Obama is "heckled" about the Pledge of Allegiance

Dear friends,

Yesterday (8/5/08), in Berea, Ohio, Senator Barack Obama was skillfully set up by a terrorist who identified himself as "John Q. Public". The man displayed "press credentials" and appeared to be taking photographs throughout Senator Obama's "town hall" meeting...

This is going to be a tactic from now until November. Mr. Obama should "nip it in the bud", as it were, before it becomes a distraction like the ones that Hillary Clinton used during the primaries to manipulate voters (e.g., the "bitter remark" and Michelle's "I'm proud of my country for the first time"). If the "heckler" was so concerned about liberty, then why did he use phony press credentials? It was a blatant act of terrorism.

Additionally, of the thousands of "hit and run" drivers in this country, who cumulatively kill thousands of innocent people each year, how many have "pledged allegiance"? How many of the thieves of today have pledged allegiance? How many politicians who have been indicted for crimes while still in office pledge allegiance? How many pedophiles have pledged allegiance? What does pledging allegiance mean, if you are treating your neighbor badly? Have many executives of US "multinational" corporations who outsource work away from American workers pledge allegiance? Do the executives of the oil companies pledge allegiance? Do the actuaries of the insurance companies pledge allegiance? Do the executives of the "health care" conglomorates pledge allegiance? How about the executives who control the food and automobile industries? Do they pledge allegiance? And, if so, to whom - or what? Moreover, who is under the illusion that pledging allegiance makes you a good citizen? There is absolutely no connection between pledging allegiance and/or saluting the American flag, or wearing a flag pin on one's lapel - and being patriotic. Duh?

Anyone can say that he or she believes in whatever he or she chooses, but how does that reflect his or her behavior? How many mass murderers, conveniently, believe in "God", once they are on death row? How many citizens who "pledge allegiance" either have wronged or are still wronging African American, Asian, and Latino men and ALL women, much less Early American Native peoples?

As well, it is both a false abstraction and a distraction, if not deceitful, to suggest that Senator Obama has no "allegiance" to our country and is, therefore, unpatriotic, for not leading a town hall meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, when the person who was inquiring did not even have the integrity and decency to reveal his true identity. Besides, if the Pledge of Allegiance, in and of itself, is such a sign of conformity to societal values, it sure does not seem to help much.

Below is a link to the Associated Press report about the incident. I have been to town hall meetings before, right here in New England where they began, and, although maybe they do - it has been a long time for me - I do not recall ever hearing anyone leading with the Pledge of Allegiance, in order to open such a forum.

"Dare to struggle - dare to win!" - Frederick Douglass

G. Djata Bumpus
http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA_HECKLER?SITE=NYNYP&SECTION=HOME