Obama's white ancestors may have owned slaves

[Amianthus]

Friday, March 02, 2007
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrat Barack Obama, who would be the first black president if elected, also has white ancestors who owned slaves, according to a genealogical researcher.

The researcher, William Addams Reitwiesner, says the discovery is part of his first draft of research into Obama's roots. Obama's father was from Kenya and his mother was a white woman from Kansas.

Obama wrote in his autobiography, "Dreams from My Father," that while one of his great-great-grandfathers was a decorated Union soldier, family rumors also say he is distantly related to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy.

Reitwiesner found in 1850 Census records from Kentucky that one of Obama's great-great-great-great grandfathers, George Washington Overall, owned a 15-year-old girl and a 25-year-old man. The same records show that one of Obama's great-great-great-great-great-grandmothers, Mary Duvall, also owned two black slaves -- a 60-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman.

The Baltimore Sun first reported Reitwiesner's work and asked genealogical experts to review it, but they would not confirm the findings. (Read full story)

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the senator's ancestors "are representative of America."

"While a relative owned slaves, another fought for the Union in the Civil War," Burton said. "And it is a true measure of progress that the descendant of a slave owner would come to marry a student from Kenya and produce a son who would grow up to be a candidate for president of the United States."

Reitwiesner found that two other presidential candidates were descendants of slave owners -- Republican John McCain and Democrat John Edwards.
Article

[sirs]

Oh, what a tangled web is weaved   

[Plane]

He owes himself reparations.

[Xavier_Onassis]

The vast majority of people who had an ancestor in the US before 1960 are related to one slaveholder or another. Most are also part Indian.

Mostly people are descended from slaveholders and know it, or are and don't know it. The same is true of Indian ancestors.

These are among the sort of things that not every generation chooses to pass down to the next generation.

Many free Blacks owned slaves, as did many Indians.

[_JS]

Oh, what a tangled web is weaved

Was someone deceiving someone else?

Regardless, my response to the article is: who cares?   

[kimba1]

uhm

don`t cetain kenyan`s own slaves now
correction possess girls as barter

[sirs]

Was someone deceiving someone else?

Not that I'm aware of.  Why do you ask?

[Lanya]

That line you quoted, "What a tangled web we weave" is followed with / "When first we practice to deceive."

 

[sirs]

That line you quoted, "What a tangled web we weave" is followed with / "When first we practice to deceive."

I don't recall typing "deceive" or even referencing it in any way.  You able to read my mind Lanya?  Js?   My reference was specific to the intriguing irony, as noted in the title of the thread, complimented by Plane's subsequent post about Obama's apparent need to reparate himself.  Was Plane referencing some form of deception, on someone's part?  Or is it we all just want women to die of cancer?     

Care to try again?

[Stray Pooch]

Hello sirs and all!

Sirs, if I may enter into this tangled web of debate on the tangled web, I think the confusion lies in your (perhaps inadvertantly) using a portion of the quotation pertaining to deception.  Typically, when someone says "Oh, what a tangled web we weave . . ." it is in reference to someone getting caught in a lie.  Obviously, you simply intended to point out what a complicated situation this was. (I also note that you said "is weaved" instead of "we weaved," which adds credence to my interpretation of your words.)  I think this little side debate is based on a simple misunderstanding.  I think JS was just trying to clarify what you meant.  Lanya, was just trying to point out where the misunderstanding might have come from.  I am just trying to clarify where the misunderstanding of the clarification may have been misunderstood. 

I think I just hurt something in my brain.

I note that this story corresponds to one I heard about on the radio a few days ago.  Apparently Mitt Romney has some great grandparents who were polygamists.  There's a shock - a Mormon with polygamist ancestors.   I think one of the concepts we rejected in the revolution (at least implicitly) was that ancestry was relevent to eligibility for leadership positions.   If Obama had slaver ancestors, it is very likely that the same is true of many of that race.  After all, a lot of African-Americans are the descendants of liaisons (a euphemism, in many cases, to say the least) between slaves and slave owners.  But whether a man is descended from slave-owners, polygamists, serial killers or used-car salesmen should not signify.  The works of our ancestors certainly figure in our own destiny, but our thoughts and choices are our own.

That said, there are still many in this country who will judge a man by his lineage, skin color, or religion.  It is the strength of this country that we can carry on the debate without shots being fired.

[sirs]

I see the apparent extracurricular step made, by messers Js & Lanya.  I guess I get a little irritated when others assume something that fits an apparent precoceived mindset of what I must be thinking, because I happen to be a conservative, when I never actually said such, or even implied such.  The whole "Republicans want women to die of cancer"  being a perfect example

But sure is good to seeyas.  How's Lil'Pooch, and the rest of the poochettes? Any new straysongs you wish to entertain us with?     

[Stray Pooch]

L'il Pooch is a Junior and Stray Pup is in college!  I turn 50 this year and my wife and I are going on a cruise in May to celebrate our thirtieth wedding anniversary!   Time flies when you're having a life.

Glad to be back in the saloon!  Songs later, perhaps.  For now I'll just spout!   

[sirs]

AWESOME...and please, spout a way.  Tee's going to have a fun time trying to re-substantiate his ongoing American military are 1 big mass of murdering torturing rapists diatribe now with you back in the picture.  Granted Ami, Bt, and Plane have been knocking him all over the ball park on it, but 1 more experienced voice in the fray can't hurt   

[Lanya]

Pooch! So nice to see you.  My brain's hurting just reading what you wrote.
The cruise is wonderful, have such a good time and send us photos of the beautiful blue ocean, the sunsets, and whatever else you want to share.  Happy Anniversary!
PS Have you heard about using cinnamon  to keep blood sugar down?   

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/health_science/articles/2004/08/24/cinnamon_joins_cholesterol_battle/

[Stray Pooch]

Hiya Lanya!

I have in fact heard of the cinnamon thingy and I'll use it when I think about it.  Thanks for the good thoughts.  I got a landline back so I should be around more.  We do plan to take lotsa pics, so I will upload a few when we get back.  I just hope that this time my wife doesn;t need emergency surgery!  That's what prevented this trip five years ago! 

The silly thing is, on our wedding night 30 years ago we were 19 and 17 and we passed a carnival on the way to our motel.  We loved carnivals (Hey, we were freakin' teenagers!) so that's what we did for our honeymoon.  So now we are doing a Carnival Cruise - see the connection? Lol!

Yeah.  I make my brain hurt too!