Sobering Sights II

Here in Auckland, it's another fine spring morning - lilies on the bank in Albert Park, wisteria blooming outside the High Court. Students are walking along Prince Street, on their way to nine AM lectures. It's Monday morning, but I can hear more bird noise than traffic noise.

In Missouri, home state of T. Middy, some people are putting up billboards like this one in West Plains.

[Photo by Melissa McEntire / West Plains Daily Quill]

This disgusts me. Like the YouTube video of a woman at a McCain rally in Minnesota, saying she wouldn't vote for Osama because he's an Arab. (McCain corrected her, but afterwards when she was interviewed, she insisted that she had proof of his Arabness.) Like the video of a man in Pennsylvania lining up to see Palin speak: he was carrying a Curious George the Monkey toy, dressed in a paper Obama hat. He said the monkey's name was Lil Hussein. Later, because the camera was still on him, he seemed to grow uncomfortable. He removed the Obama hat, and gave the monkey to a nearby child.

(During our long drives along the eastern side of Missouri, we pass a billboard that just reads JE.SUS. I've often wondered what the hysterical, outraged reaction would be if someone paid for a billboard reading, say, ALL.AH, or maybe "Je.sus loved the Mid.dle Ea.st," with an illustration of him in "terr.orist" clothes. The right to free speech might not be quite as popular. One of our friends in Iowa had done the same drive many times, and explained to us the meaning of the billboard: he says it comes about the time you're thinking, Je.sus, I've been driving forever and I'm still in Missouri?)

This video is of people on their way into a McCain rally in Pennsylvania, trading abuse with protesting "commie faggots" and "European socialists" across the street. It's interesting to note how many people suggest moving to Rus.sia as an alternative for Obama supporters. Don't they know how un-socialist Russ.ia is these days? Haven't they heard that Moscow is the most expensive city in the world? Personally, I miss the old days. You know, the days of segregation and McCarthyism, when Moscow was cheap and the US was rich, and That One wasn't around to cause the global financial crisis.

Comments

[Melissa Muirhead]

I just can't get over that billboard. There are no words to adequately describe how can it be that such ignorance exists. The more this campaign goes on the more I shake my head in disbelief and horror. Makes our NZ elections seem rather tame.

[TLB]

Well you know, it's no longer enough in America to disagree with the guy you're not voting for, you also have to make him Public Enemy Number One. It goes on on both sides but is particularly disgusting against Obama because of the racist overtones.

[Brando]

It's like they're auditioning for the townspeople in Blazing Saddles.

[Graham Beattie]

Sobering indeed. However I am continuing to wear my Obama baseball cap wherever I go around Auckland and many come up to me and say positive things about THE MAN.