Zogby: I am an Arab and a Decent Man
James Zogby: :John McCain: I Am an Arab and a Decent Man":
' We are disturbed by the degree to which 'Arab' has become the metaphorical mud to sling against your opponent. This week, for example the Republican Jewish Coalition released a document in which they use the term Pro-Arab as a pejorative accusation. For his part, Rush Limbaugh has joined in by declaring that Obama is in fact an Arab American. Then, on Friday, after a supporter called Senator Barak Obama "an Arab", Senator John McCain came to the defense of of his political opponent by saying, "No, ma'am. He's a decent family man and citizen..." From this we are left to infer that an Arab man is less then a "decent family man."'
posted by Juan Cole @ 10/12/2008 02:39:00 PM
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6 Comments:
Thank you for bringing needed attention to this issue Dr. Cole.
I have a suggestion for Sen. McCain: how about paying tribute to arab-americans that has served in uniform? How about reminding the crowds at your rallys that arabs, persians and many, many others have served and sacrificed for America?
How about it senator-how about letting their be NO doubt that you hold all people with the same regard?
We shall see.
From this we are left to infer that an Arab man is less then a "decent family man".
I think we are left to infer much worse.
It's unfortunate that the word Arab has become synonymous with: sinster, devious, savage, terrorist, enemy of America etc.
The massive propoganda campaign that was waged after 9/11 didn't help.
Instead of fessing up to the reality that American interference in the Middle east for decades and their support for Israel's treatment of Palestinians was the rootcause for 9/11, they decided to present a different picture which most people bought hook, line and sinker.
Shame...
I simply cannot believe that more has not been made of McCain's response. Politicians spend their lifetimes studying and crafting their words so they can make their point precisely. Are we to believe that a United States Senator doesn't know that the words he chose to correct this woman indicate that the opposite of "Arab" is "decent"? Granted, it might have been a mistake but linguistic mistakes that alienate entire ethnic groups are unacceptable. John McCain has neither the aptitude nor the composure to be the next President of the United States.
“Just a few months ago, at the onset of this campaign, Bridget, now 16, summoned Mr. McCain’s aides and asked them to explain in detail what had happened in South Carolina, and to give assurances that it would not happen again.”
“Mrs. McCain was also unsure about another run. The ultimate decision was in her hands, she said, and she was deeply influenced by the feelings of Bridget, who only learned about the events of 2000 when she Googled herself last year.”
Their (blonde) daughter, Meghan McCain, now makes regular appearances on the campaign trail, and maintains a presence on the 'net via her blog.
Their Bangladeshi daughter, ‘Bridget McCain’... has no Wiki.
I am glad that someone has finally called out John McCain and his supporter for these racial slurs, both on the part of the ignorant woman asking the question and McCain himself. As they have done every presidential election since 1964 (with the possible exception of Gerald Ford's run in 1976), the Republican party has based much of its campaign on subtle racism which is often not even evident to those unaware of such code words. If McCain were truly a man of honor, he would have said something to the effect that Obama's father was from Kenya and his mother was a white lady from Kansas, and by the way, millions of people of Arab descent are patriotic American citizens.
Here's the irony: the US needs the Arabs, with their trillions in sovereign funds and the Gulf military basis, more than ever before. The Arabs, on the other hand, do not need the Americans in any way and have the Chinese; Russians; and French begging for better ties. Clever Americans, or what?
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