If I were Obama...here's what I would add to my March 4 victory speech:
There are a couple of things that I need to set straight for some of you out there. The people that like the Bush administration's disastrous foreign policy decisions want to continue peddling in fear by attacking my faith and my love for this country. This is wrong and unacceptable.
[more below the fold...]
You've probably seen the pictures of me from my trip to Africa, where I'm wearing the traditional African attire worn by the people I visited. Yes, that's me! Or you've heard the false rumors about me being some kind of secret Islamic terrorist, or that I'm not patriotic, or that I'm a bad person because my middle name is Hussein! And some other people are saying I'm too black, or I'm not black enough. Come on! I don't think there are too many of you who honestly buy into this stuff, but please hear me when I say this:
I am black and I am proud!
I am Christian and I am proud!
I owe everything I am to this country!
My name is Barack Hussein Obama, and I am not ashamed!
I'm not ashamed to travel to other countries and meet with other leaders. I'm not afraid to honor your traditions when I'm a guest in your house! So, when I visit a synagogue in Jerusalem or Dallas or Moscow, for that matter, that's me in the yamulke! That's what I do because I respect all cultures and all religions. And when I visit the prime minister of Tokyo at his home, I'll check my shoes and my cowboy hat at the door. That's just the polite thing to do.
And about being patriotic... I'm not ashamed to stand up to Bush and the Republican Party and tell them, "You don't own patriotism!" "You don't own the stars and stripes!" "And we won't let you play political football with the pledge of allegiance".
I ask, is it patriotic to wage a war in which our troops do not get the body armor they need, or to send troops overseas who are untrained because of poor planning? Or to fail to give the brave veterans who come home after risking their lives everything they need?
That's not patriotism. That's anything but patriotic.
But, you know, all of this really has to do with who we are as Americans! We're a nation of immigrants - a nation of many different cultures and religions, and if you aren't like most people around you, I say:
Don't let someone put you down because you have a funny name!
Don't let false rumors define who you are!
Stand up and speak out: I am not afraid of you! Words do matter, but my words matter just as much!
And don't let someone pick on you because of how you dress. I'll tell you right now: Your turban is hot! Your beanie is rad! And your ear muffs look... well, warm!
Don't be afraid! I'm not afraid to tell you:
My name is Barack Hussein Obama, and I like my name!