Given that by this point most people in America descended from African slaves have some non-African ancestors’ blood coursing through their veins, all of them could check both white and black boxes or either, depending on preference. So what is the point of Obama releasing his choice? Stir up a racial debate? ‘Settle’ the question asked in the image above? Media distraction?

An individual’s responses to census questions are confidential, but one of President Obama’s answers on the 10-question form adds more fodder to the ongoing conversation about how America sees itself.

After media inquiries, the White House confirmed that Obama checked only the racial box that says: “Black, African Am., or Negro,” the Associated Press reported.

Obama could have checked more than one racial box, given that his father was an African from Kenya and his mother was a white woman from Kansas. He could have checked “white” as well, or even “some other race” and written in “multiracial.”

Obama’s internal struggle over his racial identity was a theme in his memoir, “Dreams from My Father.” But it is a struggle faced by other Americans, and it is an element in the country’s efforts to come to terms with race relations.

The news quickly made the rounds among not only political commentators but citizens with mixed racial ancestry. Some second-guessed Obama’s choice while others said there are no right or wrong answers to that question.

Imagine if these people ran the country. Or should I write that, Emagin if these peeple ran the cun… Well, you get the idea.

Along with the Tea Party has risen not only an incoherent political movement but exciting and refreshing variations on the English language. Now Flickr user Pargon has collected together many fine examples of “Teabonics”, the curious pidgin that has emerged on the simple signs and crude posters handcrafted by the modern-day Poujadists:

These are signs seen primarily at Tea Party Protests. They all feature “creative” spelling or grammar. This new dialect of the English language shall be known as “Teabonics.”

This being the Guardian, we take a liberal view of the uses and abuses of English, and we’d be fools to pretend otherwise. There but for the grace of god, and so on. Obviously, signs like the one above – “Don’t mortage my childs future” – are amusing enough for the mis-spelling. But signs such as these below, with one saying “Honk for English” and another next to it saying “No Amnety” – something to do with immigration – are even more delightful.

I get the feeling that if you pointed out the misspellings to them that they would blame the left for corrupting the country’s school systems so that no one learns nothin’ no mo’. Given these people, it’s hard to argue that point.