Obama came to Clemson University sometime before the South Carolina primary, and my son went to hear him speak.
His first and most-lasting impression? The sharpshooters on the rooftops that he spotted around the area where Obama was speaking.
This is a kid who's probably never seen weapons like that in person. His nearest reference to that kind of firepower is from video games. And he was amazed to see those guns panning the crowd at his school.
Which gave me the opportunity to explain to my son: Merely standing before us and offering himself to us as a Presidential candidate is an act of courage on behalf of Barack Obama every day he's on the campaign trail.
Death threats came early, we know, judging by how early the Secret Service stepped in to try to protect him. I suspect, the death threats come in greater numbers for him than any Presidential candidate before him.
And yet, he still stands before us. He stands before us with his wife and with his daughters by his side. Think about that.
Think about what it would take for any of us here to believe so strongly in the need to change our country that we could handle constant death threats. That we could handle the danger inherent in our campaign not just to our spouse, but to our children?
Think about Wing-Nut radio show hosts who feel free to joke about the possibility of him being assassinated. Didn't a Fox News person make some kind of reference to assassination, too?
And the good Rev. Mike Huckabee? How funny. That sound? Someone shooting at Obama. That was within the last week, right?
Apparently, it's still OK in this country to many people to joke about shooting and killing a black politician.
And yet, Obama stands before us, offering himself to us.
Think about the stadiums, 15,000, 30,000, 50,000, 75,000 people. And how many in Oregon this week?
There's no way to get them all through metal detectors. We've seen reports of the Secret Service getting a certain percentage of people close to the stage through screening with metal detectors, but no way they can get everybody through.
And yet, Obama stands before us, a humbling act of courage day after day.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/ ... 1/5/521718
Barack Obama - A Man of Courage
Hillary Clinton ducking bullets in Bosnia? What a joke she is. It takes a real man, real courage to do what Obama is doing. Some said that Colin Powell did not run for the White House because his risk of being assassinated was too high to convince his family it was worthy. Now, Clinton has repeatedly incited the word "assassination". Is she trying to send some nutheads a message and encourage them to do the unthinkable?