Will the storm over Jeremiah Wright seriously hurt Obama's campaign--and ought it to? This is no trumped-up attack, easy to dismiss. (So much for the Clintons playing the race card.) The video clip that has attracted most attention expresses rage against whites and contempt for the country that Obama is asking to lead. Wright is not another Farrakhan--somebody Obama barely knows and whose endorsement he would rather not have. Wright has been Obama's spiritual mentor for many years: "The Audacity of Hope" is Wright's phrase, chosen for Obama's book as a homage to the man who coined it.
Here is Obama's response: first his statement on the subject, then an interview he gave to Fox.
Most importantly, Rev. Wright preached the gospel of Jesus, a gospel on which I base my life. In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor. And the sermons I heard him preach always related to our obligation to love God and one another, to work on behalf of the poor, and to seek justice at every turn.The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation. When these statements first came to my attention, it was at the beginning of my presidential campaign. I made it clear at the time that I strongly condemned his comments. But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, and because of my strong links to the Trinity faith community, where I married my wife and where my daughters were baptized, I did not think it appropriate to leave the church.
Let me repeat what I've said earlier. All of the statements that have been the subject of controversy are ones that I vehemently condemn. They in no way reflect my attitudes and directly contradict my profound love for this country.
Obama does all right in the interview. (It is good that he laughs at one point at the questioner's comically portentous and inquisitorial demeanor. I thought that was funny too.) But does he bury the issue? By no means. His claim in the interview and in the statement that most of Wright's anger and (in my view) bigotry comes as news to him is just not credible. Tactically speaking, that is a transparent evasion, and will keep the problem alive.
But what I most want to know is why the Obama we thought we knew could hold this man in such esteem. Perhaps it is just a matter of loyalty to a father-figure, flaws and all--which is both understandable and, up to a point, admirable. But does Wright's bitter resentment in fact resonate with Obama, despite all appearances to the contrary? That is a question that will trouble a lot of less-than-fully-invested Obama supporters.
A subsidiary question--one I have been asking of myself--is why the most recent Wright videos seemed to come as such a shock, when neither Obama's close links to the pastor nor the preacher's views about the ongoing evil of white America were any secret. Here is an interesting take on that from Politico:
The fracas started Thursday morning, when ABC’s “Good Morning America” ran a Brian Ross expose on Wright that included old video of him saying: “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God bless America’? No, no, no. Not God bless America. God [expletive] America.”On Friday night, there was Leno on NBC’s “Tonight Show” joshing: “McCain was running so fast from President Bush, he ran into Barack Obama, who was running from his minister.”
The story had burst onto the radar screen of average Americans with as much velocity as any other story during the 2008 campaign.
Political reporters and editors were inundated with e-mails from red-state friends and relatives wanting to know why the brouhaha wasn’t getting more instant and constant coverage from every news outlet.
To reporters who had followed the campaign, it was an old, oft-written story. But this time it had video of Wright saying things like “U.S. of K.K.K.A.,” available on YouTube and played endlessly by cable news channels.
I think Mr. Crook that the Wright story is at heart something that is shocking but illustrative of something fundamental: Jerry Falwell's hatred and extremism isn't something to be denounced. The anti-semtic views Billy Graham has exposed do not lessen his grandeur or the judgement of those who held him in such esteem.
But you are questioning Sen. Obama for finding comfort in a church where such extreme views exisist; while ignoring the fact that homosexual
Catholics live this everyday as do other Catholics who hold seperate views. This is true for Jews who disagree fundamentally with views of their rabbi.
This is, in fact, a common division many church and temple going followers hold.
Sen. Obama rightly condemened such attacks. He has written two books talking about the divisions in this country and his fundamental belief that we must transcend them to grow. He has made a point of inclusion and refused to be pidgeonholed by race.
It is sad that the unAmericanism and rage of his pastor calls his views into question; but Sen. McCain accepting the support of Falwell who declared 9/11 and Katrina retribution from God does not cause one to doubt his moral commitment to the country as a whole.
So why do you question Sen. Obama? I can only see the discomfort being in that angry black man type; because despite times when there's been cause showing and living that anger is felt as a danger by whites and the public at large truth be known.
I have no doubt that Sen. Obama does not hold resentments. I think he's purged them of himself. I think he recognizes racial inequality and gender inequality and sexual inequality and he recognizes that anger feeds the status quo. He seems to have found a peace the Rev. Wright and many have yet to reach and works to move toward actual tangible aid to lift people up.
I do not believe a person who has lived a life of service and legisltated and taught and written as he has can be the caricuture that is being slowly fitted. He is not angry. He does not hate this coutry. And he seems to believe in the good of Americans.
I know that many will doubt that, but I hope the sincerity of his belif will shine through.
Psst--I have it on good authority that Martin Luther King associates with known Communists, homosexuals, & draft dodgers. Does the "civil rights movement" really mean all this talk about peace and unity, or is he dangerously subversive.
Rhoda, your attempt to couple McCain with Falwell is ridiculous. Falwell (before he died) held a long standing grudge against McCain because the Arizona senator once called Falwell and his ilk "merchants of hate".
Obama should stop his campaign. His association with this bigot for 20 years and allowing this bigot to bapatize his kids is sickening. Obama is a disgrace. I'm sorry I ever donated money to him, because it probably went to Wright's Church of Hate.
"But what I most want to know is why the Obama we thought we knew could hold this man in such esteem. Perhaps it is just a matter of loyalty to a father-figure, flaws and all--which is both understandable and, up to a point, admirable. But does Wright's bitter resentment in fact resonate with Obama, despite all appearances to the contrary? That is a question that will trouble a lot of less-than-fully-invested Obama supporters."
You've seen three or four sermons over the 20 - 30 career of a man and you assume that that is all he's about? Is that how you judge the entirety of the man? Much less Senator Obama?
Is it hard to believe that Wright isn't an American hater, that he was especially angered at certain times? Is it so hard to believe that he let his emotions run ahead of this mind, he isn't a politician who's first thought is to sanitize his words.
Do we as a country want to ignore those that feel anger at our country because we don't have the courage of real self-reflection? In all the footage, I never heard him call on his parish to go out and harm. He didn't say that Hillary or white people were worthless, he didn't call for their heads.
He blamed 9/11 on the American governments intolerance and their poor actions. I actually think there's more truth in that, then what other Christian ministers said about it being the fault of the gays, or the jew. But America has always been okay with racism overt and subvert, it's when people question the government that people get up in arms.
It's ashame that people will make excuses for this to hurt Obama because of their own lack of self-awareness.
It takes a village to raise a child.
Obama take his children to learn the secrets of intolerance very Sunday.
These sermons are contemporary not from 40 years ago. Wright is a nut job and Obama is pretty slick using him for political gain in Chicago while distancing himself from Wright nationally.
Quite the gamer. Cute but still a politcal gamer.
Regardless of which candidate becomes President, I am proud to see this huge step past gender and race. Whites have clearly been eager to show that they are ready. But are enough Black Americans ready to also see past race? Having a 20 year relationship with the angry and bitter Rev. Wright can not be dismissed with comments like "former". It may not be racism on the part of whites that will be Obama's undoing. I think the Obamas may need to spend as many years away from this hurt and anger to see all Americans as just Americans.
I am ready for a Black or Woman president, but I certainly would not vote for a white candidate who was a member of the kind of church that preaches racism nor would I a Black candidate, racism and prejudice is wrong for everybody. Obama lost my vote this week. But maybe next time he or another will be ready to show us all the change we want and need.
I notice that the Clinton people seemed to be synch'ed to the same language on every blog: "He's a gamer." "I don't like being gamed." Sounds a little rehearsed.
About Wright's comments on 9/11:
Only the Republicans would suggest that (1) recruiting Usama bin Laden to go to Afghanistan, (2) propping up Israel, and (3) propping up the Saudis -- who beat women for revealing their arms in public and subsidize the Wahhabis that menace the world with their religiosity -- did not cause the 9/11 attacks?
The right-wingers in this country still cling to the big lie, the theoretical basis for the "War on Terror": i.e., that nothing that the U.S. does creates terrorists. Invading countries, torturing people, propping up regimes like Israel and Saudi, playing footsie with the tyrannies in Egypt and Kuwait -- none of it creates terrorists. No, terrorists, they say, simply materialize from the air, like rain; and some parts of the world get more rain than others. The Republican's "War on Terror" is simply to have soldiers wherever the rain falls, to shoot them when they land.
The jihadiyiin that were created to fight the war in Afghanistan are the same ones that attacked us on 9/11, and are attacking us today. The war in Iraq continues to prove that tyranny creates religious terrorism. Cold War ghouls are now back in the White House, playing games with people's lives. The 9/11 attacks were a direct result of this bloodthirsy -- and racist -- imperialism; and from the way it is going now, another 9/11 seems inevitable, unless we change our ways in the Middle East.
Stick a fork in him, BO is done. Black folks should not vote for white folks that hang out with anti-black bigots. And white folks with an ounce of sence should not bote for folks that hang out with people ho hate white folks. His preacher of 20 years, and perhaps his wife based on some of her comments, seems to meet that criteria. nice job Hillary.
This is fascinating, and so typical of both the cynical media and the gullible public. None of you knows anything more about Jeremiah Wright or Trinity United Church of Christ than you see in defamatory articles such as these. So called "journalists" count on exactly that (I would really have expected so much better from the Atlantic), a willfully ignorant public delighted to absorb sensationalistic tripe because it ma
I find it impossible to believe that Barack, who is so brilliant and has such great judgment, had no idea what kind of person Wright is. If he didn't know that he was so controversial, why did he dis-invite him to his presidential campaign kickoff in Springfield, IL? How convenient AFTER 20 YEARS, that all of a sudden, he hears that Wright has said such incendiary things and he "rejects" them. Only when he was backed into a corner did he decide to comment on them. Otherwise, he's preaching change and hope and how he's a "devout Christian" while his mentor and spiritual advisor spews out such vitriol. Now Wright conveniently is on a "sabbatical". Bet he'll be back later once the furor dies down - maybe inauguration day if BO wins. Sounds like Barack is preaching one thing and his wife Michelle, who apparently was listening to the sermons more than Barack, is preaching another. I guess they work together. She tells how hopeless everything is and the Messiah has the hope to give (with a little help from the taxpayers).....
