President Obama, The Birthers, Kansas, and Animated Gifs

I don't know about you, but to me, it seems like this election season has been dragging on for fucking ever now. As we enter the home stretch, and the end is in sight, I sometimes find myself not even caring anymore who wins. Seriously. Just let this madness end already.

 But will the end of the election bring an end to the madness? I'm dubious. You see, I've become convinced that a large number of my fellow Americans may actually be, well, batshit crazy. There are simply no other words to describe some of the things I have observed recently. It's one thing to disagree with and dislike a politician, but what has happened that so many people seem to be truly convinced that the President of the United States of America is not an American citizen eligible for the position? I just don't get it. Are these people

 or what?
These ideas are not new, of course- Birthers have been a rabid and vocal presence since 2008. But shouldn't we be past that by now? How is it that in the face of the evidence and the just plain silliness of it all, it seems to have grown instead of diminishing?

 Barack Obama is a natural born citizen.

Again, Barack Obama is a natural born citizen.

 I suppose I could back up my assertion with links to various forms of proof, but it seems like having to illustrate the way the earth is round, or that Nickleback sucks.

 Lookit, there is a vetting procedure that involves thorough background checks by such agencies as the CIA, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. This is, after all, a job that entails being in charge of nuclear weapons. Unless you believe that all of those agencies were in on the fix, you have to accept that he does in fact meet the requirements. If there were even the slightest bit of credible evidence to the contrary, the McCain campaign could easily have discovered it. So unless you believe that the RNC was in on it, you have to accept that he does in fact meet the requirements. And why would the DNC not thoroughly vet their candidate? Surely they would not have overlooked something as important as whether or not their candidate could be found ineligible. That would just be, well, stupid. So unless you believe that the DNC just blew off their vetting process altogether, you have to accept that Barack Hussein Obama, despite his funny, foreign sounding name, is in fact a legitimate President and natural born citizen of these United States.

It seems so simple. It's like,

But still our President has had to repeatedly state the obvious and deal with accusations to the contrary. A birth certificate is not the "right" birth certificate. The long form version is a forgery. Okay well, so we've seen the birth certificates and maybe they're real, but what about your college transcripts? Let's see those.
I don't know how he does it. I really don't.
Because I would be all like this:

But he's just like

I guess there's a lot to be said for his approach, I mean, he shouldn't have to keep proving the proven. And if he actually displayed any of the irritation he must sometimes feel, he'd surely be playing into the hands of those who would like to portray him as an angry black man with a Kenyan ax to grind.

But somebody needs to step up here and call these people out and be like

Because these ignorant, unfounded and baseless accusations don't exist just within the frightening realm of tea party rallies or within the crazy fest that is the comment section of any given political blog. No. As we speak, the state of Kansas is in the process of deciding whether a sitting president meets the citizenship requirements to be placed on the ballot in that state for the upcoming Presidential Election.

I know what you're thinking.

But it's true. And probably you'd think something like this would be dismissed in a day on the grounds of general ridiculousness, but the case has been continued til Monday while they gather further documentation on the citizenship status of the President of The United States of America. Also, they'd really like for a representative of the Obama campaign to take the time to appear in court to make their case. Like they have nothing better to do.

The thing is, all serious minded people know it doesn't have even the slightest shred of credibility or truth. They just want it out there to spread misinformation and doubt. It doesn't have to be true, it just has to be out there in an official seeming forum. Like a court of law. They're creating smoke, so the people that are so inclined can assume there must be a fire. I simply cannot understand why the media isn't doing more to call this out for the bullshit that it is. I'm just like

There should be fairness and balance in reporting, yes. But also, truth, yes? And when something is as demonstrably false as this is, it should be pointed out as such, always. It should not be entertained or given the legitimacy of hearings in court. Because it will never, ever end.

And it really needs to. Like now.

Oh, and one more thing. Kansas?

