Afterthoughts and the Afterbirth

Since Obama attempted to settle this discussion once and for all, I’ve been reading different takes on the issue. Even though I naïvely thought this would placate them, Birthers called it a fake within a few hours of its release. There’s no getting through to them. The only way these people will believe he was born in Hawaii is to jump into a time machine and be in that delivery room. Since that’s not possible, this might do it. A picture needs to surface that has hula girls spelling out the date, a copy of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin to corroborate, and a large sign that says “Kapiolani Maternity Home” in the room. Dr. Sinclair, the obstetrician, wearing Hawaiian print scrubs would be a plus. Until said picture materializes, there will always be doubt in true Birthers’ minds.

Donald Trump, who brought this issue back into the spotlight, is not a true Birther. Nor is he a serious candidate for the GOP. He should just come out and say it: “Please watch my show, The Apprentice, NBC, Sundays 9:00 PM.” It’s about ratings. A Sunday night time slot, while not the dreaded “Friday Night Death Slot,” is not that popular. Something has to get people watching – especially now that Gary Busey is gone. Trump is not a birther or a politician. He’s a fame whore.

Orly Taitz, is not only a true Birther, she is the Queen Birther. What she said today after the release was telling. She says that under race of Obama’s father, it should have read “Negro” instead of “African,” given that it was the early 1960s. The fact that she would bring that up makes those racist undertones that much louder. Reverend Jesse Jackson spelled it out:

“The birther fringe and those continuing to challenge the legitimacy of the president’s birthplace might otherwise be an irritating distraction were it not for the fact that it is just the outer layer of a more fundamental, ideologically based states rights’ movement. Their “questions” about President Obama’s birth certificate, his religion and most recently his college admissions are silly and based upon unfounded accusations — coded and covert rhetoric to stir up racial fears.”

That’s what it is about. Questioning Obama’s right to be POTUS is saying, “I can’t believe there is a black man in the White House.” A commenter on The Daily Kos, Borg Warner, said it brilliantly: “A hard core section of white Americans can’t stand that a $&^^(@ (their word not mine) is in the whitehouse who didn’t come in the service entrance…it is that basic and it should be hung around the Republicans collective necks.”

They can bitch and moan and say that we’re playing the race card. It doesn’t matter. We see them for who they are. No other presidential candidate turned President, was hounded in such a manner.

Those of us who are reasonable knew long ago that Obama was born in Hawaii. Obama’s gesture wasn’t necessary, but I think he was just damn tired of it all. So, from now on, anything Birther-related will be classified as Afterbirth. Messy, full of waste, and if not expelled, can be toxic.