Chan Lowe: The Obama Muslim hoax
Those of us who have heard the story are reminded of the famous Halloween hoax of 1938, when Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre of the Air broadcast a production of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. The radio play, disguised as a series of perfervid news reports, was so realistic that many Americans, actually believing they were under attack from extraterrestrials, packed up what they could and attempted to escape. Wells made a disclaimer at the beginning and the end, but many chose not to hear it.
This just proves, once again, that people will swallow anything if they’re scared enough. The year 1938 was a time of uncertainty and fear, just like 2010. The Great Depression had been grinding on for almost a decade, and as if that weren’t enough, Hitler looked poised to take over the world—at least all there was of it on the other side of the Atlantic.
Just substitute radical Islam (to a lot of ignorant people, the term is a redundancy) for the Nazis, and you have a vile-smelling brew of deception simmering on the current stove of state.
It does not help that there are opportunists out there willing to stoke the fires of hatred for their own immediate gain, whether it’s to win an election in a couple of months or to attract more listeners and viewers to their radio and TV shows.
What they are doing by taking advantage of the fears of those who don’t know any better is tearing holes in this nation’s fabric that will take a long time to mend, certainly longer than the span of our lifetimes.
All of us—liberals, progressives, moderates, and conservatives—rallied behind President Bush after 9/11. There were aspects to the man many of us didn’t like, but he was our leader, and we were smart enough and scared enough to know that we needed one, for better or worse.
We need one just as desperately now. Why is it so hard for some of us to accept the man who was duly elected by a majority of the people?
CHAN LOWE has been the Sun Sentinel’s first and only editorial cartoonist for the past twenty-six years. Before that, he worked as cartoonist and writer for the Oklahoma City Times and the Shawnee (OK) News-Star.
Comments
Mr. Lowe,
One word - racsicm
Posted by: DP | August 24, 2010 4:15 PM
Hey, he must be a Muslim for the teabagger types. Consider their logic:
They hate and fear Muslims.
They hate and fear Obama.
Ergo, Obama is Muslim.
Q.E.D.
Posted by: Felix | August 24, 2010 4:38 PM
The flaw in your logic is that we do not rally around a President who's policies are a total disaster.He has very weak advisors , a very large ego and absolutely no executive abilities.He needs to get a few business people to advise him and then ,and I know this is hard for him , but listen and understand that he has no business sense, so cut costs and help business generate jobs. Mr Lowe , people like me will always respect the office of the President of the USA , but not the terrible policies of the current person who holds the office.
Posted by: pallidin | August 24, 2010 5:01 PM
Mr. Lowe I think you have made a great point. I consider you to be very astute.
Unfortunately for many people, if its on tv it must be true. When ya think about it, the tube is a very efficient medium for programming malleable minds:
You get the spotless announcer spewing raw data, you have the ticker tape at the bottom of the screen spewing raw data, and you have an active backround with moving images and messages spewing raw data - all waiting to be collated by your numbed brain while you wait in line at the Dunkin Donuts.
Posted by: A1ACharles | August 24, 2010 8:20 PM
1st...Lmao @ DP..."One word - racsicm"...great job w/ that one word...sounds like a Bush quote.
2nd...contrary to the liberal mindset that obama's numbers are down because racists think he's muslim is a complete joke. i...and none of my many conservative friends couldnt care less what god he does or doesnt pray to. we dont hate him...we just completely disagree w/ him. how are we possibly a racist country when he won the election so easily?
our economy is on it's hands & knees (let the "bush's fault" chorus start singing here) and instead of helping it up...he & the DNC are throwing backpacks full of rocks on it's back.
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill
i will not miss this rookie president
Posted by: Plantation Dad | August 25, 2010 1:12 AM
We all enjoy sitting around with our professor, having some wine or weed on his deck, and hearing about his take on the world. We realize that has nothing to do with the real world.
Many are alarmed,( in the OH MY GOD sense). that we sent a minor league player to the Major :Leagues.
Posted by: Joe | August 25, 2010 3:18 AM
@Plantation Dad
You don't seem to know the "liberal" argument, whether you agree with it or not. Perhaps you should listen better. Who has claimed that Obama's numbers are down because of racism or implications that he is a Muslim? Please post a link.
The point of this article is the demagoguery and fear-mongering, which is easily demonstrable. Everyone of good conscience should be refuting these claims.
The president's numbers are down, as well as just about every other politician, because our economy sucks right now and people are afraid. Had McCain won, we would be in the same mess. It will take time to get out of it.
Posted by: MavynFL | September 15, 2010 11:23 AM
I find it curious as to why so many people proclaim that Obama follows a different religion then he claims he does. Is it supposed to be insulting for someone to say "Oh, he's not a Christian"? It appears that the only group who insists he isn't Christian, are... well... Christians. This appears to be bad business. If you're in the business of converting people over to your faith, and you still claim that a man baptized 30 years ago isn't Christian enough, wouldn't that deter other members from wanting to join your club for the simple fact that they may never measure up to some invisible standard?
Regardless of your political opinion, Ann Coulter is a world-class turd.
Posted by: matt | September 15, 2010 11:48 AM