I was on the board of a very small non-profit some years ago: the Seattle Astronomical Society, which had between 200 and 300 members and a four-figure budget. I know almost nothing about any of the people on that board, except for their interest in astronomy. If any of them had been members of a violent protest group* in the 1960s, I'd never know it.
Also, I've been to a bunch of house parties thrown as fund-raisers for political candidates, particularly for Washington-8th Congress candidate Darcy Burner. She goes to those things several times a month. I'm sure she barely knows most of the hosts. If I thought I could organize such a party, she'd be there – without any sort of background check to make sure I wasn't a terrorist when I was eight.
It's absolutely unreasonable to expect that Obama ever knew that the old professor who he met at a house party and a few board meetings had been involved in a violent protest group when Obama was a child.
* I think "violent protest group" is a much more accurate description of the Weather Underground than "terrorist group". They were aiming for chaos, not terror.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: We always disagree politically but anyway...
Date: 2008-10-23 06:12 am (UTC)I was on the board of a very small non-profit some years ago: the Seattle Astronomical Society, which had between 200 and 300 members and a four-figure budget. I know almost nothing about any of the people on that board, except for their interest in astronomy. If any of them had been members of a violent protest group* in the 1960s, I'd never know it.
Also, I've been to a bunch of house parties thrown as fund-raisers for political candidates, particularly for Washington-8th Congress candidate Darcy Burner. She goes to those things several times a month. I'm sure she barely knows most of the hosts. If I thought I could organize such a party, she'd be there – without any sort of background check to make sure I wasn't a terrorist when I was eight.
It's absolutely unreasonable to expect that Obama ever knew that the old professor who he met at a house party and a few board meetings had been involved in a violent protest group when Obama was a child.
* I think "violent protest group" is a much more accurate description of the Weather Underground than "terrorist group". They were aiming for chaos, not terror.