Obama, the first president of African Ancestory ... Not!

Thank you for accepting my request. I do not ask all that often...but when I meet someone that I enjoy chatting with as much as I do with you I figure...why not? I appreciated what you said about reading about previous President's origins does bring their humanity into a clear perspective. As someone once said...our lens of life is like a kaleidoscope...tilt it a little either way and the image looks very different. That came to mind as I read the link you posted. It would be good for those who are biased and concerned about Barack Obama's heritage and I hope more members drop by and read your post. From some of the responses to the election discussion on my site it could assist them in re-framing their views...if they are open minded enough to do so. Anyway, have to sign off shortly, but I wanted to keep your thread going here because I really enjoy chatting with you and look forward to more as time goes along. Cheers and warm regards, Raia

Hi again, I feel the same level of appreciation for you participation on my site. It is great to be able to have more than one opportunity to explore ideas on any given topic. I truly value those who do that on my site and do my best to respond accordingly...as time permits for me. Sometimes I miss the chance and do not follow through...but it is certainly not an effort with the quality posts and discussions you present. It is good that you took a chance and posted this discussion. Hopefully others will discover it as time goes along and check out the site you referred to. As with any aspect of critical thinking we all need to research the very things we claim to believe or disbelieve...although as we were sharing...many do not. Having this kind of historical date available will, hopefully broaden people's perspectives and help quell the fear-based thinking some are falling into about what the Barack Obama election is going to bring America. We will keep in touch...take care. Raia

Thanks for posting and for keeping the thread going on... I am happy that you did make me a friend and am glad that you liked the idea of this discussion. I must admit that some people might have initially been offended by the title as they did not know the reason for the discussion and thought that I was either a bigot or someone who did not get that it is indeed a big thing to have the person who is openly Black in the White House... I actually posted this in response to a post here on mylot entitled: "It;s The end of the world as we know it........ " I saw the fear in that poster and decided that it might be a good idea to help provide information to decrease it... I am glad that I am not the only one who sees that as a good thing. For awhile, I was wondering if the effort was wasted.

Hi lilwonders456... I like your name and Avitar... They are very cute. Thanks for posting. I actually posted this discussion in response to another discussion here made by a White woman who actually was afraid about Obama being elected because some bigoted professor had told her daughter that things were going to get worse under a Black president and that Blacks would be into getting revenge on White people for the years of oppression they suffered... I hate to see people being afraid for nothing so I attempted to provide her with information that would make her feel better in her discussion then I was posting elsewhere on mylot and read about Andrew Jackson being African American and fact checked that and found this. I thought that this information might be reassuring to that woman and her daughter as if they could see that some very good Presidents have already been of African American descent, then they would not have that feeling of newness causing them as much anxiety. I am well aware of the multitude of feelings regarding policies... As my own family is divided... Half Republican and half Democrat. I am certain though, that whether one is Republican or Democrat, we all can work to make it a better world... The how we do it may be different... Yet the desires for good lives for family, friends, and all others on the Earth seem to be something we share... I did not lose hope for a better world when Bush was elected twice against my wishes... I kept on working at it... kept petitioning, kept writing letters trying to maintain our Constitution, etc. I believe that those who are Republican or Independent or Third Party will do similarly... and refrain from giving up hope.

I must admit that I am very glad that Obama is in! I am thankful that he is who he is and what he is. I appreciate him as a person in that he is, in contrast with Bush, for the Constitution of the United States, for transparency in Government, for the Earth and its people, for hope instead of fear, for increasing public involvement in the government rather than squashing it, and that he became, in effect, a vote for education over Joe the not the licensed plumber or over Joe the six pack. I also appreciate the fact that he is serious, well intentioned, willing to dialogue,intelligent, articulate, honerable, etc. The fact that he is Black and that his election is giving people all over the world a chance to rejoice in the election of a person of color being finally in the White House is icing on the cake from my perspective... I am very happy for that as well... I by the way, started the discussion in response to comments made by one fearful person in particular on mylot who was, out of ignorance, looking at Obama's skin color rather than him as a person and fearing his election because of what another person told her about what other Blacks might do her and others if he were elected. I felt sorry for that woman and for her daughter who were afraid as there were those who stated that Blacks might take revenge on them for the years of oppression... I thought that if those people were told the truth that there had been great presidents who were of African American descent, then that fear that they were having now of having the first African American president would be lessened... As fear comes from having to deal with the new and unfamiliar rather than what is familiar. I also thought that it was good information for the Black community as they can be proud of those men's accomplishments too and be glad that now we have a culture in which being openly Black is great and that people are more interested in what is inside a person than the color of their skin. It is indeed a good thing that Obama is openly Black... One of the things that comes out in the attached article is the those who hid their identity often were then cruel to people of color or at least not as kind as they could have been. I think of Andrew Jackson in particular due to the Trail of Tears and the feelings that some in the Native American community have had because of that towards this man. I would have liked it if always people were able to claim every aspect of themselves and be proud of their heritage. I know what it is like to be related to someone who had to hide part of his identity... As my mother was 100% Irish and my dad who was of French and German descent had to hide that German part as they married in 1940, wartime... It was bad enough that he was French to her family some of whom did not want to knit baby booties as he was not Irish. Now now there are Black, Native American, Mexican American, Thai members in it... And two of its members have dated, for many years people from Belize and from India. It is a new world... And my mother, I think, would have been happy to see it all. I learned from her struggles to be against bigotry... As when she was growing up in Vermont, born in 1919, she grew up at a time when the Irish Catholics were persecuted. The sons of KKK members in the town threw her into the pond close to her first communion day and almost drowned her. She was so scared from then on that she never again went swimming... I am glad that we saw with the election of Kennedy an end to the majority of the bigotry against people of different religions and that the election of Obama is a symbol of the ending of the majority of what remained against people of color. It is indeed a wonderful thing.

Thanks for posting... I did vote for Obama and I am very glad and happy that I did. A few uninformed people here at mylot.com expressed fear that because he is black he will favor blacks or somehow punish whites... They are afraid needlessly. I thought that if they knew that this is not the first time that an African American has been in the White House that they would perhaps be reassured and could drop their fears... And I also wanted those who are Black to read more about their noble history... so they can appreciate themselves more and perhaps feel even more connected to that White House... To really reinforce the fact that indeed they can do anything. That others did it while "passing as white" but that they can do it, as Obama is, by openly being Black/White or mixed race, etc. The times they are changing and I like the changes... I believe firmly that his plans are sound and that they will help this Nation heal itself. I believe that more of the similar would have not helped us any.