Fly with Truth and open mindedness

Hi, my name is Torreah Avis Covington-Washington.

You've never heard of the name "Torreah?" (your loss.)

No, it is not "Torrey"
No it is not "Victoria"
No it is not "Torrell" or "Torenah" or any kind of "eshia" either.

Torreah. T-O-R-R-E-A-H.

You have never heard of it?

Well, it is a Muslim name.

No I an not a Muslim, though, I was born in a Muslim country. ( and no I am not a terrorist either.)

Morocco.

Yes, I was named for one of the past Queens of the country.
So I expect to be treated like a Princess at the very least. *smile.*

No, like Senator Barak H. Obama I am not a Muslim, he is not a Muslim either. (Wake up honey!!!)

Well, "Sarah," you have a Hebrew name, are you Jewish?
No? well your name would imply...?

No, I am Baptist, I attend the Unity Church now.

My Mother liked the name and since I was born there, I guess she thought it would be a fine name. Torreah was a great Queen.

No, actually I can run for the Presidency. You see, I, like Senator John McCain, was born on a United States Military base so it is the same as being born in one of the 50 United States.
Not up on the Constitution? Oh I see... (No I really do NOT see. Did you graduate from High School?)

People call me "Cookie" because no one cares to learn to pronounce "TORREAH" correctly. (Lazy Americans?)

Hmmm, try this, like the name "Maria" in the musical "West Side Story."
"Say it loud and there's music playing, say it soft and it's almost like praying... Torreah... I'll never stop saying Torreah..." (get it NOW?)

Yes, yes it is quite annoying that people would think that that because I have a Muslim name that I would be Muslim....
I have never explored that faith, I may, who knows...
But I am a little Baptist girl...

Have you ever thought of changing your name? Aren't you worried that people will think you are a terrorist?
(Someone actually said this to me.... I replied "NO." and they just shook their head and suggested I might really want to give it some thought.)

I get this kind of thing every little once in a while, especially now with Barak Obama running for President, and to be frank, it pisses me off.

I am fairly intolerant of stupid people.

I think that a lot of this kind of talk surrounding the Senator's run for the White House is a cloak for their own racism....
One would never be "un-PC" enough to say I would not vote for a Black man, but you can cloak it in the "Muslim terrorist line of BS....

To quote my friend Prof. George Hopkins,

"...Questions of racial identity among Americans
[virtually all of whom have mixed racial backgrounds of varying degrees, whether they're aware of it or not]
have been highlighted more than "usual" by Obama's political rise. Those questions are then linked to questions of "American-ness" or "Americanism," plus additional religious concerns by insecure and/or opportunistic "Christians." These fears, obsessions, anxieties, etc., say far more about the person raising them in these ways than they do about the purported subject of their concerns."

So today my dear sisters and friends, fly with tolerance and open minded TRUTH.
Aim High, You can do it!

Torreah "Cookie" Washington