I am more worried about Obama's lack of judgment in having Wright on his campaign staff. He has known the man for twenty years and gives the man credit for being his spiritual leader. Did not Obama realize Wright's potential for preaching, at least at times, racially insensitive rhetoric? Did he not see the potential political and social liability? How did Obama figure that putting Wright on his staff would help him unify and not divide America? Where is the higher level of judgment he claims to have? I have too many questions.
Clive,
Perhaps, when mentioning the fact that Obama named his book after this pastor's sermon, you might want to link to that sermon so that people can get a feel for why Obama holds this man in regard, despite what this truncation of 30 years worth of work into 3 minutes says.
http://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/audacityofhope.html
So, if McCain went to a church for 20 years where David Duke was pastor, that would be okay?
Consider this;
If I spent one day a week for twenty years listening to the “Grand Dragon” of the Ku Klux Klan or the head purveyor of black hatred from the local White Supremacist leadership, what might one gleam about me as a person?
It's really scary under the influence of a pastor full of hate. What is your judgement of right and wrong?
It's really scary under the influence of a pastor full of hate. What is your judgement of right and wrong?
It's really scary under the influence of a pastor full of hate for twenty yrs. What is your judgement of right and wrong?
I'd be willing to bet that Hillary and gang are reviewing sermons and tapes to see if Obama was in attendence when Rev. Wright was preaching wrong....if he was ..then he is toast....how can we trust anyone who says he has been a member of this church for 20 years but had no idea that the minister was preaching this kind of hate? I would have gotten up and walked out if this was going on in my church...
OBAMA has fooled this country long enough. Ferraro was crucified for making tepid comments in comparison to fire breathing Jeremiah.
He is no longer an option for me. Now its between McCain and Clinton.
OPEN your eyes and you will see he is in fact a FRAUD.
Over the years, friends, co-workers, and family members have shared with me their distress over a certain religious leader or another on a local level. It's amazing HOW MANY religious leaders have "lost their way". (Is it because they are human?) In many of these cases, the religious leaders have become distracted with personal issues and haven't the tools to cope with the situation they find themselves in. It's strange, isn't it? We entrust educated leaders with our spiritual guidance, and sometimes those leaders forget their training.
If you had a really crappy day, week, or a severe personal struggle and mouthed off to everyone in your family, they have every reason to set you right, but they shouldn't disown you. Instead, they should reach out and do everything they can to uncover the root of your difficulties. Good physical care comes from treating the source, not the symptoms. The same applies to our spiritual health. If there is a problem, we must be diligent in our efforts to offer love to the one who is hurting.
I'm sure the pastor at the United Church of Christ in Chicago is a beloved person. At his hour of need, I would expect that his congregation would want to help him rather than toss him out. I would hope my family, friends, and community of faith would do the same for me.
Wishing you a brand new day...
Bobbie Sue
Hypocrites.
This is so typical of both the cynical media and the gullible public. None of you knows anything more about Jeremiah Wright or Trinity United Church of Christ than you see in defamatory articles such as this one. So called "journalists" (I would really have expected so much better from the Atlantic) count on exactly that, a willfully ignorant public delighted to absorb sensationalistic tripe offered in little uncomplicated doses.
Dr. Wright is obviously angry and could certainly have toned down the dramatic rhetoric for the sake of your delicate sensibilities, but let's not pretend that he has nothing about which to be angry. This is a man who built this church from dozens to thousands by dedicating himself to the service of his parish in both spiritual and practical ways. He spent his life and career fighting the insidious nature of racism in this country, trying to build a people up where cultural forces were tearing them down, and in the waning years of life and career he sees that little progress has been made on any meaningful scale.
Wright is, and always has been, a social critic and a major exponent of prophetic Social Justice. But of course it is just easier and more comforting for us all to believe that racism no longer exists in the great and perfect USA; that we solved all those pesky little racial problems once they were brought to our attention. Why, anyone who feels or expresses anything as impolite as anger over such an obsolete notion must be dangerously crazy.
The salacious and pandering media always seems to be content portraying Christianity as a religion that speaks of Love while condemning millions of people for their lives, their lifestyles, or their life choices. The public seems to be just delighted with this portrayal, as antithetical as it may be to the nature of genuine Christian teaching. But just let some preacher unleash a little righteous indignation at the fallacy of our Holy national mythology and we predictably erupt. Just let some angry prophet call into question the fashion in which our vaunted democracy is dedicated to making the rich richer and the poor poorer or cripples the lives millions with a kind of depraved indifference (very biblical themes by the way) and we get our collective panties in wad.
Such Hypocrites.
Interestingly, Wright regularly cites everyone's misinterpretation of his teachings of Black Liberation Theology. However if you read James Cone, the primary architect of Black Liberation Theology in North America you don't hear the constant hate spewed by Wright. Instead, Cone emphasizes that blacks must take responsibility for their own religion and their own relationship with God.
I can go along with the explanation Obama gave about not being in church when the inflammatory sermon on damning America was made. But he is either lying or ignorant to sit in a church for twenty years and claim not to know the sentiments of his pastor. Either way he is not fit to be president.
I really looked up and respected Obama. But it is too hard to believe that he never heard any of these remarks, or any friends didn't tell him about how his minister is so hateful. How can he represent the USA IF you have doubts about if he knew all along and is hiding it to get elected. I think his campaign is going to go down hill. Americans are not dumb. When hearing this terrible man with such hatred for the white people, it is a disgrace to our country.
I really looked up and respected Obama. But it is too hard to believe that he never heard any of these remarks, or any friends didn't tell him about how his minister is so hateful. How can he represent the USA IF you have doubts about if he knew all along and is hiding it to get elected. I think his campaign is going to go down hill. Americans are not dumb. When hearing this terrible man with such hatred for the white people, it is a disgrace to our country.
BANG! BANG! BANG! I hear the sounds of nails being driven into Obama's political casket. I felt my mouth drop to the ground as I watched the video clips of Jeremiah Wrong in stunned silence. To say that I was absolutely HORRIFIED
over Wrong's preaching is an understatement.
Obama seemed to immediately denounce the vitriolic statements, but upon reflection, it seems to me that he actually denounced them 6 1/2 years too late. This action seems to me to just be a politically driven action towards damage control. At any time in the past several years, Obama could have voted with his feet and left this house of contemptible preaching, and there would not now be a scandal erupting around him. Instead, Wrong was the first one Obama called upon for support as he announced his presidential candidacy, and has been on his team of advisors.
This, along with Wrong's endorsement of Farrakhan, and Obama's friendship with Rezko, as well as known terrorists should be sending up all sorts of red flags in relationship to this man who is seeking to be elected to the highest office in the land.
While Obama is not to be held accountable for the things another person says, he must be held accountable for his choice of people who mentor and influence him. Obama describes Wrong as being his close friend and mentor for 20+ years. For Obama to try to claim ignorance in this type of situation is so beyond credulity that it is simply absurd.
Can you say "Doublespeak?"
It is difficult for those who are very invested in this campaign to understand that millions of Americans have yet to come to the table and even begin to make a choice.
Hillary Clinton has a very real problem establishing sufficient bona fides to sway the uncommitted into believing she is qualified to be president. In all honesty, what has she herself accomplished that merits her selection as president? We know Clinton well, but she has yet to make her case in simple, plain terms.
Barack Obama has a very real problem demonstrating his true nature to the average American voter. We don't have a clue how he will react facing the pressures of the modern presidency. Like it or not, those millions of us in the middle of the road who are actually going to elect the next president are grown-ups. We fully expect that an American president facing the very real threat of modern fanatical Muslim terrorism will not hesitate to always defend American interests aggressively, with force if necessary, regardless of his or her own personal morality or principles. Obama certainly failed to prove that point when he childishly denied knowing the full extent of his pastor's virulent anti-American radicalism. That was an insulting, very big mistake.
And, in the end, while the snarling, yapping Democratic top dogs chew to bits our party's best chance in years to reclaim this nation for working men and women, John McCain practices looking presidential.
A prophet should speak truth to power: Rev. Wright has certainly done some of that in the sermons we see in these videos, and the original of these speeches was by Moses when he saw the Golden Calf. Dancing Around the Golden Calf: do you think it's an accident that the most popular show on television in America at the start of the 21st century is called American Idol?
America drives prophets to extremes: look at Ralph Nader, and now the Rev. Wright. But they are truthful extremes, at least in large part.
However, we don't elect prophets to high office; indeed, it would be foolish for them to run, it would be a contradiction of their vocation. Obama has tried, I think, to be as close to prophetic in his approach as it's possible to be for a modern public figure; but we see now the sheer improbability of carrying off such a role for very long: too many contradictions between the demands of God and the demands of Caesar, and between the prophecies of love and the prophecies of wrath.
Thus, I think the Rev. Gough makes an error charging people who are concerned about the effect of these videos with hypocrisy: it is a reasonable question to ask whether these clips, wholly unrepresentative as they may be, but which will be replayed and discussed endlessly by the Republicans in the fall, haven't damaged the Obama candidacy fatally. And if we believe that it's crucial to elect a progressive president, then these clips and their likely effect on centrist voters, who will decide the election, need to be carefully assessed. To me, now, it looks like the end for Obama, though some miracle might save him.
Would that outcome be wrong? Of course--but so much in America is wrong. And that's why it may be that the biggest mistake people make is to think there's any way to fix our accelerating ills except by the most painful and incremental steps. The return to health of such a horribly sick, riven, and decadent society is in any case uncertain at best; trying to promise anything else, anything easier--as Obama surely has, though in my opinion mistakenly--just takes us further into our far-gone delusional state.
I'm a teacher; I've tried very, very gentle approaches to the kinds of critique Wright makes with students who know me well and trust me--and still, the defensiveness, the sheer cognitive difficulty of seeing how the rest of the world sees the U.S. is overwhelming for almost all of them. And if the Rev. Wright came into my room and spoke this way--forget it. But he will be in every living room in the country repeatedly very soon, if he isn't already. It's hard to see a good outcome from this. Barring a miracle--but we haven't had one of those in a very long time in these parts.
It is impossible for Obama to be near this man and not had heard to kind of above mentioned anti american slurs. Obama said he had not...but this article says otherwise. http://www.thecitizen.com/~citizen0/node/26491
It is impossible for Obama to be near this man and not have had heard to kind of above mentioned anti american slurs. Obama said he had not...but this article says otherwise. http://www.thecitizen.com/~citizen0/node/26491
It seems the Democrat Party and the drive by media have gotten themselves into a real pickle. I bet John Edwards is looking pretty good to them right now.
