Just Call Me Stephanie "the Stripper" Hussein

***Update*** Go check out all the links of the people playing "Just Call Me Hussein, The Meme." There are two cool buttons to choose from as well. You know you want one!

Have y'all heard about the latest Republican smear / xenophobic/ racist tactic?

Pundits such as Bill Cunningham and Ann Coulter have begun referring to Barack Obama as B. Hussein Obama or Barack Hussein Obama. Their purpose? To play on xenophobic fears about Muslims and terrorism. Personally, I think Obama should be proud of his name and his cultural background. So, the MOMocrats have decided to embrace this wholeheartedly and we'd like you to join us!

"Just Call Me Hussein Day was started by MOMocrats in response to fools like Bill Cunningham who is obviously still seven years old..."


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My name seems pretty innocuous, right? I can't say that anyone really made fun of my name when I was growing up. The worst fear I had was that someone would realize Fanny was a nickname for Stephanie and start calling me that. My dad and my grandmother occasionally call me Stephie, but only they can get away with that. I'll rip the head off of anyone else who tries it. Just call me Steph, please.

The problem is, it's sort of hard to take anyone named Stephanie seriously in a professional context. I have this theory that if you'd like your daughter to grow up to be a Dallas Cowboy's cheerleader or a stripper, give her a name that ends in Y, IE, or the Eeee sound. Try it out: Stephanie, Tiffany, Bambi, Debbie, Candie, Cindy, Mimi, etc.... They all work nicely, don't they?

So I can sympathize with the latest attempts to smear Barack Obama by making fun of his middle name, Hussein. But folks, this one is going to back fire. If Obama is anything like most Americans, he's damn proud of his name and his cultural heritage, no matter how much others may poke fun at him for it.

I may not have chosen Stephanie as my name, but it wasn't mine to choose. It was my parents. They choose it out of love and wonder at the new little girl they'd brought into the world. So, stripper name and all, Steph is who I am and who I'll always be.

In solidarity with Barack Obama, just call me Stephanie Hussein for today.

Ann Coulter can kiss my ass.

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Want to join the fun? Here's what you do:

Everyone should title their post with their name (or blog name) and Hussein. Then share a childhood story about your name...I'm sure most of us have one. Or, if you don't, be creative. Make fun of your name.

So for example: Title: Just Call Me Stephanie Hussein (Your Last Name) or Lawyer Hussein Mama

Include the following text at the top of your post: "Just Call Me Hussein Day was started by the MOMocrats in response to fools like Bill Cunningham who is obviously still seven years old..."

Please link to MOMocrats at http://MOMocrats.typepad.com.

Include instructions for Just Call Me Hussein Day at the bottom of your post if you'd like to pass it on. Share the love!

Please join the MOMocrats in blogging "Just Call Me Hussein" Day by sharing your story.

OK, Now I'm Annoyed

I generally try to ignore all of the political vitriol that goes on in October and November of every election year. I read up on the candidates and their views to make an informed decision. I certainly don't buy every soundbite I hear on CNN or Fox News (T's choice - ugh). I generally take everything I hear on TV or read in the paper with a grain of salt and make up my own mind.
But this nonsense about John Kerry insulting U.S. troops in Iraq has really pissed me off. And no, I'm not pissed at Kerry. I'm pissed off at the evil right wing spin machine and the news media for buying the spin hook, line and sinker. And, yes, maybe I am a little mad at Kerry for APOLOGIZING!

Here's the soundbite:



You have to admire the genius of the Republican spin machine, but it seems pretty clear to me that he wasn't talking about U.S. troops at all. He was talking about our President. You know, the guy who skated his way through an ivy league education? Yes, he could have chosen his words a little more carefully. But apparently only expressly stating "I'm talking about President Bush, people!" would have been enough to appease the right wing sharks on the prowl for Democratic blood. Now everybody shut up about it already.

More About Eugene

NPR recently ran a story about Alaska's 172nd Stryker Brigade and interviewed Melissa Alex, the wife of the first soldier killed in the Brigade, Eugene Alex. I thought I would post this follow up story because, as I wrote in September, Eugene was a good friend of my brother's. I felt horror and so much sadness for his family when I heard the news of his death, but I also felt relieved that I had never received such horrible news about any of my loved ones. This isn't the first story NPR has done about the 172nd and the effect the war has had on their families, so I'm glad to hear that they're coming how now.

Notice Anything Wrong With This Picture?

Mistake?

Yeah, suuuuuuuure it was.

Assassination of a President

I know I'm a little behind the news on this post, but my Aunt in the UK (darn it her blog is down!) just reminded me that the new docudrama, Assassination of a President, is set to air next Monday, October 9, 2006, in the United Kingdom. The docudrama depicts the assassination of President Bush by a sniper following an anti-war protest. Of course there has been much hullabaloo about the program and the U.S. conservatives have their panties in a twist. I can't wait to see it. (If Big Brother is reading - No, I am not condoning the assassination of our president. Now go back to your wire taps.) I just want to see if it lives up to all of the controversy. Although I hear the assassin turns out to be a U.S. citizen. That's the only part I find completely unbelievable. I mean, is anyone crazy enough to want Cheney in charge?

Guilt

My brother called me with sad news yesterday afternoon. A dear friend of his died this weekend. Staff Sergeant Eugene Alex was shot in Iraq and died in a military hospital in Germany over the weekend. Eugene was 32 and left behind a wife and 3 children. Eugene should have been back in the U.S. more than a month ago. As a result of the troop buildup in Iraq, he was still there.

Now I understand that soldiers know and accept the risks when they join the military. My father was a career Air Force officer. My brother was in the Army (where he met Eugene) until very shortly before the Iraq stop loss orders began, preventing soldiers from leaving when enlistments were over. B is now a reservist in the Ohio National Guard. My husband was in the Navy and is still in the Reserves. I understand the risk they take. This is not a post about our president or misguided U.S. foreign policy. As much as I disagree with our president, soldiers know that their lives are subject to the whims of politicians and presidents. They know that. And I understand it too. But I must admit that some small part of me has felt guilty for the relief I've felt because my brother and husband have been kept out of harm's way. The part of me that admires the sacrifices made by soldiers past. The part of me that loves to fly the flag. The part of me that is so proud of my father, my brother, and my husband for their military service. I feel guilty when I hear about men and women like Eugene who loved their country, loved their jobs as soldiers and died, while my loved ones are safe....

First Lady Laura Bush is speaking at a hotel about 1/2 a block from my office this afternoon at a fundraiser for Republican Congresswoman, Thelma Drake. It was notable to me because of the protestors I passed on my way to work this morning. One protestor in particular caught my eye. A woman stood with a handwritten sign that read "2,452 Americans dead. Not one more." All I could think was that she was wrong. The number should be 2,453.

I'm not going to feel guilty anymore.