The Busy Boogeyman

Dear Ms. Liberty, Have you heard? The Boogeyman has been busy. One of the last times he was this busy was during the Joe McCarthy and Roy Cohn era, but eventually he went back into hiding - until around 2007 or so.

The goal of the Boogeyman is to shine a light on those who are deemed as “different.” Not white. Not straight. Not Christian. And yet, these Boogeymen have more in common with us than you think.

Enter Barack Hussein Obama, a young Democratic Senator from Illinois running for President of the United States, who became the first African-American to be elected President. He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to parents Ann Dunham, a white woman, and Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a Black man. Ann was born in Wichita, Kansas, and Obama Sr was born in the Rachuonyo District in Kenya (then a British colony). Ann was a practicing Protestant Christian, and Obama Sr was raised Muslim, but later became an atheist. The young Obama’s parents divorced when he was two years old, and he was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents, Stanley and Madelyn Dunham.

Overnight, this Boogeyman who was running for President of the United States was accused of being a secret Muslim, a Muslim terrorist (because all Boogeyman Muslims are considered terrorists, right?), and he supposedly wasn’t born in America. Yes, some people in America didn't understand that Hawaii officially became the 50th U.S. state in 1959. Some people claimed this Boogeyman was born in Africa.

Former tough-guy Chuck Norris bought late-night infomercials claiming Obama represented “Dark Days Ahead,” featuring an ominous figure resembling the Boogeyman in a hooded cape, with dark clouds following. I guess Norris ran out of bad guys to fight, so he had to create one.

Although legal and official documents, church records, and personal statements have shown there is no Boogeyman, to this day the adversaries of this Boogeyman like to strongly emphasize his middle name (HUSSEIN), a common name in the Muslim religion, while making a disingenuous reference to Saddam Hussein, the former authoritarian President of Iraq known for his brutal political repression and aggressive destruction.

Currently, a new Boogeyman has popped up in New York City named Zohran Mamdani. He is not only NYC’s newest mayor, but NYC’s first Muslim and first Asian American mayor. Mamdani was born in Uganda and came to America at the age of seven. His father is Muslim, and his mother is Hindu. This Boogeyman endured false political attacks like he would take possession of all private property and make all of the women in NYC wear traditional hijabs and eventually niqabs that cover the bottom half of the face, even though the Boogeyman’s wife doesn’t wear a hijab and is quite fashionable, showing a lot of skin (How dare she, right? She needs to learn her place.) This Boogeyman was seen shoveling snow, and in warmer weather he rides his bike to work. And speaking of wearing a headcovering -

The Boogeyman has been known to shapeshift and become a woman. Ilhan Omar, a U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 5th District, is one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. This “Boogeywoman” dares to be strong-willed and opinionated, and she hasn't learned her place.” She is a PoC and wears a traditional hijab, which proves she is a Muslim-Terrorist-Boogeyman!

Yet, America has lived with and around other women who have worn headcoverings for years: Catholic nuns, Amish, Mennonites, Anabaptists, and Hutterites. I suppose that’s different. After all, these women are white. Right?

Recently, a new Boogeyman has arrived, and this one lives in Michigan. By day, this Boogeyman is known as Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a medical doctor who won Michigan's Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. He not only has one of those scary “terrorist” names, Abdul, but he is the first Muslim candidate to secure a major party nomination for the U.S. Senate, making him the first Muslim US senator in American history if he wins.

This Boogeyman was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and graduated from Bloomfield Hills Andover High School, where he was team captain for wrestling, football, and lacrosse. He later attended the University of Michigan, where he majored in biology and political science and played on the men's club lacrosse team. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Highest Distinction in 2007 with a bachelor's degree and delivered that year's commencement speech.

In short, this guy needs to be fired by the Boogeyman HR. He’s doing a lousy job.

Do you want to know who isn't a Boogeyman, but has many of the qualifications? American television presenter, physician, author, educator, and newly appointed government official, Dr. Mehmet Oz. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Turkish immigrants. Mehmet is the Turkish version of the Arabic name Muhammad (Oh, no! Another "scary" name!). Dr. Oz was raised Muslim. His father practiced traditional Islam, while his mother was secular Muslim. Hmmm... I wonder why he hasn't received the title of Boogeyman? Love ya, C~