It seems the Democrat Party and the drive by media have gotten themselves into a real pickle. I bet John Edwards is looking pretty good to them right now.
Throughout this campaign, Sen. Obama and his supporters have lauded Obama's judgment - and mocked that of competitors and of a significant chunk of the American people - on the war in Iraq. Come to find out, there's nothing cerebral or balanced about that position - it's the same one that Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan took in 2003, and take today.
Sen. Clinton was right to jump on Sen. Obama's tepid condemnation of "Minister Farrakhan" during their most recent debate. That exchange foreshadowed the more serious problems regarding Wright.
It's not so much about what the guy says every Sunday--it's about Obama's blatant lies. Obama and Wright knew that this guy--his mentor, who actually brought him to religion--was going to be poison for his campaign (God Damn America?!?) yet until these videos came out, did nothing at all about it--was he hoping he could skate thru without this coming out at all? And Obama's rush to dump him makes it even worse. After all, Jesus said to drop people like hot potatoes when they threatened your attempt to become Caesar, right? Not.
New kind of politician, my ass. New kind of politics, my ass. Christian? Nope.
The lies about Rezko make it all worse.
i think he should step down from the race and senanet he is not fit to president . any one that listens to that stuff is sick
Mr. Wright??? No, he is sick and wrong. He is noting more than a racial activest. Regardless what Obama says, there is no way in 20 years of attending this so called church that this is first time Obama has heard off colored remarks. I believe Mr. Wright (so full of hate for whites) and Obama see eye to eye on these issues. How could they not after all these years? Did Obama not understand or pay attention? By the way, Why do white American's still have to pay the price for things we had no power over? And why has it seems we have forgot that thousands of whites gave their lives to free blacks from slavery.
This should have come out a long time ago. He would never have won Iowa or the heartland states if we had known the true content of Wright's "sermons." The media should be ashamed--they didn't do their job--including the Atlantic Monthy and Andrew Sullivan. Shame on you!!!
If I had seen these videos, I would NEVER have voted or volunteered for him.
I'm disgusted.
This should have come out a long time ago. He would never have won Iowa or the heartland states if we had known the true content of Wright's "sermons." The media should be ashamed--they didn't do their job--including the Atlantic Monthy and Andrew Sullivan. Shame on you!!!
If I had seen these videos, I would NEVER have voted or volunteered for him.
I'm disgusted.
One thing noticed about Jeremiah Wright's preaching is the fact that not only the preacher but the entire congregration was truly shouting in unison with what was being preached. This entire congregration along with the preacher are racist. It appears to be a normal preaching ritual for this man to bash whites,damn the country and of all things to use the God==== word from the pulpit which is supposed to be a holy place. Someone who has been a member of a church knows very well what is preached there and to deney that would be a damn lie.
Personally, I think Obama is a Muslim seed.
yours truly
My question is how can this "pastor" keep his non-profit status while preaching government from his pulpit. Aren't their strict rules concerning this. If this was my church and my pastor we would be hung out to dry by the irs..
My question is how can this "pastor" keep his non-profit status while preaching government from his pulpit. Aren't their strict rules concerning this. If this was my church and my pastor we would be hung out to dry by the irs..
Obama knows very well what his preacher rattles from the pulpit. Take notice the entire congregration is in unison with what is being preached. For a person to be a member of a church for 20 years and not know what is coming across the pulpit would be sheer stupidity. A stupidity that Obama must profess in order to win the presdency of the USA. How many preachers do you know that curses God from the pulpit?
Obama knows very well what his preacher rattles from the pulpit. Take notice the entire congregration is in unison with what is being preached. For a person to be a member of a church for 20 years and not know what is coming across the pulpit would be sheer stupidity. A stupidity that Obama must profess in order to win the presdency of the USA. How many preachers do you know that curses God from the pulpit?
I'm amused by all the outrage. Sure, Rev. Wright speaks intemperately, and that's off-putting. But if you pay attention to his actual words, and not his delivery, Wright spoke a truth about America that I have seen myself. I have read newspapers, books, studied a bit of American history, and am somewhat familiar with Scripture, seen movies and television and traveled to a few other countries. You can't tell me that what he said isn't fair criticism of a society that was founded by white men who terrorized and enslaved people of color from the beginning.
The blatant and unapologetic bigotry is laughable. Think of it. Senator Obama MUST apologize, reject and denounce a respected black preacher from a respected black Christian church because that preacher had the temerity to say a few things that made them squirm. Methinks they dost protest too much.
HERE WE GO AGAIN.......WITH MR. OBAMA HE SAYS "WE CAN CHANGE", BUT I DONOT SEE ANY DIFFERENT...IS MORE THE SAME, THANKS, MR.OBAMA, I WILL VOTE REPUBLICAN, IF MR. OBAMA WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION, FOR OUR PARTY THANKS, AGAIN ... F. RONDON
HERE WE GO AGAIN.......WITH MR. OBAMA HE SAYS "WE CAN CHANGE", BUT I DONOT SEE ANY DIFFERENT...IS MORE THE SAME, THANKS, MR.OBAMA, I WILL VOTE REPUBLICAN, IF MR. OBAMA WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION, FOR OUR PARTY THANKS, AGAIN ... F. RONDON
HERE WE GO AGAIN.......WITH MR. OBAMA HE SAYS "WE CAN CHANGE", BUT I DONOT SEE ANY DIFFERENT...IS MORE THE SAME, THANKS, MR.OBAMA, I WILL VOTE REPUBLICAN, IF MR. OBAMA WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION, FOR OUR PARTY THANKS, AGAIN ... F. RONDON
I am very sad and sit in utter disbelief that the masses can be so easily led to the wrong conclusion. All of this controversy helps to sell more advertising. The media in general loves to glorify people and then tear them down. More to sell. I've heard Rev Wright speak and can assure you he is no nut job. He's fluent in several languages even Aramaic. He's more learned about different religions than most men of the cloth not just Christianity.
It really simple. Even in the video above he mentions having patience and love for all, also known as unity!
African American pastors have history of speaking in a loud voice. Some not familiar view it as yelling or a display of anger. It's just caller/response. Basic Speech 101.
How can you justify hearing 30 seconds of a sermon, and label a man a hate monger? Furthermore, do you agree with everything your minister says? You can disagree and not leave your church home based on one person. The church is your community so you don't flee because of a harsh sermon!
More than half of Americans don't even read any religious text once a week. So most could benefit from heaRing any pastor or reading of the scripture.
Dose anyone here remember the speeches Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. gave on the steps of the Washington Monument or his final speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta? I listened to every word he said and before he finished, I was crying. He spoke without notes and the emotion was so strong I could feel it all the way to Boulder,Co, He spent some time in the jail in Selma, Alabama and other cities across the south and he walked for miles picking up other marchers as he went. He urged his people not to use violence and to respond to angry words with kindness. They marched all the way to Washington D.C. and Dr.King lived to see Pres. Johnson sign a law making it illegal to discriminate against someone because of the color of their skin. Maybe that doesn't mean a lot to people who still see where we have failed to get to the Promise Land, but this one man with a strong voice and wonderful heart accomplished more in his lifetime than any person in the history of this country to ease the pain and instill hope to those who heard them.
I just read an article on the Net where both Obama and Jeremiah Wrong were both interviewed. The date is Apr 30 2007, nearly a year ago. The interviewer brought up the content of Wrong's sermon the week after 9/11, so Barack Obama was at least aware of them, and had probably heard them for himself.
In the interview, even at that early date, Wrong states that Obama might need to distance himself from Wrong at a future time, (after the primaries.)
Think about it. Wrong advised Obama to distance himself from him over a year ago!
What a game!!!
I am thoroughly disgusted and outraged.
As a white american I would have left a church that spewed such hatred at the black race or at my country..period. I would have denounced it by leaving it. Hillary Clinton would be dead in the water if she attended such a church let alone called its pastor her spiritual advisor. The race card has been played rigorously by the Obama campaign and they would have demanded she leave this race if this was her church. Yet, when Obama is held accountable his supporters, some of them black, say black americans are entitled to be angry. Yes, they are. But it disqualifies you from being president to have ties to such a hate filled person. Hillary Clinton could not seek the advice of a person who holds a portion of this country's population in such low regard. The hypocrisy of Obama having claimed to be a uniter only makes it worse. His campaign hasn't transcended race, it's been all about race and now we know why. This should end his candidacy and it's up to the remaining states to send that message even if he still leads in delegates the super delegates will get the message.
Of course he said that. Rev Wright is a well educated man and knew that the media would have a field day because he speaks how he feels with the bible as his base.
Don't be outraged. It's not a game. It's our country.
I am a African American and proud to be an American. But when Bush invaded Iraq I knew it was wrong and motivated by someting other than terrorism. When I see the Black community run-over with drugs, I know someone, other than Blacks brought them here for none economic motives. When I sought to buy a house on a 80,000 dollar a year income with great credit and was steered towards a sub-prime mortgage, like 72% of Blacks with similar backgrounds are, by the agent I knew sometihing was worng. But I am not angry and still love my country. So when I sit in church and here a Black pastor peach about these ugly truths it doesn't shock me and make me go out and hate white people. In every thing I have heard from Pastor Wright I find controversal but true, and I am sure most Black people come to the same conclusion. However, I do not agree with him condeming this country, nor do I believe he hates this country. He was a Marine wasn't he? Nor are Black people sitting aroung in some smoke-filled room secretly organizing some type coupe of America. We just have come accustom to racism and have become accustom to Black pastors telling the truth about all issues, including politics. Un-like the ruling class in high places and/or positions who have for many years cultivated and mastered the politics of decet and division. For example, When Michelle Obamma said that it was the first time in my life that she was really proud of my country, Fox News edited-out the word "really" which totally changed what she said thus given the impression that she was never proud of America. The people in high places know all to well that all one have to do is plant a small seed of doubt and the American people will hurriedly cut and run and quickly change their view of their canidate. Another example is concerning Sentor Obama's middle name Hussein. Senator Obamma was born in 1961, I believe, which makes him 46 years old. His name was given to him in 1961, not 2001, by his White mother from Kansas, I am told, who traveled the world helping many people. In 1961, there was no Sadame Hussein in power in Iraq, so how can today infer that Senator Obama is a muslim because of his name. When his mother passed he was reared by his White grandparents in Hawaii, and I am certain they did not teach him to be a muslim, so why infer that from his name. Besides,all of this talk about Senator Obama's Christain Pastor of 20 years disproves the idea that he is a Muslim, I believe.
