As an elementary school teacher, I above many others realize how powerful a picture can be. I couldn't help but wring my hands together when one of the most liberal magazines in America, The New Yorker, used this cartoon as its cover. I understand that it is giving the proverbial "stick that in your pipe and smoke it you bigoted, racist, ignorant, lack of education and understanding American idiots." The problem is, I am not so sure the rest of the US voting population will "get it" nor will the international readers of this magazine be able to filter the humor from the picture. With that said, aside from my "paid" job as an elementary school teacher, I also represent the United States of America on a daily basis. This job is non paid and on a volunteer basis, but I am commited nonetheless. Every day is a challenge in the classroom, but I find working as a representative of America more difficult. Explaining a democratic society to some of the places I have traveled to in the world can get rather dicey, especially when some of what we put out to the rest of the world is a bit messy. For example, the word "Freedom"...when I explain freedom to non English speakers and non westerners, I say.."My freedom ends when and where your rights begin. That helps create the basis for a democratic society of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, tolerance, acceptance, cooperation and compromise for all people, regardless of race, gender and sexual or religious affiliation." Now, unbenownst to The New Yorker, they have just expanded my volunteer efforts in my "non paid" job as a US representative not only abroad, but in the US as well. In all honesty and let's cut "through the fat" as we say in the south, tolerance, acceptance and religious freedom for anyone ín the US depends greatly on who is on the receiving end. Let's take Barak Obama for example since the cover was about him. I personally beleive Barak Obama is "quintessential Americana" as its best. He is half white, half black (by the way, the half black is PURE black African with a father from Kenya, we all know that the white part is not PURE American, since we cannot trace his roots back to the NATIVE American Indians which were the TRUE and RIGHTFUL inhabitants of America before the Queen kicked out all the lackeys and drunkards from the jails of England to America and Australia to expand her territories) his first name Barak is a popular Jewish name, I know 3 Isreali's with the name Barak, his middle name Hussein is a popular Middle Eastern/Islamic name, and of course his last name is Obama, his family name. His father was unavailable for parental duties, his mom did her best with what she could, and eventually he was raised by his grandparents. he went on to graduate from some of the most prestigious schools in America. Well, what do you know, that sounds like the life story of most Americans, one mixed up, jumbled up, messy, dysfunctional American family. In my most humble opinion, regardless of whether you support Barak Obama or not, every American should be offended by this deragatory picture of A) An American family B) The American political structure and C) the blatant display of disrespect that only serves to encourage prejudice and anti-American sentiment around the world. If one wishes to invoke his/her rights to freedom of speech, then perhaps he/she needs to consider the responsibility of those rights. If any American wishes to use satire to ridicule or scorn another American or for that matter, other people of the world, then have some self respect and at least let it be thought provoking, insightful, and open lines of communicaton for discussion or debate. America needs to start cleaning up its own backyard and consider the fact that with great power, comes great responsibility.We don't even respect, appreciate or understand our own basic democratic society, how should we propose to continue to extole its virtues around the world.

Until next time,

A Woman of Egypt