The Obama Drama – Part 2

In our previous installment we discussed what happened when my partner’s much loved, yet very Republican grandmother sent out a very negative email about Barack Obama.

I was, naturally, appalled. But I had no idea the drama that would spring from this.

First, Partner’s step-aunt replied-all…

This is racist and a disgusting kind of email….!!
Please don’t send me these kinds of email.

I thought this was all that needed to be said, so I simply replied-all with “Seconded,” and I thought that would be the end of it. Partner tends towards humour in order to deal with prickly situations and so replied-all with:

For a little context, I think this is where that photo probably came from…
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545465,BSX-News-wotreew09.article

and here are some his family photos… along with some adorable ones of him when he was a child.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=512430&in_page_id=1811

but as for my own humble opinion, I’d rather have him in the white house than this turkey…
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushturkeypardon.htm

What a turkey!

This sparked the following exchange. I’m in plain and Antagonist is in bold. Later emails from Partner will be in Italic.

ANTAGONIST(reply all)
We find it also offensive at the constant attacks on President Bush! He is a man of integrity and honor. To each his own, but keep it to yourself. Try a CHANGE and be kind to people!

Contrarian (reply all):

The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.
Thomas Jefferson

Click Here All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
Thomas Jefferson

Not all the treasures of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it, and to “bind me in all cases whatsoever” to his absolute will, am I to suffer it?
Thomas Paine

It is your opinion that Bush is “a man of integrity and honor” but it is mine that he is a tyrant, chipping away at our civil liberties, actively denying civil rights to others, and promoting an unjust and illegal war of aggression. Some may argue that we were threatened with attack, and I have no quarrel with the decision to invade Afghanistan. Iraq is a different matter, and we have entrenched ourselves in a quagmire that will be incredibly difficult to extract ourselves from honorably.

We have a difference of opinion on this matter, and we both have a right to speak out. As Americans it is our right and our duty to express our positions and to openly and actively criticize where we see injustice and/or poor governance.

That said, I didn’t see you speaking up when Obama was unjustly criticized for a photo taken with the African side of his family 20 years ago. The implication was that his dark skinned relatives would run amok in the White House and influence policy like the Clinton family. Putting aside that these people were being judged for the color of their skin rather than the content of their character, it also ignored the context of a photo of a young man being reunited with a family he’d never known. All it did was make judgments based on appearances.

This is a far graver offense than Partner calling the president a ‘turkey” and including a humorous photo. Satire is alive and well and vital to a healthy democracy, no matter who it’s directed against. To go off on a “Shut up about it” screed and have a temper tantrum when a far more grievous attack is on the table, shows a peculiar misalignment of priorities which speaks more against your own character than anything anyone else could say. Feel free to speak up.

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
Voltaire

-Contrarian

ANTAGONIST (reply all)
Give me a break. I didn’t send the “Obama” e-mail, we were a victim of the poor judgment of mass forwarding. Perhaps, you should go back to the source. But, does it make it a more honorable decision to criticize the cruel intents of one e-mail with another slandering our President? I still mean keep it to yourself–I don’t want to see any negativity about anyone unless it’s productive. Name calling is not productive!!! Yes, President Bush is a man of integrity and honor, even though you may not agree, many Americans do! Only time will tell if Obama, Rodham-Clinton, or McCain if elected President will live up to your standards of honor…..seems like you’re the one having the temper tantrum.

Contrarian (reply all – Last public reply)
My point was that you ignored a slander on one person and spoke up over a joke about another. The fact that you are politically aligned with one is what prompted you to speak up in his defense, even though the other attack was more negative, more insulting.

Hoo boy… It looks like them Duke Boys have gotten themselves into quite a pickle! It only gets better from here. The next few emails will be from a personal exchange, as I decided to stop replying to the entire thread. No need to flame innocent bystanders.