McCain/Palin incite hate toward Obama

I have not lived a very long life. But in my 23 years on this planet and in this country I have never witnessed such disgusting things from the American public as I have in the past week. Something is happening, and it's not politics as usual.

At various McCain-Palin campaign rallies this past week things have gotten out of hand. The campaign's strategy of bringing up Obama's associations with the 1960s political activist William Ayers has quickly rippled through the American public and brought to the surface something that has been hidden away for many years.

Widespread racial hatred is now so obvious that people are comfortable with publicly vocalizing their bitter racial hatred for Sen. Obama without the least bit of shame to hold them back.

Ever since Gov. Palin accused Sen. Obama of "palling around with terrorists," the people who used to hide their racist attitudes have lost all inhibitions.

McCain campaign rallies have taken on a lynch mob-like atmosphere that is reminiscent of a Confederate convention. Shouts of "terrorist," "traitor," "kill him," "off with his head," and numerous other disgusting and often racially motivated slurs that I won't repeat are all too common.

The fact that Sen. McCain and especially Gov. Palin let these comments go without a fierce scolding is a testament to the dirty, desperate, and appalling way in which they conduct themselves and their politics. I give a very small amount of credit to Sen. McCain for telling his supporters to be "respectful" of Obama and for saying that he is a "decent family man."

One must remember it is his campaign that began and still continues to fuel the vile hatred aimed at Sen. Obama.

It is extremely evident and worth noting that virtually 100 percent of McCain's campaign ads are negative attacks on Sen. Obama.

It is now quite obvious to me that Sarah Palin is not concerned one bit with women's issues, inequality, the middle class, or anything else having to do with the condition of our country.

She shows an eager willingness to do or say anything that will serve to advance her own political career. She should be ashamed and anyone who views her as a heroic figure should quickly rethink their allegiance. They were misled by a well-orchestrated convention speech.

What did Sen. McCain think would happen when he tried to associate Sen. Obama with terrorists in a post-9/11 world? For the past seven years politicians, especially within the Republican Party, have used the fear of terrorism as a propaganda tool used to gain support for their own corrupt agendas, which includes two wars and numerous violations of our basic civil liberties.

Fear of terrorism, like fear of communism, has caused our government and many of our citizens to act extremely irrational. The McCain campaign prods this fear, sticking its fat finger into our open wound.

Most Americans have since recognized the political puppetry that played on their emotions. This majority doesn't buy into this "Obama equals terrorist" bull.

But McCain must have been aware of the considerable demographic of his supporters that are racists or have racist attitudes. He must have known that only the most gullible, ignorant, and uneducated citizens would buy into this rubbish. McCain has infuriated these people, given them a voice, and brought them together at his rallies with other likeminded bigots. It is sickening.

If and when Sen. Obama is elected our president, I will not be able to breathe easily knowing there are millions out there with these misguided views. Some of the most inspirational African American leaders the United States has ever known, including Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, and Malcolm X, along with numerous other lesser-known activists, have been the victims of racially motivated assassinations.

The hate is historically pervasive, shameful, and buried until the McCain campaign initiated it and now continues to fuel it.

If the McCain campaign thinks Sen. Obama should explain his connections with William Ayers, as they say is their intention, they have gone about it in a very irresponsible and convoluted way. They could have asked respectfully.

Instead, they connected Sen. Obama with a 1960s political activist who was never convicted of any crimes.

McCain and cohorts have put Ayers on trial, found him guilty, called him an unrepentant terrorist, and made it sound as if he and Sen. Obama are great friends with a secret plan to put the terrorists in power of our country.

They have convinced a sizable portion of their supporters that Sen. Obama cannot be trusted as our president.

If Sen. Obama is elected our president, there will be a large amount of people unwilling to accept his leadership and I'm afraid the fear and hate the McCain campaign has instilled in some of its supporters is irreversible and dangerous.