Here we go again-- the radical boogie man

Here we go again! The Republicans are getting out their spears and rattles and chanting around the party fire again! "FEAR! FEAR! FEAR!" is the mantra. Now it's going to be a desperate attempt to conjure up illicit associations with former left wing radical activist-- William Ayers. Well, let's not mention it was nearly 40 years ago when Ayers was a radical activist. Uh-- he's now a distinguished member of the University of Chicago School of Education faculty. (The radical stuff went on when Obama was eight years old.) Obama, who was a professor of constitutional law at the University of Chicago and active in Chicago community politics fell into "proximity" with Ayers when being presented as a candidate for Illinois State office. This isn't exactly a clandestine, trench coated, subversive operation. (It wasn't a plot to present false intelligence to congress and lie to the U.N.) Later Obama-- BECAUSE of his service to the community-- served on the board of the Woods Fund. Ayers was on that board. Let's see-- THE WOODS FUND-- radical lefty political subversive organization? Uh-- no-- sorry! That swift boat won't float either. The highly respected Woods Fund was founded in 1941 and has a reputation for funding programs that benefit the underprivileged. Let's see-- those programs include funding such suspect endeavors as The Art Institute of Chicago. (Well, we know art is VERY suspect!)

By the way-- another 60's activist, Angela Davis, who was fired from teaching and told "you'll never teach in the California system again" by then governor Ronald Regan, is now a distinguished professor at Berkley. Let's face it--Activism is energy! Sometimes it's misguided. Sometimes it's right on. Sometimes it grows up into productive work in all sorts of arenas. Any way you slice it-- it beats complacency in the face of war and injustice. It beats hell out of looking at a collapsing economy, severely tarnished international reputation, and a shrinking of civil rights and saying "You betcha! America is the greatest ever!" (Wink, wink...)

It was understood by the founders that America would take constant activism and energy and checks and balances and fair dissemination of information and opinion. Certainly American heritage includes the witch hunts at Salem-- but it was not the finest moment for truth and justice. Determination via the dunking process-- (if you drown, you're innocent. If you don't drown-- you're a witch)-- doesn't hold any water. We should all gulp at the prospect.

It is logical that Obama would have come into contact with Ayers -- They lived in the same community and taught at the same college, and were interested in some of the same issues (each with differing view points and life experiences). We cannot afford to allow the manufacture of a "boogie man" or incite the mob to burn the witch. If Sarah Palin's pastor with his history of "outing witches" prayed over her last year to protect her from witchcraft, (See the video-- it happened!) then we should all pray that our nation be protected from voodoo economics and witch-hunt politics. There are too many important real issues at stake.