Sushi's Song of the Day, 5/22/2012: Gay Rights Edition

I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm actually pretty passionately opinionated and informed about certain political, social, economic, and environmental issues. I do a lot of reading and research, and enjoy debate and discourse, although it seems increasingly difficult to find people who can discuss opposing views rationally and thoughtfully, without getting all emotional. Of course I am guilty of that at times myself. People believe and say some crazy shit. It's hard not to react with bewilderment. Or outrage. This seems to me an extremely pivotal time for our country on numerous fronts. It's hard not to care. I often wish I didn't, and that I was less informed.

But what can I say? I do care. And I'm curious. I could totally see myself as an investigative reporter. Oooh. Or a photo journalist. Now we're talking.

I say all of that as sort of a heads up that the manifesto may get a bit more...meaty. There's a lot going on, and I plan to tell you what I think about it.

The issue of gay rights is seeing a lot of action recently. Some of that action has been favorable. Some of it not so much.


There was the somewhat shocking (to me) passage by the state of South Carolina an amendment banning gay marriage. I don't know why I found it so surprising, but I did. The right goes on and on about the evils of big government, but they seem to want to legislate some deeply personal things. 


But then the POTUS made it known he stood, however inactively, in the corner of marriage equality. Some say he was forced to make a statement due to the fact that Joe Biden has a big fat mouth. Maybe. It was still a brave move that may cost him the support of some of his base.  
Even Fox News dude, Shep Smith, or The Shep, as I like to call him, dared not to tow his network's prevailing party line, and straight up called the republican position wrong.

(Hey, is it me, or is The Shep looking rather gaunt these days? I'm worried about him, and I'm not even kidding.)

In a perhaps lesser known but pretty significant development, Dr Robert Spitzer, the psychiatrist who famously "proved" that homosexuality could be cured has now renounced that claim, admitting he was wrong. He even apologized to the gay community and individuals who may have been harmed in pursuit of this nonexistent cure:

"I believe I owe the gay community an apology for my study making unproven claims of the efficacy of reparative therapy. I also apologize to any gay person who wasted time and energy undergoing some form of reparative therapy because they believed that I had proven that reparative therapy works with some "highly motivated" individuals."

That's classy. It's hard to admit you were wrong, especially publicly. He should get a rainbow sticker or something.

Still the ignorant and hateful anti-gay rhetoric has been especially ignorant and disturbingly hateful.

Like this awful Pastor from the awful state of South Carolina who warns of the slippery slope from gay marriage to unions of man and beast.

What, he wonders, will prevent marriage being defined as between a person and animal?

Oh, I don't know...just off the top of my head, animals cannot consent to legal arrangements of any kind, and are physically incapable of signing the numerous forms and certifications involved. It's a reach so ridiculously extreme, I can't believe people make it as often as they do.

But the taker of the gay hating cake is definitely this guy:

who is advocating rounding up all the homos, pretty much Auschwitz style, to facilitate their dying off.  This plan is as stupid as it is evil, since the vast majority of gays are born to and raised by straight people. This is a Pastor, people. A man that people look to for spiritual guidance. And he wants to put the "queers" in concentration camps.

It troubles me that I inhabit the same world as these people, and that they truly believe what they are saying is pretty fucking frightening. 

But it's also so ridiculous, you gotta just laugh, and thank God for Satire.

The Fam, Part Two, The Shunned- Great Wall PF-1

I know I had said that in the second edition of my highly unpopular posts in which I introduce you to my family of cameras would feature the Holga, but I felt compelled to share with you the disappointment and frustrations that can sometimes happen when a new addition to your photographic family simply doesn't work out. Because it's crap.

Enter the Great Wall PF-1 35mm Hipstermatic SLR

Breaking News

Tragic news today, as reliable sources reveal that Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees is in a coma. Gibb, who has been plagued by health issues in recent years, is said to be surrounded by loved ones, who are no doubt praying for him.

As we all should.