Eric B.
Rev. Wright does not espouse mainstream values. Obama's attendance at his church and Rev. Wright's membership on Obama's advisory African American Religious Leadership Committee (although Rev. Wright has retired from the former and resigned from the latter) may undermine Obama's electability. Although attention currently is focused on Rev. Wright's inflammatory sermons, there should be more scrutiny of the Committee, its role in the campaign and any agenda it might profess. Obama's campaign encourages the support and participation of people of all faiths (faith.barackobama.com) and yet seeks advice from members of a narrow segment of those faiths. Since Rev. Wright's views on certain issues now are common knowledge, the Obama campaign should provide more information on the direction of its call for a grassroots movement from faith to action.
Robin, Rev Wright is not a hateful man. His many missions can attest to that. You'd have to listen or read much more than a 3 minutes speech to rightfully or intelligently determine that.
The Obama camp didn't bring up race as an issue. The Clintons started that. As a matter of fact that's the reason I began to look at other candidates as an option (including Republicans).
I found it disgusting.
You don't abandon your church simply because you don't agree with everything your pastor says. You become a member for more than one person. The primary reason is for service to others.
The God "D*^#" American Rev wright spoke of was taken out of context. It's a play on words. He saying that if we didn't improve as a country America will be dam*^*.
When did we become so afraid of looking at our actions critically? That is part of the reason we are engaged in an unjust war. Anyone who spoke out was labeled "Un-American".
What's wrong with saying the truth however uncomfortable? We our a great nation with great people and should have our actions and laws reflect that greatness.
Look, the bottom line with Obama was...he looked too good to be true. He sounded too good to be true, but in the end the truth comes out. I feel bad and disgusted that he outright lied to all of his supporters touting change and equality. He duprd a nation and took advantage of of the hope and dreams of the democratic party. He is and has always been a politician. As for most of his supporters who were so quick to get defensive about him ..this was brought up in March of 07 but swept under the rug. We cannot afford a president who takes credit for a vote he made when that vote was made to stay in line with these extremist views. Let's come together and demand he resign his campaign. If the tables were turned and it were a white politician there would be more than just a few blogs about it. Get it together America, Obama has no place in American politics with these radical views. There is no way I am going to beleive he doesn't feel the same/ His wife obvously does. Put two and two together..no American flag lapel..no pledge of allegiance..no hand over his heart..please do the right thing and let him know he is done!!!
Voters determine who the nominee will be, unless an election is stolen.
Not wearing a flag on your lapel, not saying the pledge of Allegiance and the rest of it, doesn't make you unpatriotic, even if that were true.
We are in a terrible war because patriotism has been reduced to mind numbing simplicity. It takes courage and smarts to think critically.
If I heard my minister supported Hitler or Farrakhan, I would leave the church. There are thousands of churches in Chicago. Sen. Obama had to know the views of his pastor, and they have to be something he believes in to a degree. Also, if birds of a feather flock together, then think too about Obama's wife's comments about just now being proud to be an American. Sounds like something Obama's pastor would say! And, this is the woman he chose to marry. There must be common ground here. What we have here is a closet radical liberal. He would bring change, but a scary change, which most Americans would not need. He would be ok as a collegiate professor, but not as US President.
So, just as America does not need a goofy/imbecilic right wing Born Again Christian, it doesn't need change in the form of a goofy left wing bitter theologian, expounder, and closet practitioner. Let's stick to moderate change and figure out which candidate is best for this. All successful presidents have been moderates who can work with both parties and actually get something done.
Read Obamas on words of how much he loves his Preacher
Body: Obama says that rather than advising him on strategy, Wright helps keep his priorities straight and his moral compass calibrated.
"What I value most about Pastor Wright is not his day-to-day political advice," Obama said. "He's much more of a sounding board for me to make sure that I am speaking as truthfully about what I believe as possible and that I'm not losing myself in some of the hype and hoopla and stress that's involved in national politics."
http://www. chicagotribune. com/news/politics/chi-070121-obama-pastor,1,149665. story
Nothing is wrong with people of different backgrounds i.e. religious, ethnic, political, socio-economics etc, working together to effect a positive change in the world. It doesn't imply that you support all of their views. Again another problem in our bi-partisian government. You HAVE to work with people different than you!
You don't always agree with the people you work with but, you don't allow that to prevent yoou from helping others. You say publicly or privately (depending on the setting) you disagree and move on.
As for Mrs Obama's words, when a parent tells a child they are proud of their child, does that mean they were never proud before? Not at all.
Yes, Rev. Wright matters. He matters if for nothing else than the Obama campaign was not prepared to deal with the inevitable explosion of attention Rev. wright would attract. The campaign was so unprepared that Senator Obama's unbelievably denied ever being present when Rev. Wright made inflammatory remarks. He matters because Senator Obama returned repeatedly to that church after the first episode of which he became aware. If John McCain regularly attended a church where the minister preached racism, imagine what the Democrats would be saying! How very sad. I fear that the Democratic candidates are not qualified for the Presidency.
Tell Jeremiah Wright to go F--- himself and then get the F--- out of the USA!
I like how when Ron Paul said that the terrorists attacked on 9/11 because of oppressive US foreign policy he was a "prophet" who "speaks truth to power." When Wright says it he is "un-American" and a "race panderer." The hypocrisy is astounding. The bottom line is that US citizens who have found themselves living the good life don't like to be told that it isn't simply because of their superior intelligence, virtue, and hard work. They don't want to hear about structural oppression along the lines of race, class, gender, or nationality. These people prefer to live in a reality where they believe that they have created their own wealth and did so without any head starts, unfair advantages, or any harming of others. They don't like to be told to "know thyself."
Things were so much better before we had candidates of color who "inject" race into campaigns. If Barack Obama would just stop being African American this whole race issue would just go away.
I am a devout Catholic and we believe that Jesus is a man of peace not hatred. Anyone who speaks of Jesus but spews hatred is not a follower of Jesus.
My wife used to go to one church every Sunday morning until we had a bad experience with the priest who criticized one of the churchgoers for singing the wrong song. That is enough for us to be biased against that priest. My wife and I never attended the services at that particular time since then. The priest didn't spew hatred, racism or even unpatriotic words. The mere fact that he didn't have finesse to criticize one of churchgoers was enough for us to be turned off.
I am not running for the highest office in this beloved land of ours but if my priest spews hatred against the same people that our God died for (Catholics believe that Jesus sacrificed his life for all mankind, not only whites or blacks), I have enough conviction and good judgment to determine that it is wrong and that the priest should be outright condemned even after his first sermon of hate and racism.
Get this straight in your heads people: There is a vast difference between the Falwells who proclaim any number of judgments and theories about God's intentions and the mean-spirited screaming against white people and worst of all G-damming America while the parishoners sit there and clap.
McCain, Hillary, Obama and all the others have been endorsed by people who hold views contrary to theirs but for Obama to sit in a church under this man for 20 years and do nothing is beyond belief. I've left a couple of churches because I couldn't reconcile what I was hearing to what I believe; I've never heard anything like Wright was spewing. That was the Christmas sermon? Well, Merry Christmas everybody.
Obama is half white. What is his problem? Is he trying to fit in with this black vitriol? I had planned on voting for him but now, it's Hillary. Oh, I'm white, female and 62 so shoot me.
Obama didn't just go to this church a couple of times ~ he has attended 20 years. 20 years! He has two little girls. I cannot imagine letting my grandchildren (about the ages of his girls) go to church or anywhere else and sit under the teaching/preaching of a man who shouts G-D America and s..t and n..g.r and much more.
Those of you who are trying to compare this to endorsements by right wing preachers, etc are missing the point. All the candidates take all sorts of endorsements but they should all have spine enough to get up and walk out of a church or meeting where this kind of hatred is preached.
Think of it this way if you still don't get it: how would you feel if your child went to school on Monday, attended a convocation, and the speaker shouted g-d America, n.g.er, s..t ???
You would sue the school, the principal, the speaker, and you'd be all over the networks telling everyone how horrible it was.......but you give Obama a pass because of what?
I was going to vote for him but I won't now. He should have picked his family up and gotten out of that racist church 19 years ago. Has he forgotten his mother and grandparents were white? It was the black man who left that little boy and his mom. Racism cuts both ways and if you don't like it, lump it.
Personnally, I think Barack is a good man and I was planning to vote for him . He is brilliant and seems to have good intentions but with a mentor who is poisionous and hates the country that feed him baffles me. JW needs to wash his tongue and reread the bible.Sorry, Barack, you just lost my vote.
How can any American vote for sombody who listens to a pastor that talks and thinks like this. Obama and his wife listened to this man's hate rhetoric every Sunday for 20 years. They allowed their impressionable young daughters to be influenced by this man's rage all their lives! Does Obama expect us to believe that he was not influenced by this man who declares blame and anger against whites and disgust for the country that Obama proclaims to love. Is this the advisor that is to help Obama unite America? I think NOT! Obama's mild rejection of Wright's anti-American views regretfully shows us that Obama is interested in only one race--the one he relates to, cares about and completely identifies with. Obama seems to have forgotten about the remaining 88% of the American people. America is a melting pot of many races and cultures and our leader should embrace all of them. A "unifying" leader should never be a member of an organization that spews hate toward any other race.
Wright should consider himself fortunate to be in this country of endless possibilities, where he can live the life he lives. In the country of his ancestors I doubt he'd have the same freedoms. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to live in America. I am a hispanic American and even though I have experienced discrimination, I would never blame whites or the American people. I thank America for giving me the opportunities that in my country did not exist. Listening to people complain about this country makes me realize they have not lived in or studied other nations. How could Obama be around someone who feels such contempt for the country Obama has excelled in, and the country whose people have given him the enormous opportunity of being their leader. GOD BLESS AMERICA ! Can you say it?
I am tired of writing, but this is too important. I am still do not believe how Barack will simply think we will be Ok after his full explanation with his network MSNBC.
NO excuses
Throwing stones. Have you ever been passionate about something? Can you imagine talking to someone for two hours and having someone take only 30 seconds of what you've said and sum up who you are as a person. People judge all the time based on snippets of information. Are we judging others based on a snippet...or should we look at the person's life work.
