposing.

[Matt_in_STL]

39. Exactly

I would like to see any details as well but I have been unable to find another mention of this in any speech or documenting of his platform anywhere. My guess is this may have been just a slightly confusing choice of words but certainly not chilling.

[LiberalHeart]

40. It may be the community service and service to other countries mentioned above.

[rucky]

43. She must be terrified!

sweet jesus.

[TWiley]

44. Wrong, dead wrong ..... butt close

The malita is a hard-core conservative christian group and most branches are closely related to the survivalist movement. Remember, this is the group that spawned domestic right-wing terrorist Timothy McViegh.

Google Christian Identity movement then Google Pat Buchanan. You will notice that Right Wingnut Buchanan and co-chair Christian Identity preacher Larry Pratt framed the malita to be the bulwark against "anti-christian government" during Buchanan's 1996 - 2004 presidential bids.

The malita movement may grow if Obama is elected, but this will be done by the right wing fruitcakes who bombed the Oklahoma city building. They will be organized against Obama.