If you find Michele Obama's statement offensive, then you should not vote for her for President.

Following your logic, should I reject Hillary because her husband is a serial adulterer who lied to a grand jury?

Vote for Hillary or Barack, but let's stay focused on the important issues: the occupation of Iraq, our government's use of torture, the recession, the destruction of our military, the shameful treatment of our veterans, the use of the Justice Department for partisan political prosecutions, our government's illegal spying on citizens, tax cuts for the rich at the expense of the rest of us....

I appreciate that you have the right to vote for whoever rocks you, for whatever reason. But, before you criticize Michelle Obama for saying that she is finally "Proud" of her country, ask yourself this question: Based on this country's actions as it relates to minorities, women, other nations; in the last say, 30 years, how much are you proud of? Before we get so nationalistic we must remember, one can love a child, but not necessarily be proud of that child's actions. The same is true for a country. I am proud to be an American, I am not however, proud of bombing innocent Iraqi's, sending 18 year old boys off to die, voting a president into office who is clearly an idiot, ignoring the genocide of millions in Africa, attempts at limiting the biological rights of women, murdering students on the campus of Kent State, making healthcare unaffordable, criminalizing who one loves, lack of separation of church and state, criminalizing being black, Hispanic, Arab, non-Christian, shall I go on... We need to be frustrated with the blatant issues that exist with our nation, how else will we be bold enough to demand a better USA? The Obamas (as well as I) are very privileged as individuals, so does that mean that they should be satisfied with the plight of others. It is even more courageous to stand as a Harvard graduate and say we as a people are not yet free enough. It is even more courageous to identify that having a woman and a minority running for the top spot in politics IS a dramatic change from this country's history. I do not know what history book you have been reading, but Harvard only let blacks and Jews in 30 years ago... We can love America, and not condone actions done in her name.

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all.
Emily Dickinson

mjohnson

Mr. James Strzalkowski is, as can be learned from the blog on Gay South Florida published by the Miami Herald, "a publicist" - that is, he is a PR man. He shopped this piece to gay papers all over the United States. It was published as a "letter" from a reader by THE CHICAGO FREE PRESS (one of our two gay community newspapers) in the April 23 edition. Strzalkowski is there identified as being in "North Hollywood" (not a real place). His website (www.mgiants.com) says that he is in Sherman Oaks, CA.

One would assume that a "publicist" is capable of reading and writing English fairly well. If he makes an argument by misquoting someone, I assume that it was no accident.

In this piece, Mr. Strzalkowksi tries to convince readers that Hillary Clinton is more patriotic than Barack Obama. He does so by MISQUOTING Michelle Obama as saying that she is "finally proud to be an American."

HERE IS WHAT MICHELLE OBAMA REALLY SAID on February 18, 2008: "For the first time in my adult life, I am really pround of this country, not just because Barak is doing well, but because I think people are hungry for change." See AP article, Chicago Sun-Times, February 20:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/805430,michelle21.article

Strzalkowsi's inaccurate quotation, which I believe was no accident (or is he unqualified to hold himself out as an "honest publicist"?) allows him to base his entire piece on readers' gullibility and misplaced patriotism.

Let's state the obvious. We are all proud to be Americans, or we would live elsewhere.

There are, however, occassions when we are "really proud of our country" and others when we are not.
The "Reagan Revolution" - which took place at the beginning of Michelle Obama's adult life (she turned 18 in 1982) wrought changes in America of which I, for one, am not proud. Bill Clinton's presidency was limited by the fact that the Republican Party held a majority in Congress after 1994 and tried to impeach him (for his own personal failings which were certainly not "high crimes and misdemeanors"). The country wasted two valuable years with that mess. We have now spent eight years governed by arguably the worst President in the history of the country and a Vice-President who is a self-described "Darth Vader" --- although he is more like Chancellor Palpatine (the Emperor).

Is Strzalkowski really proud of a country where the Republican Party, for all of Mrs. Obama's adult life, has pandered to racists and religious bigots, obtained a political majority by doing so, and prevented change on issues of equal rights for gays and for others and gotten us to the situation we are in today?

Is he proud of a country where Congress has still not granted gays equal rights against employment discrimination?

Is he proud the U.S. is the last NATO country where gays cannot serve openly in the military?

Was he really proud of our country when Clinton settled for "don't ask, don't tell?"

Was he really pround when Hillary Clinton came up with an unworkable plan for national health care and Congress refused to pass it or any alternative?

Is he proud of a country where, for the first eight years of the epidemic, the word "AIDS" did not cross the lips of the Republican President (Reagan) and where millions of poor people, gays among them, still do not have health insurance or access to the best medications?

Is he proud of all that, or is he ready for change? I sincerely hope the latter.

Further, is he also proud of a Democratic candidate who, to garner votes in Pennsylvania and Indiana, acts as if she is against gun control, for narrow-minded religion, and says nothing against xenophobia and racism? Even if he is, I am not.

It appears Mr. Strzalkowski may need to be reminded, before he engages in another misquotation, that Carl Schurz said in full: "My country right or wrong. When right, to be kept right; when wrong, to be set right." Those are the words of a true patriot, not a knee-jerk flak.

This blog did not state that this piece, based on a serious misquotation which the blogger did not notice or correct, is an Op-Ed from a "publicist". The question in my mind is whether said "publicist" is affiliated (other than by contributions) with the campaign of Hillary Clinton. It strikes me that readers are entitled to know whether the piece was written by someone who holds a position with a campaign. After all, we are always told to "consider the source."

Michael Johnson, J.D., Chicago, IL

P.S. I am not affiliated with any primary campaign and, in fact, have not made any political contributions in this primary cycle. I do, however, believe that accuracy in media is highly desirable. I also intend to vote for the Democratic candidate whether Clinton or Obama. They are both fundamentally good people, although neither is perfect -- a statement which is true of all of us.

This morning I e-mailed Jim (the address is on his website) and asked him to return to this site and debate the issues he raised.