Rev. Wright is a respected pastor AROUND the WORLD! Why is he respected? Not for 30 seconds I assure you. He is respected man of God because of his thirty six years of service. What service? Glad you asked...don't throw stones based on 30 seconds.
It’s fascinating to see people throw Obama under the bus for the 3 minutes worth of excerpts of sermons of his pastor. Are Wright's words extreme? Do they trouble me? Absolutely, but they are his words - not Obama's. And we must remember that.
I can't tell you how many sermons I have heard in my own church - Russian Orthodox Christian for what it's worth - with which I didn't agree. Yet I keep going back.
Why? Because that church is part of my cultural identity. Even though I've grown up in the US, I identify with Russian culture, and my church is where I best experience that connection.
Trinity is the place that Obama found a part of his identity - that of an African American. Wright helped him find it. Is it so hard to believe that Obama took part of Wright's teachings - the positive lessons of hope and community - and did not incorporate the anger and frustration of the previous generation into his life view?
It's no different than what we're seeing with the generational split amongst women in this election. Older women are standing behind Hillary because she exemplifies a triumph over the discrimination that they all faced. However, the real triumph for that generation of feminists is that the next generation doesn't feel obligated to vote for her.
Ben Smith on Politico has an excerpt of Obama’s interview with the Chicago Tribune Friday night where he discusses Wright and Ferraro. Before you rush to judgement, it’s worth a read:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0308/Obama_on_the_lens.html
To those of you who say this incident is what will change your vote away from Obama, then I say that you never intended to vote for Obama to begin with. To think that you have finally FINALLY found a flaw in Obama that is so severe that he should just pull up shop and call it quits is preposterous.
Surely there are more important to be enraged about than this? To those of you clamoring for Obama to quit, how many of you complain about political correctness in our culture? How many of you are suburban white folks who have never given more than 30 seconds of thought as to what it must be like to live with the black experience in America?
One thing everyone forgets is that Pastor Wright couldn't have preached the same sermon all the years he ministered. Also, you have other pastors who minister as well. He doesn't own the church. So if Obama likes every other aspect of the church, and can tolerate Wright's once- in- a -while ranting then that is fine. It's not a big deal to baptize your children in a church or get wedded in a church you attend. In fact these are your rights as a member of any church. Why is everyone screaming "crucify him"? Obama is not guilty of Wright's words. He has already denounced the pastor publicly, what else do we want him to do? There are some Americans more radical than Pastor Wright, but it's unfortunate that this guy happens to be Obama's pastor. In my opinion, most churches, both white and black, are judgmental. Pastors express their personal views rather than facts. Please, please please, don't judge Obama based on what someone else says. It's amazing that the same press that once claimed that Obama could be a Muslim now recognize that he's been a practicing Christian for over twenty years.
Many of these comments again illustrate how the mass media can influence weak minds. Rev. Wright has been an amazing minister of Trinity Church for 36 yrs. Most viewed clips reduced down to seconds and are now able to judge this mans intent and character. Every Sunday there are bus loads of white attendees visiting from around the county and the world. There are white members of this church that joined before Rev. Wright retired, and joined because of his great ministry. He is not a separatist, never has been. The President of the Church in Christ is white. Do your research and stop being spoon fed by uneducated race baiters. We all have more important matters that affect us all. The Wars, failing economy, poor standing in the international community, poor education and health care systems, etc. These are not racial issues, but are American issues that impact on us all.
Many of these comments again illustrate how the mass media can influence weak minds. Rev. Wright has been an amazing minister of Trinity Church for 36 yrs. Most viewed clips reduced down to seconds and are now able to judge this mans intent and character. Every Sunday there are bus loads of white attendees visiting from around the county and the world. There are white members of this church that joined before Rev. Wright retired, and joined because of his great ministry. He is not a separatist, never has been. The President of the Church in Christ is white. Do your research and stop being spoon fed by uneducated race baiters. We all have more important matters that affect us all. The Wars, failing economy, poor standing in the international community, poor education and health care systems, etc. These are not racial issues, but are American issues that impact on us all.
Rev. Wright had many of these racist inflamatory views posted on the church website. However they were taken down when Obama was about to launch his campaign. Wright was also supposed to speak at Obama's campaign launch but Obama dis-invited him at the last minute as he thought Wright's views would alienate whites and Jews.
Obama knew all of this all along. Running in his district in Chicago, Wright's preaching hate against whites might have been a political advantage. Nationally it isn't.
Wake up folks. This is why the rules give those ELECTED to congress or to serve their state Democratic Parties an unpledged delegate seat at the convention.
Far left liberals who jam caucuses that do not tend to reflect general election voter preference, may forgive such hateful statements as they came from a black man because of political correctness. Centrist and swing state voters will not go for a candidate who embraced Wright for 20 years and then lied to the public about knowing about Wrights bigoted views. then there are the lies about Rezko. then there is the recently surfaces Princeton thesis that Michelle Obama wrote that echos similar racially charged beliefs as Wright.
Obama has irreparably damaged Obama. The superdelegates can get bullied into acquiesce their convention vote and the judgement the DNC rules charge them with. however we will simply be nominating another Democrat who excites the far left but hasn't got a prayer in the general.
Hopefully John McCain is a one term president.
Obama is and always has been about unifying America across racial, cultural and political divides. Wright's most incendiary comments are manifestly at odds with Obama's core values. To insinuate that Obama's entire life message has been one huge and ongoing lie, as if he were some black Manchurian candidate whose agenda has been exposed by the outrageous comments of his pastor, is to needlessly propagate paranoia and hysteria and further fan the flames of the divisiveness that Obama is working so hard to overcome on behalf of all Americans.
Wake up! His pastor awarded Farrakhan (anti jew, anti gay, anti white, anti america) a life time achievement award. Obama was aware that his pastor flew on an airplane hand in hand with this racist intolerant bigot Farrakhan to meet with Gaddafi.
His pastor says the US government engineered the HIV virus to kill black people.
Obama considers this man a very close intimate friend, spiritual advisor, mentor, and pastor/shepherd of 20 years!!! This man is running on judgement ???? This is outrageous............
Come on America, we don't someone like Obama to be president, someone that is obviously tolerant of this kind of mentality. If he wasn't tolerant who would have never kept this close relationship with Wright.
This is bad shit for Obama. Really bad shit.
Liar Obama needs to drop out of the race NOW.
Here is a much better interview with Barack and Anderson Cooper. Cooper catches Obama in a lie at the end. This could be quite damaging to the Obama campaign.
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2008/03/15/cooper.obama.pastor.intv.cnn
So glad that we now get to see Obama'a true colors. There is absolutely no way that we can seriously be expected to believe Obama's statement re the Wright affair… That he wasn't aware of the sick, incendiary and divisive views of his pastor. That is a slap in the face of every voter directly from Obama himself. Obama attended his church for 20 years; was married by him; children baptised; involved him in his campaign and so much more... Obama knew the views of this 'pastor' and denying this fact only makes it clear that Obama is NOT the person he wants you to believe he is. For a campaign being run on judgement and not on experience... Obama is clearly showing that he is NOT the right person to be the next President of these United States.
From muslim to a Jeremiah Wright's extremist... In politics pictures are changing faster then you can turn your head.
The greatest love one can give anyone or ones country is your authentic truth. Reverend Wright gives that and in most sophisticated and matured countries in this world this would be honoured and appreciated. This is a man who honoured the United States as a Marine with a willingness to lay down his life and yet he cannot chastise the same country for what reason? I guess the united states is the only country in the world that cannot do wrong. It has treated its Black citizens so well that they ought to be grateful and find their way to the back of the queue even behind recent Hispanic immigrants.
Come on guys it is time to cut the bull. You guys will get the President you deserve which is more of the same. It will hasten the decline of your country not just in terms of its reputation but its economics because the rest of the world will continue to speak louder what they have whispered the past eight years, The emperor has no clothes.
Church is a place of like minded people.. If the Rev. Wright church is such, then the congregation is like minded.. Saying that, I do believe that this church that Obama sat in for 20 years is proof enough that he is like minded and is a racist and a shill. Change is his mantra, but there are no explanations of what that will be!
I was going to vote for him but he has left me so disturbed, and confused as to what he really stands for therefor I will vote for Hillary. I have left churches in the past that do not preach the gospel and scripture and obviously Obama's church does not preach the gospel nor scripture. I believe his church is a political platform run by Jeremiah Wright and not a house of worship, unless you worship the Rev. Wright.
Am I crazy? Because I've watched that Wright clip twice, and I can't find anything wrong with it. Like, anything AT ALL. What did he say that was racist? That rich white people run America?
The only "angry" statement I heard was "I am sick of negroes who don't get it!" Are people upset by his preaching style or something?
If all the hubbub is about this clip, than all that means is that America is still too racist for a black president.
I am not surprised how quickly white people are turning on Obama. This based on what someone else said, not what Obama said. They seem to forget that he has to travel quite a bit to be present in the Senate to vote, so these one or two sermons they keep playing over and over again, he could have missed. Quite frankly I don't think Wright is wrong, he spoke truth to the situation. Hillary cannot relate in any way shape or form what it is and what it means to be black and the hardships mostly caused by white people, that blacks have to go through.
It's not a far reach that the government created AIDS to kill black people, look up the 40 year experiment they did on black men in Tuskegee, AL using syphillis. What does it say about the government and those in charge? COINTELPRO? Jim Crow? Oh yeah and slavery and the affects of it still being felt today?
I am not surprised how quickly white people are turning on Obama. This based on what someone else said, not what Obama said. They seem to forget that he has to travel quite a bit to be present in the Senate to vote, so these one or two sermons they keep playing over and over again, he could have missed. Quite frankly I don't think Wright is wrong, he spoke truth to the situation. Hillary cannot relate in any way shape or form what it is and what it means to be black and the hardships mostly caused by white people, that blacks have to go through.
It's not a far reach that the government created AIDS to kill black people, look up the 40 year experiment they did on black men in Tuskegee, AL using syphillis. What does it say about the government and those in charge? COINTELPRO? Jim Crow? Oh yeah and slavery and the affects of it still being felt today?
