In my daily news sweep or as some who know me might say, my news obsession, I check everything I can. BBC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX, Drudge, Fivethirtyeight, the list goes on. Last night I was reading a Fox News story about Obama jumping the gun by planning his election night party (as if McCain isn’t planning one?) and it’s not the story that got to me as much as the comments.

In line with my earlier post about race and hate, it’s just unbelievable. I have to literally check twice to realize that I’m actually reading some of these comments. It’s mind boggling. If you’d like to read the story and add your own .02, you can do so here.

Here’s just a sampling of the comments people have posted in response to a possible Obama win (as they wrote them, I didn’t correct spelling or grammar) and below that, the comment that I wound up posting on Fox’s site in response. I usually reserve my comments to post here, but I just had to chime in on this one.

“You are so right, every monkey will have an excuse to rape white woman, and THEY SHOULD!”

“PEOPLE BETTER WAKE UP AND GET OUT FROM THE CLOUDS. OBAMA SPELLS ANTI-CHRIST PERIOD !”

“Obama is a comunist, terrorist and a lier……….”

“The good Lord is going to make you pay for the lying, cheating, and other despicable acts commited by Obama and his supporters, I hope the DNC gets his wrath first.”

“I pray everyday that God will allow McCain to be president. If Obama is elected, I firmly believe it is the beginning of the end times. ”

 ”The press stares at Palin’s skirt to avoid looking at at Obama” (From Fox themselves)

 ”EVERY MONKEY IN CHICAGO WILL HAVE A EXCUSE TO RAPE WHITE WOMWN AND LOOT SONY TV SETS.THEY WHOLE IDEA OF OBAMA IS DISGUSTING.”

“I’m thinking about getting an Obama sign to put in my yard here in Pittsburgh Pa toward the end of the polls closing. That way when the black people in my area go around destroying property upon news of Obama’s loss, I can pretend that I supported him and that I’m disappointed too.”

“PALIN NEEDS TO BE BLACK AND THEN THEY WOULDN’T BOTHER HER.” 

And my comment:

No matter what party you fall under, PLEASE, for the love of everything, do your research. Check your facts, THINK FOR YOURSELVES. Anything that Fox, CNN, MSNBC, etc. feeds you is going to have some kind of slant to it, be it liberal, independent or conservative. Everyone has an agenda, everyone will report things in their own ways.

Sure, watch the news, but QUESTION what you’re told. Fact check, THINK!!! It breaks my heart to see how many people just accept what they’re fed and don’t bother to do research or look into the stories they’re glomming onto.

For example:
McCain/Palin claim Obama is a Socialist. Do you know who the most Socialist governor in the country is? Sarah Palin. She taxes the oil companies in order to distribute funds to the citizens of Alaska. They have a great economy, it works, but it’s SOCIALISM.

For example:
The Alaskan committee, led by Republicans, found Sarah Palin violated Ethics laws in “Troopergate”, she then comes out on Fox News and says she’s happy to be “cleared of any wrongdoing”, blatantly lying to our faces. Is that the kind of leader you want? Someone who will not take responsibility for their actions and will look you right in the eye and lie? That is for you to decide when you vote.

For example:
The phrase that is already run into the ground “Joe the Plumber.” This man is not a plumber, he has no license, he is not in any shape to buy a business because he owes back taxes and he contributes to the McCain/Palin campaign. McCain needs to shift his focus and STOP with these knee jerk tactics. NO ONE CARES ABOUT JOE, who’s name is actually Sam by the way.
 
There was a time that I might have voted for John McCain, but he has gotten SO far off track, so pushed and pulled and picked at by his party that even HE doesn’t know what he stands for anymore. And adding Palin to the bill sealed it for me. They will NOT get my vote.

The nitpicking of who’s spending what on clothes and parties (McCain is planning his own multi-million dollar shin dig, as well, remember that) is not what matters. It is the issues of our crumbling economy, our relations with the rest of the world and WE THE PEOPLE needing to come together as a nation that matter.

What has happened to us? Where did this divide happen? Why do we hate our own fellow Americans? How is it 2008 and there are still people who hate someone because of the color of their skin? I want to get back to the place where I am PROUD to be an American and I am proud to hug my neighbor as a fellow American, regardless of if we disagree on the issues.

We as a nation need to STAND UP individually and take charge of what we can do. Work in your community, find ways that you can volunteer and help the people and causes that matter to you.

If you truly want change and prosperity and to live in a Nation where you can feel proud of it, stop putting all of your hope into one person and DO SOMETHING. That’s the beauty of America. It was built for the people, by the people and that is how it should remain.