A Communist walks into a room where Sarah Palin and President Obama are arguing over the definition of marriage. The President argues that Palin is an intolerant racist, bigot and homophobe. In turn Palin argues that the President is an immoral, un-American antichrist. The Communist, recognizing that both sides are arguing past each other, pulls out his pistol, shoots them both in the head, writes his own definition of marriage and the people accept it (he did just shoot 2 people after all).
An Anarcho-capitalist walks into a room where Sarah Palin and President Obama are arguing over the definition of marriage. The President argues that Palin is an intolerant racist, bigot and homophobe. In turn Palin argues that the President is an immoral, un-American antichrist. The Anarcho-capitalist recognizes that both sides are arguing past each other, but they need to do so in order to keep their respective party’s base enflamed and unthinking. Heaven forbid both sides sit down and analyze why if at all government should be involved in marriage. The Anarcho-capitalist shrugs his shoulders and walks out of the room wondering why someone would need validation of their marriage from anyone other than their spouse, their family and church if they have one (occasionally returning to the spectacle for entertainment purposes).
Enter the boogey man of the 2008 election cycle for the Obama campaign; Frank Marshall Davis. The caricature of Davis painted by opponents of the Obama campaign was one of an immoral man who dabbled in pornography and polygamy. More alarmingly he was painted as a strict party line Communist and mentor to an adolescent Barack Obama. In Dreams From My Father, Obama’s 2nd autobiography, a mentor figure simply called “Frank” ...
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...e mural that is America. E Pluribus Unum!
From Caricature to Portrait
In 2008 a painter with words
Would be painted with words.
A caricature
With partial truths and venon
Unable to defend
In 2013 an assignment of words
Would reconcile caricature with truth
A portrait
The painter’s words
Destroy the caricature.
Works Cited
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"Frank Marshall Davis : The Poetry Foundation." The Poetry Foundation. The Poetry Foundation. Web. 3 Dec 2013.
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