I just read the text of Wright's "Audacity of Hope" speech that inspired the title of Obama's book. It contains none of the vitriol we see in the video clips now on Youtube, and it shows a decency and depth of thinking that helps explain Obama's attraction to Wright. Nice to have a less cartoonish image of the pastor, one that might help us all understand why Obama stayed with him through the years. Obama should encourage people to read it for perspective on the current firestorm.
No doubt, Obama should have distanced himself long ago. But as is always the case, the reality is more complex, and the human dynamics more understandable, than the media's frenzied narrative suggests.
"America is run by rich white people" is indeed a fact, though hardly conclusive proof that something is wrong with the country. On the other hand "White people created AIDS" is NOT a fact, and preaching such lies to a trusting black congregation inescapably teaches them to hate white people. Pastor Wright's statements are not a call for redress but for revenge, and I don't see how Obama can have been missing that message for twenty years.
I can't believe at 49yrs on this earth someone like Geraldine Ferrarro STILL is stupid. And will say stupid things. How is it that any black person in this country that is out number 8 to 1. 87% of blacks and hispanic make up our prisons. Black UNARMED children women and men are killed by white police officers and white America says NOTHING. Even black police officers have been murder by white officers. And this stupid fool thinks that a black man has a advantage in this country. Also in OUR history white President Reagan sold drug with Oliver North in BLACK neigberhoods and white America says NOTHING YEAH RIGHT! Blacks have lived after Slavery , Jim Crow LAW ,Riot against blacks one white cop shooting after another all under white rule and this fool say Obama has it easy. Maybe just maybe white American and Black AmericaNS ARE UNDERSTANDING THAT VOTING WHITE MALE OVER AND OVER HELPS no ONE! Ferrarro is WRONG and I don't think she racist SHE STUPID! On the other hand I wonder why Rev Wright a American citzen thinks the way he thinks and why is the media NOT sitting down with him and asking him.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
Based on the number duplicate posts above, I wonder if these Clinton spammers are paid by the post?
I think that the specter of these videos being endlessly replayed by the Republicans in the fall will probably swing the superdelegates to Clinton. The only way I can see for Obama to stop that would be for him to make the ultimate Checkers speech, only this time a Checkers speech that is completely truthful rather than infernally manipulative.
And ironically, this will be his chance to actually give *content* to his promise of Change that can bridge the deepest divisions in our society.
He has in fact begun to explain the truth about the feelings of many African-Americans in the interviews, but so tactfully and gently that it's almost a dog whistle; but I think if he wants to save his candidacy, he has to make it unmistakable and throw it back onto the majority.
That is to say, the new Obama Checkers speech would have to tell white America that in fact, in Rev. Wright's speech you see very purely the powerful legacy of slavery and racism; that the African-Americans you casually, amiably work and mingle with in public spaces, probably a majority of them, certainly those who are older, are still incredibly angry, paranoid, and defensive; but in order to survive in White America, where "White is Right," they have to hide all that during the week. On Sunday, though, among their fellows, it can all find release: the intensity on that day reflects precisely the degree and difficulty of repressed feelings on the other six.
The time has come, though, to bring these feelings out into the open and into dialogue. White Americans need to hear this pain and anger, and they need to think deeply about how they *still* benefit from the effects of slavery and Jim Crow. They need to think deeply about who gets locked up 10 times as often, about our drug laws as the mechanism of our version of apartheid, about the life expectancy of black males, about all the other continuing effects of racism. They need to see that indeed, reparations ought to be paid to the descendants of slaves. (What is a hundred years' interest on 40 acres and a mule?)
And only when whites hear and acknowledge that pain and those continuing injustices and how they have benefited from limiting the competition they would otherwise face from a talented, energetic class of people, can this country begin to heal itself--instead of deluding itself in every conceivable way, from buying houses it can't afford to invading countries that it can't afford to occupy.
The theme of our headlines at home and abroad is Bankruptcy: where do you think bankruptcy starts? It's the perfectly appropriate expression of our spiritual condition as a nation. If you don't want to hear it from Rev. Wright, just ask the Dalai Lama, who says this morning to his own people (who must be more mature than we are, since their leader can tell them the unpopular truth about themselves) that violence is almost like suicide. It certainly is proving to be so in our case, not only in Iraq, but more insidiously in our 800 military bases on foreign soil.
The polarization and paralysis in the Congress is just the proxy for this festering racial divide; from Nixon's Southern Strategy to Willie Horton to the assault on Bill Clinton to the disenfranchisement of Florida's blacks in 2000, could that be any clearer? That gridlock is what Obama promises to end: how else can he end it except by challenging us all to see the real problem?
That's almost an impossibly tough message to hear, but if anyone could do it, this obviously non-racist, intellectual, gentle, and biracial person would be the person to deliver it. This is a test, America: will you pass it?
I doubt it, myself; but we'd better try the experiment. If Obama is going to go down, let him go down with an act of supreme truth and self-sacrifice, which might at least begin to put the truth out in the public square, even more clearly than MLK did in the letter from Birmingham Jail; and after the howls of defensive rage begin to die down, that still small voice of truth might percolate and begin transforming the minds that have anything open in them, and so help us to start looking in the mirror.
If we don't do that, if we don't start seeing that our reflexive patriotism and our paranoid xenophobia (which targets all those who look different, from Detroit to Iraq) have become the leading mechanisms of our accelerating self-destruction, then we truly are done: the fading British Empire of the 21st century.
Well, this is a dream, no doubt. But every crisis is also an opportunity; the greater the crisis (and this is *the* existential crisis for Obama, I'm almost certain), the greater the opportunity. And it would certainly be a Change from the Kabuki irrelevance of 99% of our public discourse.
I write, by the way, as a white male who has been supporting Hillary; but if Obama could show the content of Change by some kind of response like this, a courageous teaching moment for white America, I'd vote for him, I'd work my heart out for him.
The problem is that we don't really know Obama very well. However, the pieces that emerge weave an increasingly disturbing picture. First we see a man who won't wear an American flag lapel pin and doesn't put his hand on his heart during the National anthem. Then we hear from his Ivy league educated wife about being proud of America "for the 1st time" in her adult life. Now maybe we understand why.
One doesn't regularly attend a church for 20 years without knowing the Pastor's views. I do not believe one joins or regularly attends a church if he disagrees with the Pastor's world views and social views- especially a church espousing the type of social activism espoused by this church.
Obama clearly does not "transcend" race, as he claims. Indeed, his church, of which he is a part, is racist! Unfortunately, one does not attend a church for 20 years and have a close relationship with the pastor without those views becoming part of the fabric of who you mature into as a person.
Obama is certainly a handsome, well-spoken young politician. He actually reminds me of David Dukes. You can put a nice face and touch on something ugly, like putting lipstick on a pig. But in the end, you still have a pig. Obama may hide it, but we can see the hate and racism that his church represents, and I fear that this is consistent with his world-view and represents the "change" and "hope" he purports to represent. I fear that Obama so wants to "change" America because he really hates America as it is.
And someone needs to tell "Tyrone" not to post the same message 9 consequtive times, no matter how strongly he believes it.
The Jeremiah Wright association with Obama is radioactive. If Obama wins the Democratic party nomination, he will lose to McCain, he will lose big, and the reasons are rather obvious:
1. In any election over the past 50 years, the real contest is for the third of White voters who are political moderates and independents. Approximately 90% of Blacks always vote Democratic, as do approximately one third of Whites. Similarly, one third of Whites always vote Rpublican. Therefore, Presidential elections are always reduced to a contest for the moderate third of White voters.
2. The GOP 527 Groups will "swiftboat" the Obama/Jeremiah Wright association mercilessly in the key battleground states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. With Wright serving as Obama's personal mentor and pastor for 20 years, Obama will not be able to adequately distance himself from Wright. The image of this racist hatemonger, adorned in dashiki and African garb, spouting these vile comments, will completely alienate that one third of moderate and independent White voters in key states. The commercials will be relentless and hard-hitting, and they will be horrifying to Whites.
3. No Democrat has EVER won the White House without carrying at least a couple of Southern states. Jeremiah Wright's racist and antiAmerican diatribes will ensure that Obama loses EVERY state in the South.
Face it, Obama's toast. And if a picture or video emerges of him in the pews, or if witnesses come forward to state he was present, during any of these contorversial sermons, expect a minimum 10 point victory for McCain.
You'd be VERY naive, or extremely politically ignorant, to believe Obama can overcome this. Kerry's swiftboat veterans had nothing this strong or repulsive and look how Kerry fared.
Can you imagine electing a man President who has for 20 years been a member of a Congregation, and still is a member of a Congregation, that preaches hatred against the United States?
So Obama attended this church for 20 years and had no idea his Pastor was a racist and had so much hatred and anger for America. Right and I also believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Either he knew about his Pastors true feelings or he is so naive and ignorant that he is not fit to be President. If a man can attend the same Church for 20 years and not really know what the pastor stands for and preaches, he is a very poor member or he doesn't really care. Further more Obama says it's alright to continue attending this church because Mr. Wright is no longer the pastor. This congregation is already tainted, look how they are worked up into a frienzy while Mr. Wright is ranting and raving and spewing his hatred toward America and white people. If obama wants to stay at this church, he is just as guilty as Mr. Wright and does not deserve to be in the Senat, much less running for the President of this great counrty!
Obama's implication that he was unaware of Wright's hateful views and rhetoric because he wasn't "in the pews" on those days does not pass the smell test.
Does Obama think that we are naive enough to believe that he didn't know of either his Pastor's views or rhetoric?
Does Obama believe that the American people are naive enough to believe that one is a member and attends a church for 20 years without being influenced by the views of his pastor?
Obama's entire adult life has be spent under the tutelage of this hate-monger. To characterize this as "guilt by association" is naive. Rather, this helps explain some of the other conduct and statements of Obama and his wife.
To those who think that Obama is unelectable because of the attacks that will used against him because of Wright need to consider that Hillary's past and present skeletons will be trotted out on a weekly basis before the General Election.
This is why the Republicans want Hillary!
To think that this ONE issue regarding the comments of Obama's pastor is enough to prevent him from entering the general campaign is ABSURD!!!
Joe writes:
The problem is that we don't really know Obama very well. However, the pieces that emerge weave an increasingly disturbing picture. First we see a man who won't wear an American flag lapel pin and doesn't put his hand on his heart during the National anthem.
Obama may hide it, but we can see the hate and racism that his church represents, and I fear that this is consistent with his world-view and represents the "change" and "hope" he purports to represent. I fear that Obama so wants to "change" America because he really hates America as it is.
