When Ideology Masks Ignorance
By Frank Salvato
October 23, 2009
After giving a talk to a group of family values minded Freeport, Illinois area residents addressing three major threats facing the United States -- which I term "The Perfect Storm," and a solution to a problem that safeguards the US Constitution, I found myself personally and ideologically assailed by a letter-writer to a local newspaper, a Ms. Patricia Wemstrom. I take issue with her critique not only because she mischaracterized each and every point that I made at the event, but also because she wasn't even in attendance.
The critique was caustic and hateful in nature:
"I am surprised by the hatred, bigotry and lack of knowledge expressed by Frank Salvato in the front page story of Oct. 18. ("Speaker Warns of Threats") It seems to me the danger to this country rest not so much in 'Radical Islam,' but in people like Salvato."
Such explosive rhetoric emanating from a person who wasn't in attendance and who never attempted to contact me for any clarification leads me to believe -- through the context of experience -- that Ms. Wemstrom is not only of the Progressive or Liberal political ideology but, also, either uneducated on the issues, disingenuous and partisan in her approach, or both.
Although out of order of presentation I will attempt to clarify the misinformation presented by Ms. Wemstrom...in the interest of truth and education.
During the presentation I informed the attendees that within the US Constitution there exists no enforcement vehicle for Article II, Section 1. This section outlines the prerequisites for holding elected office in the Executive Branch of our federal government. I also went to great pains to explain that in advancing a solution in the form of legislation to require a formal submission of first-source proof of satisfaction of these prerequisites, that I was not targeting the President. The fact of the matter is that the issue surrounding the "birther" movement presented an opportunity to advance a solution that would defuse and eliminate the possibility of another "birther" situation arising in future elections.
Ms. Wemstrom said:
"Salvato wants a Constitutional amendment that would require proof of citizenship for candidates...and yet he says he is not allied with the 'birther' movement that questioned President Obama's citizenship status...Why now, during the presidency of Obama, whose birth was announced 48 years ago in a Hawaiian newspaper? Why the implication, during his presidency, that we might have someone in power 'whose loyalties can be skewed?' If I dare suggest that racism may be involved in this, I get accused of being unable to 'conceive of no other motivation for opposition to Obama than base racism.'"
Interesting that Ms. Wemstrom injects the accusation of being aligned with the "birther" movement and racism into her attack. Anyone in attendance would have known that at no time was President Obama's citizenship questioned. Nor was the question of his eligibility addressed. The onus of the solution was to protect the US Constitution in future elections so that this divisive issue would be rendered moot.
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