THE INHOFE SCOFF
Well well well Sen. Inhofe, I see you've done it again. Then again, it's not like this is your first time making yourself sound more like an uninformed, uncultured bully than a United States Senator. I have seen other outrageous comments from you in the past such as your comparison of global warming proponents to Nazis and your bizarre hissy fit threatening to block Al Gore's "Live Earth" concert which was intended to help raise awareness about global warming, or your proud and strange declaration on the Senate floor that no member of your family has been found to be gay! And of course, who can forget the little slap on the hand you received from Senator Barbara Boxer when you tried to break the rules during an important committee hearing by being your usual thuggish self and throwing one of your outbursts in order to get your way? So, when I read the headline about your attempt to block HR 2003 , I didn't pay it much attention figuring it was just another right wing Neo-Con enabler trying to do the US administration's bid. But then, I saw the video and heard those words you vomited all over the floor of the Senate. I must say sir, you have outdone yourself this time. I guess your vileness and stupidity is not bound by the water's edge. This time you crossed oceans into Africa to spew your hatred as only you can do. I see you are going global, diversifying, if you will. Just when one thinks that you could not go any deeper into that bowel of slime and filth of yours, you reach deeper and surprise us with your creativity. Well, I suppose no one can accuse you of not trying harder.
I am not even going to bother commenting on the political aspect of your comments about HR 2003 itself, also known as the "Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act", as absurd as they are. I think enough has been said about that by many who have rightfully expressed their opinions and outrage. But, the ignorance you displayed during your speech about the Bill is nothing short of embarrassing. Your misrepresentation of the current political state in Ethiopia and your propping up of the Meles regime, although not a surprise coming from someone like you who wants to convince the world that Ethiopia is heading towards democracy, it was full of condescension and patronization. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with the current situation in Ethiopia can discern the fact that the US, as usual, is forging an alliance with another two-bit third world dictator. But what else is new, right? The irony is that I am also skeptical of the Resolution, but for an entirely different reason. You think it is designed to stop your dictator in training Mr. Zenawi, and I, along with a very small minority of Ethiopians, think it wouldn't accomplish much of anything. See, as long as the US continues in that path of Imperialism, there is no way that it can help bring democracy to any country. But you know that better than I do, so no need to belabor that point here.
What I want to do is address your tangential asinine remarks you made about Ethiopia and the people of Ethiopia. You know Senator, your statement it is not entirely surprising, given the way America has been conducting itself lately on the world stage and the way Americans are perceived by the rest of the world. Your Democracy, along with any kind of civility left, has been heading south for a while now - especially in the last 7 years ever since your leader and beloved president was anointed king. If he has succeeded in one thing, it is in isolating Americans from the rest of the world as war mongering arrogant thugs who do not care about the rest of the world. Your statement about Ethiopia almost re-affirmed that sad notion of isolationism. It is not enough that we hear such ignorant and racist comments from the US media, and now we have to hear it from a United Stated senator? You know sir, if we were not living in a "bizzaro" world where political incorrectness was the order of the day, you would have at least been censured by your colleagues, and at most asked to resign from your position. But we live in the G W Bush era where, forget degrading and insulting poor people across continents, but invading and killing millions of them in the name of spreading democracy is the order of the day. So, I guess you are in line with that ideology.
But just out of personal curiosity, let me ask you a few rhetorical questions about your speech. Mr. Inhofe, doesn't it bother your conscience just a bit when you make comments like
" In Addis 6 years ago, we found a little baby. The little baby was 3 days old. The baby was almost dead. It was not unusual. In some countries in Africa, they throw away mostly young baby girls. Then after about 3 days, when they die, the dogs get them. We were there before the dogs got there."
Your patently false insinuation that throwing away babies in Africa is common practice aside, exactly which part of the country did you see a baby being eaten by a dog? Exactly how many packs of dogs were around little Zegita before you were able to save her? And which one of your many trips to the country did you find this poor little girl? Yes, there were reports about a number of children were being killed in the streets of Addis around 2005, but they were being killed in the hands of the other dogs. You know? The ones armed and trained by your government in the name of fighting terrorism? Can you tell me the colors of those dogs so we can be clear? Were they, by any chance, camouflaged and wearing red berets? Maybe you confused them with the real stray dogs. Given your record of exaggerating the events a bit, that may not be too far fetched. Between you and me sir, that is actually an insult to the poor dogs, but I digress. Anyway, I wonder which would have been better for little Zegita, being rescued by a borderline lunatic and racist Senator from Oklahoma or staying poor and pure right where she was before you 'found' here. God help that little child! Oh, and by the way, Zegita is not exactly a very common name in Ethiopia, like you bloviated and used it to bolster your familiarity with the country. No sir, knowing a certain name in a country and knowing how to pronounce it doesn't exactly qualify one as an expert on that country. It's like me saying, since I know that the name James, as in James Inhofe, is a common American name, I can say that all Americans are racists. No, it doesn't work that way. And why did you have to drag your family into this mess sir, your children and grandchildren, no less? I bet they are really proud of you when they hear you make such racist statements as a representative of their family. How about the people whom you were elected to represent? I bet they are doubly proud of you.
I also could not help be amazed at your comment about little Zegita and your daughter's long desire to have a little girl. So, is it fair to say that it was more about your daughter Molly than Zegita? Is it also fair to say that Zegita was taken by your family more for the purpose of diversity in the way of gender, than a sincere desire to help her? How low Senator, how low! So, should we start calling your daughter Angelina Inhofe, as in Angelina Jollie? At least she has made her intentions known.