Posted by Joe | March 16, 2008 1:14 PM
First, nice of you to echo the right wing talking points about his patriotism. So I assume all those who stand at a sporting event with beer in hand instead of hand over heart are anti-American? He has answered the question of his patriotism repeatedly - try looking it up.
Second, what is more likely? That Obama secretly harbors racist and separatist sentiments and hates his country, or that his lifetime of speeches and actions working towards racial equality and justice are his true feelings? Get a grip.
I urge you to read my post above and think about the generational differences between Obama and his Pastor and lift your head from the talking points on your page. Think about why black churches and colleges exist - because African-Americans were prohibited by law or by custom from participating in equivalent white institutions. The leaders of many black churches (such as Wright) experienced firsthand having to exist in a shadow culture and it leaves a mark.
Obama is in the next wave - he benefits from those that came before him but doesn't carry the same anger. Two things can be equally true: That Obama understands and can to a certain extent identify with the frustrations of those that came before him AND be carving a new path going forward, one that is continues the struggle but without the anger.
This type of hate and unpatriotic talk has no place in America and Barack by association has been caught in it. No doubt,Barack is well-intentioned, good man who would have had my vote but this uncle is a racist hater who can influence Barack. Therefore, Barack , you have lost my and my family vote
I think that we need to actually see the whole sermon in context or see what Rev. Wright was saying while Obama was in the congregation. It is hard to make this type of judgement on only a few media sound bites. Well I knew it would come down to this. Poor Obama, if he looses this race it will be because of this.
It is amazing that none of the allegations that Rev. Wright has made have been addressed in these negative attacks against Barack. Some of the comments were inflammatory. It is good to remember that blacks have a very different experience in the America we all love. Our country is not perfect and has been downright brutal and vicious to black citizens. 246 years of brutal chattel slavery based solely on race and to build a national economy. After the first civil rights bill passed in 1865 the denial of those rights continued for another one hundred years. Forty three years ago, not only could blacks not vote in this country but they literally were taking their lives into their own hands if they attmepted. It is amazing that some whites in this country have so little tolerance for comments made by a misguided but rightfully angry leader of a disenfranchised struggling congregation. I am not here to talk about America's goodness. There is plenty of that going on. I do want to remind white America that for the vast majority of its history, that black Americans have not seen nor tasted that goodness. Instead of redressing the this open and festering wound of race, white America bristles at the thought of accusation of having done anything wrong, or not benefitting from it. HYPOCRITICAL. Remember, the whole justification for brutal slavery and violent segregation came from white pulpits all over america. There were no political consequences to these hateful remarks against blacks for 400 years. These sentiments became the intellectual foundation for the systematic and brutal discrimination against blacks for centuries. We seem to be analyzing these comments in a historical vaccuum. I find it very hypocritical. AND REMEMBER, Jerry Falwell, pat robertson and many other WHITE PREACHERS all over the country asserted that 9/11 was a part of God's judgement on America. TWO QUESTIONS: IS AMERICA SINLESS? (i.e.,500,000 iraqis killed and 2 million displaced based on a lie)IF AMERICA IS NOT SINLESS HOW LONG CAN WE ESCAPE JUDGEMENT? No one wants to talk about the truth or judgement for past sins. We only talk about this country unless it is positive. We had better wake up and stop punishing messengers just because our sensibilities are ruffled.
Guilty by association huh? Sounds pretty unamerican to me. Let me ask you a question. How many of you have ever utterred the word Nigger? How many of you know people who hold racist or discriminatory views?
Have you disassociated yourselves from them????? HOW HYPOCRITICAL.
A person should not be guilty by association, no matter who it is.
People who are coming out against Barack were looking for a reason anyway. This wont stop him.
On Meet The Press Senator Bradley should be a canidate for President he show that he can explain alway stupid. Any one in America see 29 to 14 and more deligate. That Obama is the front runner. Rep. Nita Lowey never answer one question directly. Hillary will do and say anything to be President. She showed in her vote for the war that she will NOT be ready on day one. Because surly she wasn't ready that day. The turth of the matter neither Obama nor Clinton has ever been President but Obama vote on the side of most Americans. Now Hillary has been in the white house as First Lady. Because she marry President Bill Clinton something Obama couldn't do. All the 35 years of experince Hillary put in those 16 year as first lady. She just marry well. So I take away those 16 years and she is left with 19yrs. One year LESS then Obama experince. The media should be telling the people to look at Hillary when she stated that she vote for the war BY mistake and she also voted for a bill she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID . She should NOT be a Senator let along President! ( I Fill sorry for NY voter) Also why is the media not sitting down with Rev. Wright and asking this America citizen why he said the things he said.
Hey HowQuicklyPeopleTurn:
You say it is absurd for white people to turn so quickly from a black Presidental candidate they once supported. So true, in both directions! After Bill Clinton simply states that Obama being black might be an asset for him in South Carolina, with its history of voting for black candidates, black voters reject Hillary and go 85% for Obama. Talk about a turn!! And that wasn't anything compared to "GD America". Well, no one is sacred. Hillary isn't, and Prince Barack isn't either.
Interesting also to see the other material on the church's website: a distinguished service award for Farrakhan, and another one for the corrupt mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilkpatrick, about to be indicted for perjury for lying under oath about an affair with a staffer. What a corrupt, unloving, ungrateful group of people at this church.
In my experience, people with views like Jeremiah Wright and his congregation are VERY REPRESENTATIVE of how blacks think and talk amongst themselves when there are few or no whites present. Deep abiding hatred of whitey are among the most powerful and overriding emotions these people have.
BTW, its off topic, but since I'm likely to get tarred as a racist for my above comment, I'd like to note I started as a typical white liberal growing up in rural America, the sort of person who goes to the Wyoming caucuses to support Barack Obama. Now after several years in a big city, working and living and riding the bus each day with inner city blacks, I'm the kind of person who comes home from work and reads the American Renaissance website! Well, Matt Bai has an interesting post in today NYTimes Sunday Magazine about the "real racial divide" that leads me to believe I'm not that unique of a person:
"Maybe it shouldn’t surprise us that while white Democrats in rural states are apparently willing to accept the notion of a racially transcendent candidate, those living in the shadow of postindustrial atrophy seem to have a harder time detaching from enduring stereotypes."
That's right. Particularly when those stereotypes get reinforced by concrete reality over and over and over agains.
An American dilemma, indeed.
Decide for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Jeremiah+Wright+&search_type
you better hope that they don't find any video of Obama in the church audience listening to this racist hate monger...
The most amazing thing to me is that Obama named his autobiography after a sermon by Jeremiah Wright and also called Jeremiah Wright his SPIRITUAL ADVISOR & MORAL COMPASS.... You got to be kidding me!
Obama went to Jeremiah Wright's sermons many times for many years. It's a bit revealing that only now Obama is speaking out against this racist and anti-semite... Obama has lost my vote because character counts....
I do not belong to any denomination, I do believe my home is my sanctuary and here is the place to do my prayers. I am Latin american woman I pay almost 40% os my annual income in taxes. I am part of 40% minorities population in USA, and I realized we are ill represented in politics. This country is well known to import brain power in all arenas ie. medicine, technology, physics, the only niche that remain vergin to newcomers is politics. Older generations are whizzing with the last gap to remain in power. The economy of this country is based in productivity, the power horse population of the economy needs a progressive President a good role model for younger generations of all colors and geneders.
If Senator Obama loose the nomination by the connstant entitlement and prejudice and infusion of alarm and fear in voters by Senator Clinton the words of pastor Wright will be a like a prophecy "that the american goverment is leaded by Ku Klux Klan mentality" just like the one that came from the mouth of Mrs. Ferraro
If this had been a (white) preacher that had made these same remarks about America and Senator Obama, the rest of America/world would not have heard too much about it, but seeing that it was a (black) preacher that made these remarks, all hell broke loose on Senator Obama because of his association with the church. There was an enemy in the camp/church just waiting to pounce on Senator Obama and discredit him for all the work he has accomplished.As one should know, there was also an enemy in the camp when Jesus went to a place called Gethsemane to pray, Matthew 26:36. What I am trying to say is, this will not stop the people from supporting Senator Obama, and this will not stop him from becoming the next President of the United States. All this has done is strengthen Obamas'cause to bring the people of America closer together for a better democracy.
At best, it sounds like Obama's admiration for Wright parallels Trent Lott's admiration for his old segregationist mentor Strom Thurmond. In the case of Lott, he lost his Congressional leadership position because of it.
Some googling led me to the discovery that Obama was a student while at Harvard of Derrick Bell, a law professor whose "Critical Race Theory" is ideological parallel to Wright's. To what extent Bell influenced Obama, I'm not certain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Bell
Obama's homage to Wright'c commitment to "Social Justice," found in Obama's Huffington Post statement, suggest that Obama's view of social justice is based on a "class struggle" and "white privilege" analysis of power in America. (Or should I say Amerikkka?)
The media loves this story because it is sensational. I suspect most of the commentors here who are trying to promote darkest side of the issue are not the hateful paranoiacs they appear to be. They are simply trying to fan a small ember into a gigantic flame so that they can promote Hillary and trash Obama.
It wouldn't matter if Wright were Barack's pastor, his uncle or his postman. It is an absurd stretch of guilt by association. Those who continue to instigate and heighten the controversy are the very divisive fear mongers that must be marginalized in order to move this country ahead.
I remember when the Frito bandito was "offensive" and "racist" and hearing our black brothers and sisters trying to gloss over the hate of Rev. Wright makes me sick! I have worked with and know many african americans. I bought a laptop computer from one friend who is black and he forgot to delete all his files. I was appalled to find racists jokes and commentary on his computer that was vile and similar to Rev Wright's diatribes. Racism is rampant in the african american community and it is one of politcal correctness' dirty secrets. I have attended "white" fundametalists churches for over 50 years of my life and never once have I heard anything racist from the pulpit. I did hear a lot about the good samaritan and the love of Christ to all. Many of the lessons were about the sins of stealing, murder and adultry. Here is my point. African americans have many reasons to feel like they have been used and abused. If you feel that way fine! Don't try to tell me you love everybody and want to unify the country if you hate me, a white person. Don't tell me you love America and sit and listen to the venom Rev Wright spews out.
