Obama Counters Anti-Muslim Talk by Welcoming New Citizens

Source: New York Times

Politics

Obama Counters Anti-Muslim Talk by Welcoming New Citizens

By GARDINER HARRIS and LAURIE GOODSTEIN DEC. 15, 2015

WASHINGTON — In an effort to battle what the White House has called hateful talk by prominent Republicans against Muslims and immigrants, President Obama gave a speech on Tuesday morning at a naturalization ceremony that included a refugee from Iraq and a Fulbright scholar from Congo.

The president spoke about the American tradition of being a welcoming society and the incredible contributions of immigrants and refugees to our nation.

The event, held on the 224th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, featured 31 candidates for citizenship, from 25 countries. It was held at the National Archives, and Richard W. Roberts, chief judge of United States District Court for the District of Columbia, presided.

The ceremony comes as 25 Republican governors have vowed to block the entry of Syrian refugees into their states, including some where large numbers of Syrians have settled in recent years. Mr. Obama has condemned such comments as contradicting American values.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/16/us/politics/obama-to-counter-anti-muslim-talk-by-welcoming-new-citizens.html

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Okay, this isn't terribly newsworthy, but there's a personal angle to this.

I posted earlier this morning, over in the Civil Liberties Forum, my birthday greetings to the Bill of Rights:

Happy 224th Birthday, Bill of Rights

Since I work near the National Archives, I figured I'd walk over there at noon to look at them.

When I got to the intersection of 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, there were cops everywhere. Also, there were SUVs galore in 7th Street between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues. The streets were being blocked I crossed the intersection to be on the block with the National Archives.

It's good I did, because not long after, pedestrians weren't being allowed to cross the streets. All the traffic was cleared out, so I waited behind the Archives to see what would happen. I took up a spot on the southwest corner of 9th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, near the memorial FDR said he wanted.

After about ten minutes, the motorcade stated up. A fleet of big vehicles headed west on Pennsylvania back to the White House. I'm pretty sure that was Obama I saw in one of the limos. I didn't have a tablet with me, so I have no video.

I don't see motorcades every day, especially with passengers at this level. It's a beautiful day, so some tourists got to see something out of the ordinary during their visit to DC. Also, I not sure anyone rousted the homeless person sleeping on a bench across the street from me.

The downside is that the National Archives was closed until 1 p.m., so I didn't get to see the Bill of Rights on their big day. The building is open until 5:30 p.m., so maybe I can do that later.

By the time I left the block, the MPD officers were filling out their overtime sheets, and some beefy guys with earpieces slung over their shoulder were walking away.