COMMENTARY | The Hill reported Tuesday that Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio is set to release the findings of his "birther" investigation into President Barack Obama's birth certificate on March 1. In September, HuffPost Politics reported on KNXV-TV's interview with Arpaio, who directed his "Cold Case Posse" of ex-cops and lawyers to tackle this issue because the sheriff claimed "about 300 people signed petitions" wanting an investigation into the issue.
This controversy is never going to be settled among people who just can't stand the fact a person of color who doesn't subscribe to their beliefs occupies the White House. It's absolutely shameful and reflects racism plain and simple.
Even though Arpaio claims the investigation isn't costing taxpayers money, why can't these people get it through their heads that bringing up this issue over and over is like beating a dead horse, especially since the president released his long-form birth certificate in April?
This country is trillions of dollars in debt, gas and food prices keep going up, and Iran is causing trouble half a world away over nuclear issues. Yet the "birthers" think they are doing the American people a service over this continued wild goose chase that will never end in their troubled minds and souls.
If people want to criticize the president for his policies on the economy or foreign policy, that's one thing. If people want to criticize the first family for taking a luxury vacation to Hawaii at Christmas where the taxpayers shelled out over $4 million for their fun and sun, according to the Hawaii Reporter, well, that is also fair game, given that so many Americans are struggling to keep their heads above water in this challenging economy.
But this "birther" nonsense has gone too far. It means just one thing. For if it looks like a duck, walks likes like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's simply plain old-fashioned "birther" racism.
Obsessing over where the president was born is a losing issue for this election. For their shameful tactics, "birthers" like Arpaio and Donald Trump should be made to indefinitely and publicly wear the pink underwear the sheriff makes his inmates wear.
