why it is so essential for us to identify Barack Obama's connection or non-connection to Islam?

This morning, while reading this blog post on the "is he or isn't he" conundrum of Barack's affiliation or non-affiliation with Islam, I know I was missing the point of the piece, which was to discuss how rumors survive. But then I clicked on this link to a NY Times story, which further agonized over the truth or falsehood of this matter. Again, I recognize that the point is to study the nature of rumors, but for me, the obvious question kept screaming, "how does this matter?"

Yes, I remember 9/11. But I also remember Waco, Texas and the weird Heaven's Gate cult members who had to wear matching sneakers on their way out.

Aren't religious fanatics scary people, regardless of their geography or origin of faith? Conversely, isn't it possible that moderately religious folks can keep their shit together?

A group of women at work yesterday somehow found ourselves in a political discussion, specifically, "Is this country ready for a woman president or a black president?" Both questions made me twitch a little, but my twich worsened when one of my fellow lunchers piped up that in fact no, our country was NOT ready for a black president. She wasn't saying she personally wasn't ready, but that she didn't think the country as a whole was ready. I checked my watch to confirm that it was indeed 2006 (even though my watch doesn't have a calendar and in fact it's 2007).

Seriously, though?
Do we seriously consider candidates in terms of skin pigment and whether they have an inny or an outty?
Seriously.