Posted on 11/22/2008 3:51:07 PM PST by bruinbirdman
A cache of private letters attained by The Sunday Times reveals the influences that helped shape the young Obama
Ann Dunham's time in Indonesia was spent as a programme officer for women's work
In his autobiographical memoir, Barack Obamas mother is almost as distant a figure as his absent Kenyan father: Americas president-elect was largely brought up by his grandparents in Hawaii. But a trove of private letters obtained by The Sunday Times highlights her devotion to her son and her struggle to make ends meet as an anthropologist in Indonesia.
It was as a free-spirited student in Hawaii that Ann Dunham fell pregnant and married Obamas father at 18, at a time when interracial unions were still illegal in many parts of America. They divorced when Obama was two and she later married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian. It was the start of a long love affair with his country, although the marriage did not last.
Dunham died at 52 of ovarian cancer in 1995, leaving behind a 1,000-page doctoral thesis on peasant blacksmithing in Indonesia, which friends still hope will gain her academic recognition. They believe her support for micro-financing projects and womens work in Indonesia influenced Obamas determination to build a grassroots campaign for president - and may yet shape his economic agenda in office.
Alice Dewey, a professor of anthropology at the University of Hawaii, was Dunhams close friend and thesis supervisor. For her, Obama will always be Barry, as his mother called him. Dunham also had a daughter from her second marriage, Maya Soetoro-Ng, who is now a teacher in Hawaii.
I have a vivid picture of Ann on a couch, Maya going and sitting on her lap and Barry, not wanting to be left out, sitting on Mayas lap -
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Obama mama private letter ping.
“A 1,000 doctoral thesis on peasant blacksmithing in Indonesia”
A real `page turner’, you betcha.
I have a vivid picture of Ann on a couch, Maya going and sitting on her lap and Barry, not wanting to be left out, sitting on Mayas lap -
And there you have the root to the Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Sad.
Obama and "micro financing" doesn't go together. It's more like hyper trillion spending.
place saver
There once was a boy child named Barry,
whose papa was drunken and scary.
His mom married twice,
so she put him on ice.
Poor grandma ... ‘twas all she could carry.
LOL....typical libspeak. Pregnancy is not only a punishment, but a disease you contract.
It’s sad he didn’t go see her before she passed away.
grandparents every bit as much communists as his mother. But despite "poor little Obama" spoiled as he was by grandparents who gave him everything,
The ungratefull little creep didn't have the decency to attend her funeral.
Excellent.
Obama’s mama was a ho.
You're thinking of Bush.
But he did make time to go to Hawaii and make sure any evidence of birth was put under lock and key.
What an unattractive woman. I guess she looked for love wherever she could find it. I’m already on Obamort overload!
Wonder how this got planted?
I guess abortions weren't legal at that time. Lucky thing for Obama,____ ____ ____ _______ .
Maya was several years younger than Barry. Odd he would sit on her lap. Sad.
The article says “she fell pregnant”, how does one fall pregnant, I had 3 children and I sure as h-ll never fell pregnant.
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