3 Comments so far

1. xntrk February 1st, 2007 7:20 pm

   Nigeria is NOT Obama’s “Homeland”. It is the land of his ancestors. He’s never lived there, and while he has never denied his heritage, he certainly does not claim to be Nigerian.

   He’s is an American, believe it or not, Hawaii is actually one of the fifty United States, and proudly claims Obama as a Local Boy.

   The title of this article is as clueless as Biden’s remarks yesterday.

   BTW, I am an Edwards supporter, though Obama might be my second choice. I am not supporting Hillary even though we are both women. Must be something wrong with my politics if neither race nor gender or geography [I live in Hawaii] controls my voting.

   Xntrk

2. treisi February 2nd, 2007 2:16 am

   1. Dear Xntrk, We are talking about Kenya, not Nigeria. And, according to the customs of most tribes of Kenya, Obama is entitled to inherit land from his father, and this is usually in one’s father’s village or near it. The links to one’s rural area are strong, even for those who have never lived in the area.

   2. The current exchange rate for the USD and KSH is about 1:69. So, add another 0 to the USD offer of compensation made to the farmers in the region. That still doesn’t make it ok, but we appreciate accurate journalism.

   Cheers.

3. xntrk February 2nd, 2007 4:11 pm

   Sorry for my mistake - but does it matter? Both Kenya and Nigeria are ruined lands, and neither is Obama’s ‘homeland’. As an American, customs common in the US usually take precedence over the customs of the lands of our fathers.

   Also, my disagreement was/is not with any of the conditions discussed in the article [which I didn't bother to read - my anxiety closet is full ] but rather with Laura Flander’s implication that somehow, Obama is not an American.

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