The short video clip above shows Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar referring to World War II as “World War Eleven.” The clip has been reposted by numerous social media accounts and has collectively drawn millions of views. Some versions leave out the Congresswoman quickly correcting herself and smiling at her own gaffe.
Omar’s “speako” has also spawned many memes, like…
All in good fun…except that if Donald Trump made a gaffe like that my Trump Deranged Facebook friends would be screaming that it was time to invoke the 25th Amendment. I am willing to accept the protests of Democrats that Omar’s incident was a forgivable momentary botch with no greater significance and not proof that she misunderstands Roman numerals or lacks a basic knowledge of history…if they stop using Trump’s occassional verbal stumbles as evidence that he is demented.
And you know they won’t.
On the other hand…what the hell? How can someone who has read anything about World War II and seen the numbering as often as educated Americans do—what, hundreds of times? Thousands?—make that mistake? Several years ago, a local news hostess was fired after making the same error; the assumption was that she must be an idiot. Maybe because my sister and I were immersed in World War II history, lore and memorabilia from the time we could speak, this particular gaffe seems particularly weird to me. If Omar pronounced “USA” as “ussa,” would it be reasonable for us to shrug it off as a mistake any member of Congress could make? This is an elected official, after all, whose American bona fides are tad shaky.
Now, now, Jack. You have exonerated Obama for saying there were more than 50 states, and yourself for mixing up this guy…
….with this guy…
so let’s not jump to conclusions about Rep. Omar just because she has said her first duty is to Somalians.
Ethics Alarms 
Foundation “myths” are essential cultural knowledge- I get a kick out of the second generation Japanese American who enthusiastically partakes in revolutionary war reenactments. Because as an American- while the revolutionary war was predominantly and Anglo-American civil war- it’s just as much his as it is modern Anglo Americans.
Among many of our foundational “myths” which include the revolution and the civil war- is World War II.
That kind of flub can imply (with other evidence) you aren’t “cultically” American (not a typo). And if you aren’t such, you have no business being a representative. And odds are you were elected by people who are also not so immersed in America that they should be trusted to elect anyone.