While sitting in the ICU waiting room with my in-laws, my father-in-law and I got into a heated discussion about Obama, Muslims, and history. He, like many Americans, is very quick to cite emails when arguing that Obama is not fit to be Presidents. Much of what he said was ignorant and based on the fear that a semi-Black male may actually be President.

But it made me realize something: there are so many ill-informed people in this country. Despite having access to a plethora of information, people are bent on believe the worse about anyone who threatens their comfy world. And so I sent this email after scouring Snopes for information verifying/discrediting information that has been widespread regarding Obama. And while I know that Snopes is not the authority on what is accurate or not, the owners of he site are unrelenting in their pursuit of the truth.

Hello All,

It is so important that we make informed decisions when voting for our next President. Let me start by saying that I am not a Obama supporter in that I think he will be the best choice for the Presidency. I am a support of democracy and as so, I believe that the best candiate will be one who FOR THE PEOPLE. However, the only way to determine who to vote for is to research. There are so many rumors floating around about Barack Obama, many of which I fear steam from ignorance and a desire to discredit a man who does not fit into the White-Protestant-Male mold. It is obvious that some would fear Obama because despite that fact that he is bi-racial (as is Mya), he is the closest to a Black President that we have come in a long time.

Below is the Snopes page to research done regarding various internet emails that have been sent about Obama. I know that you are all intelligent people and would never take mudslinging at face value seeing as how there are usually sinister intentions when one decides to tear down another’s credibility by playing on the lowest form of human instinct: fear. I urge you te read the information provided so that you can get the best understanding about what is happening during this political campaign. (http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp)

Snopes is a great resource for finding information about urban legends. If you want to understand more about the site, please visit http://www.snopes.com/info/faq.asp.

Tags: election 2008, Obama, politics, Presidental Election, Presidential Race