Jewish World Review March 28, 2008 / 21 Adar II 5768

Preponderance of evidence

By Greg Crosby

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | As spring unfolds and blossoms bloom, a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love. However, an old writer's fancy turns to thoughts of interesting political news tidbits - some of which I will share you now concerning one of our presidential candidates.

We've been hearing all about Barack Obama's racist, hate-spewing preacher, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, in the last couple of weeks. As a matter of fact, I wrote a column on him long before those videos surfaced on television. After a 20 year close personal relationship with the man, there's no question in my mind that Obama knew very well what his minister believed in and accepted his anti-Semitic, America-hating attitude and dogma. Racial grievance religion, it is called.

To site just one of his many diatribes, right after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Rev. Wright said, "White America got a wake-up call. (…) White America and the Western world came to realize that people of color had not gone away, faded into the woodwork or just disappeared as the Great White West kept on its merry way of ignoring black concerns."

The brouhaha over the reverend, by itself, as heinous as it is, might not have amounted to all that much, but when you take into account some of the other anti-American bits and pieces that have poked up over the past few months on Obama, it starts to add up. Consider:

Obama chooses not to wear an American flag lapel pin. That by itself is no big deal; lots of good patriotic Americans don't wear American flag pins. The thing about Obama is, he seems to be "proud" that he doesn't wear one. For a presidential candidate to take this position is odd, to say the least. When asked about it he said the following: "That (the flag pin) became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security. I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead, I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism."

And not wearing an American flag pin isn't the only way Obama chooses to show he's a different kind of presidential candidate. Take a look at the photo from the October 1, 2007 edition of "Time Magazine." It shows Obama, Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson at the Steak Fry of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) on September 17 in Indianola, IA during (according to the photo caption) the National Anthem. Richardson and Clinton have their hands on their heart. But not Obama. Does he perhaps believe that, like wearing the flag pin, the hand on the heart isn't "true patriotism"?

When the national anthem is played and the flag is displayed, all people present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. This is something we've all learned from grade school and it actually is stated in the U.S. Code, title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171. But I guess it's just another thing that Obama doesn't feel strongly about.

Then of course there are the statements made by Obama'a wife, Michelle. She said (twice) that she had never been proud of her country until its people began to support her husband. Here is one of her quotes verbatom: "What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback. And let me tell you something -- for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues, and it's made me proud."

Obama says he doesn't agree with the Rev. Wright about everything. Okay. And maybe he doesn't agree with his wife either. And maybe he just doesn't feel all that comfortable wearing an American flag pin. Or putting his hand on his heart and reciting the pledge of allegiance. Maybe Obama really is "a new kind of American politician." One who isn't all that patriotic. That would really be a change for America, wouldn't it? - electing a president of the United States who doesn't show his love for his country. That should go down nicely overseas, don't you think?