Need DU help here! What's the REAL story about the "covered up crucifixes at Georgetown Univ."

[CTyankee]

when Obama made a speech there? I'm in an argument with a RWinger over it. He says that the White HOuse did it so as not to annoy the Jews who are big supporters of Obama.

I thought the reason was because the White HOuse thought a flag was the more appropriate setting for the President of the United States and the University agreed. I didn't think religious bigotry played a part in it at all...

[babylonsister]

1. I never heard of this story before. So I go to trusty google,

and all I can find are r/w screeds about it. Tell the r/winger to provide a link to his/her assertion, because, short of finding it on hannity or hot air, I don't think they'll be able to come up with one.

[Another Bill C.]

2. Check out the link

further down this thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6424732

[CTyankee]

4. Thanks, I printed out the story. It clears it all up. The fact that Georgetown U. itself thought

it was a good idea is very instructive.

This one really nails it...

[BalancedGoat]

3. Here's what factcheck.org had to say on the matter.

http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/obama-at-georgetown/

[Clio the Leo]

5. Send them this.....

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23510.html

.... and then tell them I said to get stuffed. :)

(I cannot BELIEVE that story is still going around.)

BTW, I wouldn't use your line of reasoning that "The WH thought the flag was more important." Because that's not going to fly w/someone who's actually spending time, energy and bandwidth to promote that BS.

They're one of those hypocritical Pharisee types ..... who wear their religion on their sleeve and think Christ should be fodder for their polticial debates. It's disgusting.

[CTyankee]

10. No, read my post. I said the flag backdrop was more "appropriate." Not "important."

that is a real distinction and a difference. Now you may be correct that it does not reflect the thinking of the RWingers but my sentence referred to what I thought the White House was thinking, not the RWinger. Precisely because he is the President of ALL of the people of the U.S. and we are all united as Americans under the symbol of the "Republic for which it stands." It's hard for RWingers to argue against the flag, don't you think?

[Clio the Leo]

13. There is ONE thing more important to RWingers than the flag...

.... and that's God.

They draw their battle lines based on religious thought and practice. Trust me, I'm a three time a week, Bible toting Christian .... these are my people .... they only thing that separates me and them is political ideolody .... you are NOT going to win any arguments by saying that the WH is trying to champion the common banner (literally) of the flag to the exculsion of something religious isn't gonna work.

But then you're debaing a wing nut, which is probably an exercise in futility anyway, lol.

Send them what I posted .... hit them where it hurts .... show them that Barack Obama demonstrates his Christianity more plainly that George Bush did. If you need more ammo, yell. ;)

[CTyankee]

14. Or I could ask him for his exegesis on "rendering unto Caesar"!

He's difficult to argue with because he changes the subject when he's losing. For instance, I was discussing "government health care" with him and I mentioned the health care in France. As he started to lose every point I raised (within just a couple of minutes) he said "The French use nuclear energy!" I mean, this came from so far out of left (right?) field it was astonishing! When I pointed out he was changing the subject and steered the conversation back to health care he stopped with the nuclear power stuff. But it is instructive...

thanks for your offer of help. I may need it...

[Clio the Leo]

15. lol or the fact that the 1st century Christian were CLEARLY a bunch of ...

.... commie socialists. :) (Read Acts chapters 2 and 4)

But I strongly suspect you're fighting a losing battle .... better skip him and move on to someone more middle of the road who you might actually be able to convince.

[CTyankee]

17. He's a good friend of my husband's. Hubby is a liberal Dem so he doesn't argue with him.

But I will.

The guy is a real nut case in many ways but very bright and well educated (a PH.D from Univ. of Wisconsin and taught Econ). He's just really screwed up emotionally and mentally...

[Bluenorthwest]

16. Sounds like a problem within the faith community

As you say, these are your people. They sure as hell are not mine. Deal with your own, please. Your people harm my people.

[Clio the Leo]

19. Well see, that's just the problem.....

...... those of us of faith ..... and those without .... fail too often to recognize that, time and time again, we treat our neighbor as our bitter enemy and not our brother. Regardless of faith or lack thereof, we're all in this ship/t together. We're not going to rescue the sinking boat and get it to shore by arguing.

Sunday our 80 year old elder emeritus (not an official title, but should be) and naval hero extoiled during his weekly announcements the virtues of "what they're trying to do up there in Washington to fix health care!" This to a mixed crowed (literally) some of whom no doubt think the President was neither born in the US or duely elected.

It was a thing of beauty.

[old mark]

6. EVERY stupid negative myth about Obama and Democrats in general

will continue to circulate and to be believed by the RW idiots. They need things like this to boost their hate level. The myths about the Clintons are stil believed and circulated, as are the things about Ted Kennedy.
Once they have a good lie, they like to hang on to it.

mark

[Vinca]

7. Would you ask the right winger something for me?

I'm interested to know if he has a life. To be obsessing about curtains on a stage for a speech that happened months ago is almost sad.

[CTyankee]

8. It's not so much that he's obsessed with this one thing. It's the whole ball of wax.

He is, however, ultra sensitive on being a Catholic, and a Polish American Catholic at that, and he feels oppressed. But it's part of a RW package. He doesn't have that sensitivity to other ethnic groups. He was complaining that he got a visit from the New Haven Police Dept. (he lives here, not too far from me) because he got mad at his Asian American neighbor and said to her "you can suck my dick, you fucking chink." I suggested to him that he could have saved himself the NHPD visit by keeping his mouth shut...

[jberryhill]

18. "a Polish American Catholic at that, and he feels oppressed"

Famous Catholic oppressor, Barack Obama, pictured below:

[Peacetrain]

9. Think about it for a moment... If a big cross had been behind the Presidents head....

They would have totally ignored what he said, in favor of .. Obama trying to portray himself as the "chosen one" (it is their underlying rant at all times.. if he is not hitler, then he is trying to portray himself as Christ or he is the anti-christ.. take your pick at any given time of the day, all three are in play on the crazy right wing lunatic fringe

[CTyankee]

11. That occurred to me a little while ago. If the initials "JHS" had appeared over his head

or directly under him as he spoke, it would have the bizarre inference that BHO was somehow Jesus Christ, and he has been castigated by the right for trying to look Christ-like.

[Peacetrain]

12. Yep...