Fact Check

Why I Do Not Like the Obamas

Mychal Massie wrote an opinion piece entitled 'Why I Do Not Like the Obamas'?

David Mikkelson

Published Aug 24, 2012

Claim:   Mychal Massie wrote an opinion piece entitled "Why I Do Not Like the Obamas."

CORRECTLY ATTRIBUTED

Example:   [Collected via e-mail, August 2012]


Is this correctly attributed?

BEST SUMMATION OF BARACK AND MICHELLE EVER -- Mychal Massie
 

The other evening on my twitter, a person asked me why I didn’t like the Obama's? Specifically I was asked: "I have to ask, why do you hate the Obama's? It seems personal not policy related. You even dissed their Christmas family pic." The truth is I do not like the Obamas, what they represent, their ideology, and I certainly do not like his policies and legislation.

I've made no secret of my contempt for the Obamas. As I responded to the person who asked me the aforementioned question, I don't like them because they are committed to the fundamental change of my/our country into what can only be regarded as a Communist state.

I don't hate them per definition, but I condemn them because they are the worst kind of racialists, they are elitist Leninists with contempt for traditional America. They display disrespect for the sanctity of the office he holds, and for those who are willing to admit same Michelle Obama’s raw contempt for white America is transpicuous.

[Remainder of article here.]


 

Origins:   Mychal S. Massie is, according to the biography on his web site (The Daily Rant: Black Conservative Mychal Massie's Hard Hitting Commentary on Race, Obama and Politics):



Mychal S. Massie is the former National Chairman of the conservative black think tank, Project 21-The National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives; and a member of its' [sic] parent think tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research. In his official capacity with this free market public policy think tank he has spoken at the U.S. Capitol, CPAC, participated in numerous press conferences on Capitol Hill, the National Press Club and has testified concerning property rights pursuant to the "Endangered Species Act" before the Chairman of the House Committee on Resources. He has been a keynote speaker at colleges and universities nationwide, at Tea Party Rallies, at rallies supporting our troops and conservative presidents; and rally's [sic] supporting conservative causes across the country. He is an unapologetic supporter of our right to own and carry firearms.

The opinion piece excerpted above, titled "Why I Do Not Like the Obamas," was his Daily Rant column of 22 February 2012 (and was republished on 5 January 2013). Massie's piece drew new attention in August 2013 when Max R. Lenington, a Montana county assessor, treasurer, and county superintendent of schools, submitted portions of it over his own name as a letter to the editor of the Billings Gazette (and four other Montana newspapers) without any acknowledgement of its source. Massie maintained that Lenington had plagiarized his work:



After the letter's publication, a reporter and a few readers noticed that the piece submitted by Max Lenington was similar to a syndicated editorial, "Why I Do Not Like the Obamas," by conservative writer Mychal Massie.

"I do view this as plagiarism. This is totally unacceptable," Massie said. "I don't care if he is Republican, I don't care if he is as conservative as the day is long. It's clear that it's my piece. What he did is dishonest."

In the letter he mailed to The Gazette, Lenington appears to have essentially condensed Massie's editorial from about 1,000 words to 300 words. It also seems that he restructured sentences written by Massie and interchanged certain words with others that have similar definitions.


Lenington was subsequently found to have submitted another letter to the Billings Gazette which was drawn from an item published on the WND web site, again without any acknowledgement of its source.

Last updated:   4 September 2013

Sources:




    Gregg, Eddie.   "More Possible Plagiarism Surfaces."

    The Billings Gazette.   26 August 2013.

    Gregg, Eddie.   "Yellowstone County Official Accused of Plagiarizing Anti-Obama Editorial."

    The Billings Gazette.   26 August 2013.


By David Mikkelson

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994.

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