Cue the banjo music

Oooh-kay. I try to stay away from politics on here since the topic saturates pretty much every other form of media one can find. But seriously, I can't ignore this topic. Now, although it's probably pretty clear where I stand on the matter personally - this isn't an argument for Barack Obama as President. I don't care (for the purposes of this discussion, anyway!) if you like him or hate him. What I am taking to issue today as an all too what the hella? topic is the attitudes expressed - openly! - in this disturbing news article.

I'm just going to go ahead and quote these idiots. Their comments are indictments of their beliefs more than any snarking I can provide (though I'm happy to do that too!) Welcome to the Wall of Shame:

"I don't think our country is ready for a black president." - Joyce Susick

"I don't think we're ready for [a black or female] one yet...Obama just hasn't impressed me...His middle name bothers me a lot." - Doug Richardson

"The Constitution should be amended so it will not let any colored people run for the White House." - Robert Miller [who, I should note, is living on government subsidies in government housing!!! um, memo to Uncle Sam: I do NOT want my tax dollars supporting this bigoted douchebag!!]

"Black doesn't bother me, but Muslim does." - Dixie Pebley [I don't even want to point out that Obama isn't Muslim, because the sentiment behind this comment is so distasteful]

I'm sure I could find even uglier things on the Internet in chat rooms and blogs, but what boggles my mind is that these quotes were provided by these individuals to a national news reporter.... They were totally comfortable signing their names to these opinions and having them shared with the nation and the world. Folks.....how far have we come? Seriously. I guess I've lived in a happy little bubble where I thought that bigotry was the ugly exception - but sentiments like these are insidious and, apparently, all too pervasive. What! The! Hella!