Sir, do you honestly believe that people in any part of the world leave their children in the streets to be eaten by dogs? Do you actually think people in Africa, no matter how under developed, are that heartless, or is it some kind of projection you are displaying here? Don't you also find it ironic that, the same country that you lauded for its glowing human rights record and democracy is the same one that is allowing its young to be eaten by stray dogs? You see the irony there? It is amazing how the lies and the condescension just roll effortlessly off your tongue.
Well sir, I am sure by now you have heard from many Ethiopians regarding your outrageous statement. Let me, as an Ethio-American living in Diaspora, share with you whatever little knowledge I have about the real culture of my people and see if you can learn something from this experience. Not because I have hope that you will one day have a moment of epiphany to change your ways. No, there is no hope for you sir. I'm afraid you are at the point of no return in reforming yourself as a good descent human being. The only place that would provide any hope may be a monastery, and I doubt if you have it in you to actually go to one. I think you have tasted too much of that worldly stuff in your position as a Senator. I mean, where else can a man your age and stature, a United States Senator no less, can go to reform his view about the poor colored people in Africa? No, I am sharing this with you because it is in me as an Ethiopian to help others.
See Senator, contrary to what you spewed as fact the other day on the Senate floor, we Ethiopians have a great deal of respect for our departed. I am sure you probably have seen on one of your many trips to the country how funeral processions are held and the respect and dignity they are treated with. We grief for them immensely - more than we should probably, but then again who can say how much love should one show to a kin or a dearly departed by way of grieving, unless of course you are a United Stated Senator from Oklahoma? It is all in the heart Senator, it's all in he heart. You see sir, the family structure in Ethiopia is much stronger than you give us credit for. It's just that we have trouble or a little bit late in translating that into the larger society, but we are working on it. That's where Resolutions like HR 2003, written with some teeth come to play. The important thing for you to realize is that, it is not us Ethiopians who leave our dead in the street to be eaten by dogs. No sir, it was your country and your president, as it was witnessed by the rest of the world, who left his dead in the streets and waters of , New Orleans La for weeks to be eaten by rats and alligators. It was your president and your party who denied health insurance to American children by vetoing a children's health bill that would have allowed millions of kids to have health insurance paid by tobacco tax Senator! What's more sir, unlike your president and your Party, we do care about children after they are born, not when they are fetuses. We do not employ that "love the fetus and hate the child" game your president and party plays every election cycle for political gain. No sir, life especially children's, is very precious in Ethiopia. It is not just an election season campaign slogan. Ethiopia is where the true, sincere "pro-life" people live.
I know you desperately want to believe and perhaps convince others by perpetuating the stereotype about Africans, that we Africans are barbaric. But that of course couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, in whatever our little capacity we have, we try to provide them with as much as we can. One thing we have in abundance of though, is love Senator. We have plenty of that to go around for our children and our children's children. No, it's not common to throw children in our streets. What is common in Ethiopia , believe it or not sir is, total strangers looking out for children they don't even know like they are their own. That's what's common in Ethiopia Senator. You heard the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child", right Senator? Well, if you had truly observed our culture, Ethiopia would have been one place you would've witnessed first hand and how it is put in practice. What is not common in Ethiopia is children being kidnapped by adults off the streets for some morbid sexual gratification and being killed for sport.
So, here is my advice to you sir. I think you mentioned something about going back to Ethiopia in the next couple of weeks. You weren't specific as to what the purpose of the trip is, but I can only speculate that it is probably to check up on your favorite dictator in Africa and the progress he has made with US tax payers' money. You lamented something about not wanting to face him and his cohorts and explain to him how something like HR 2003 could have passed on your watch. Oh no, we can't have that now, can we? I mean what kind of example will we be setting for the rest of the dictators in Africa, right? I see your dilemma here sir. But, let me just give you some advice on humanity. On your next trip, please, just go and observe the people. Keep your mouth shut for a change, but your eyes and ears open. Pay close attention how the real, common people interact. Not the president and his wife. They are hardly the symbol for the regular people, the types you call "salt of the earth" in your country. Go out and mingle with the regular folk. See how much love and care is spread among the people. Soak up in that ray of love as it bounces off from one person to another. Bath in it, sop it up and consume it like Thanksgiving day gravy. Who knows, it just might rub off on you and do you some good. You might catch something that is good for your soul. Trust me, you will only be a better man for it.
I Love the fiery courageous article! I'm very proud of you for passionately defending us!
Thanks for speaking out! (Comment this)
Yours is a well written and well articulated scoff,the Senator should read it and feel ashamed of his vile unsubstantiated claims which are borderline rabid racist.I am glad your article robustly challenges his warped views of Ethiopians...
And to bring his own grandaughter and daughter into the public domain when they havent chosen it is beyond despicable. Which child wants to be outed as different so publicly or seen as charity case like he made it sound with his grandaughter?....
" In Addis 6 years ago, we found a little baby. The little baby was 3 days old. The baby was almost dead. It was not unusual. In some countries in Africa, they throw away mostly young baby girls. Then after about 3 days, when they die, the dogs get them. We were there before the dogs got there."
Thanks and well donewith the blog.... (Comment this)