I believe it is patently unfair to judge Senator Obama or anyone based on the crazy things their pastor, friends or family members may say or do for all of us would be condemned based on that flimsy standard. Senator Obama repudiated and denounced Reverend Wright's statements and that is good enough for me. He took responsibility which is a rarity with our politicians today.
Also it is patently unfair to examine only Senator Obama's pastor without examining Senator Clinton's and McCain's pastors/religious right evangelical friends. In the case of Senator McCain, who sought and received the endorsement of some hateful religious right evangelical groups and pastors, with him even calling them his spiritual advisors. Those groups and pastors statements should be examined. I assure you it will not be pretty.
Finally, the Republican Party has supported racists and bigots within its ranks for many years i.e. Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms and David Duke, racist institutions such as the CCC (cousin to the KKK)and Bob Jones University, and racists media institutions/pundits i.e. Fox news, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Mike Savage etc. and no one has questioned the character of Republican leaders like Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and John McCain on this factor eventhough they have spent considerable time with these individuals and institutions. If you apply the same standard to them that you're applying to Senator Obama. Then you should condemn Bush, Reagan and McCain as well.
Do you really think Obama had no idea his pastor espoused these beliefs and/or that such sermons had no effect on who he is? People of faith choose a church with which they can most identify. A pastor helps shape his/her flock by teaching them.
If one attends church and doesn't in some way relate to or make relative the sermons and views of the church to his or her own life, what is the purpose of attending or being a member, other than maybe for personal or political gain?
I don't pretend to know what the motivations are here, nor do I wish to judge anyone. It is however, very interesting that the Obama's have attended this church for 20 years and according to Obama never heard anything but "Jesus preached." I understand the concept of "social gospel" however, Jeremiah Wright's use of a pulpit for this type of unfortunate commentary destroy's any positive impact or attempt for this church to present it's "social gospel" and is indicative of much greater problems.
This issue is not going away and I'm afraid Obama can no longer carry the banner of unity legitimately through this election process. Well he can carry it, but it won't get him any closer to the presidency. His credibility and commitment to the ideals he espouses is no doubt permanently damaged.
In addition, Michelle Obama's comments regarding America can now be better dissected and understood considering the views her Pastor and she herself have regarding our great country.
America may have some skeletons in our past, but at the end of the day, we all still live in the best country on the planet. I hope we can continue to elect leadership that loves her as much as the rest of us do.
Do you really think Obama had no idea his pastor espoused these beliefs and/or that such sermons had no effect on who he is? People of faith choose a church with which they can most identify. A pastor helps shape his/her flock by teaching them.
If one attends church and doesn't in some way relate to or make relative the sermons and views of the church to his or her own life, what is the purpose of attending or being a member, other than maybe for personal or political gain?
I don't pretend to know what the motivations are here, nor do I wish to judge anyone. It is however, very interesting that the Obama's have attended this church for 20 years and according to Obama never heard anything but "Jesus preached." I understand the concept of "social gospel" however, Jeremiah Wright's use of a pulpit for this type of unfortunate commentary destroy's any positive impact or attempt for this church to present it's "social gospel" and is indicative of much greater problems.
This issue is not going away and I'm afraid Obama can no longer carry the banner of unity legitimately through this election process. Well he can carry it, but it won't get him any closer to the presidency. His credibility and commitment to the ideals he espouses is no doubt permanently damaged.
In addition, Michelle Obama's comments regarding America can now be better dissected and understood considering the views her Pastor and she herself have regarding our great country.
America may have some skeletons in our past, but at the end of the day, we all still live in the best country on the planet. I hope we can continue to elect leadership that loves her as much as the rest of us do.
I was and continue to be horrified over Jeremiah Wrong's statements, and the fact that Obama has been a member of Wrong's congregation for 20+ years.
While I don't hold Obama responsible for the comments Wrong made, I do hold him responsible for continuing a close relationship with a man whom he knew spewed forth such venomous vitriol on a regular basis.
Nearly a year ago, these two men were interviewed together, and the interviewer brought up the subject of Wrong's preaching the Sunday after 9/11. Though Obama claims he was not at the church for that horrifying and scandalous message, OBAMA KNEW FULL WELL THE COMMENTS HIS PASTOR AND MENTOR AND CLOSE FRIEND HAD MADE THAT SUNDAY.
Wrong even advised Obama at that time that he would probably need to distance himself from Mr. Wrong, should Wong's comments come out in the open.
All those years have passed by, and now, because it is damage control time and it is politically expedient to do so, Obama has finally "denounced" those remarks.
This REEKS of hypocrisy to me.
The democratic party is imploding on itself.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/jwalking/
Above is a link to David Kuo blog Beliefnet.
He offers some very good insight - and praise - for Sen. Obama's ability to separate the "sin" from the "sinner"
Anyone who bothers to research Sen. Obama's writings, read any of his books understands that when he went to Chicago as a community organizer at 27 years of age - not a as a child -- he was advised to join the Church to understand the plight of the black man. That this would help him do a better job in the community.
Obama came to Chicago with a black face but as a white man.
The multiple culture and as Obama says "little bits of America" in him are what makes him truly unique. He stayed at the Church for the good works they did for the community. This is not in dispute.
That over the course of 20 years Rev Wright said some deplorable things is also not in dispute.
What is most upsetting about this whole episode is that if thinking people are willing to abandon a cause and a movement based on a few minutes of targeted, isolated video - how commited were they in the first place?
Obama is the same man he was before FOX and co started incessantly replaying the same clips over and over again.
Was what Wright said about 9/11 vile? Yes but I hate to tell you what my Rabbi said at the service after 9/11 and am glad for his sake no one videotaped it
Obama is to be commended not deridedn for being able to separate the messenger from the message --
Maybe if we had people in government who could do this we would not be having the fifth anniversary of a pointless war this week
If we allow ourselves to be manipulated by YOU TUBE then shame on us all
i'll bet evey blogger will start feeling sorry for obama,and mr.wright,they didnt do an imus or a duke case,it was merely a slip of his knowlage,and wrights tougn!remember,only white people are racists!only white people indanger others by words and deeds!we are the unforgivable entity!by the wat,was it somthing rev. wright said??
The things that people who decry Wright seem to blindly step over:
- A prison population over 1 million people now. 1 in 11 black males age 20-29 are in the prison system.
As of 2008, there are more black males in prison than there are in college.
This is NOT a crime issue, this is a systematic separation of a whole segment of society.
Who is stopping to ask why this is happening??
- Wright's comments on radiation poisoning and drug running may sound like paranoid fantasy, but they are not without roots in reality. The Tuskegee experiments, the FBI's continued surveillance of activists, are all in living memory.
Who cares if someone got pissed off at America??? Why isn't what he said being considered? It is the truth! Maybe most americans don't have direct involvement, but you can't keep closing your eyes to it.
Wright didn't even say anything remotely racist. He was pointing out his perceived injustices in society.
I didn't find Wright's outrage over America at all troubling. (His name is Jeremiah, after all).
The two things that bothered me most vis a vis Obama was the Rev Wright's seeming assumption that all the misery and injustice of the world was rooted at the feet of the white race. That is pure Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam - it's the White Devil theology, isn't it?
For those who find that proof of Obama's crypto-Islamicism, remember that the Muslim church rejects the Nation of Islam for it's racism. (That was partly what led to Malcolm X breaking with Elijah Muhammad and to his assassination by agents of the NOI.)
That is not a Christian theology (just as the Rev Hagee's isn't either)
But to my mind, the Rev Wright compounds that mistake by his comment that "Hillary ain't never known was it's like to be called a nigger"
While factually true, the delivery and pleasure he takes in saying it are despicable. After all you could say it about Obama's mother, too, so how could Obama have ever found such rhetoric acceptable.
Frankly, I'd been annoyed with Obama always throwing his Jesus in our faces. I hate it when Republicans pull all that sanctimonious crap and really didn't want to have to hear it all from Democrats as well.
Perhaps there's a lesson somewhere in all this of the dangerous road we've gone down in insisting that politicians wear their religious faith on their sleeves. Had Obama spent less time pandering to get Christian votes, these revelations might have less weight but as it is they cut right to the heart of the public persona he's so carefully created and leave it all looking rather hollow.
As I believe that it was Obama's supporters who started this race-baiting game, and did their best to get African American voters on their side by falsely accusing the Clintons of being racists, it is, as the Rev Wright would say (echoing Malcom X) "the chickens coming home to roost".
Or as the Bible puts, "Those who sow the wind, reap the whirlwind."
I think, just logically speaking, that there is some incongruence in some of these shocked former supporter's revised views of Barack Obama.
If Barack Obama was such a cunning, power-hungry, con-man (as some of you are suggesting), then wouldn't he have been cunning enough to have disassociated himself with Reverend Wright a long
time ago? If he is just a calculating politician, than surely he would have done the politically obvious thing and never sought out Reverend Wright in the first place!
His transparency about the situation suggests to me that he is being honest. If he was someone who only said things that were politically expedient, he would never even have made the mention of having been married and baptized by this pastor. There was no need for him to even go there.
That he didn't just say what was politically convenient, makes me think he is more natural and has more integrity than I realized before.
Sometimes you just have to read in between the lines.
Perhaps there's more to Reverend Wright than that 3 minute clip will allow, that he's a complex, colorful, if controversial character (as many spiritual leaders can be). I'm sure some of you can name people in your life who are very passionate but misunderstood. Maybe there are other sides to Wright that we don't know about.
I am not going to jump to conclusions.
I don't see how this really discredits Obama's 20 years of public service, record, and words. It's easy for us to make assumptions without knowing more, so I suggest to all of you to do more research, to consider all the angles. We are lazy sometimes, being persuaded by soundbites and too easily convinced by things taken out of context. Let's look at the whole picture.
Here's a suggestion: if you are really curious and confused, or downright scared about Senator Obama, read his books, Dreams of my Father, and the Audacity of Hope. They are very enjoyable compelling reads; I am starting the Audacity of Hope right now. It will give you valuable insight into who he is, and what his sees for America's future.
I think, if you love our country, and what to make sure we pick the best possible candidate, then do your homework. For his books, he did not use a ghostwriter - a rarity for a politican. He has a very clear, eloquent, engaging writing style.
Obama is, I think, being lazily mischaracterized by much of the media. And senator Clinton's aggressive attempts to define him are working. Nevermind that she has told, on record, some flat-out lies about him.
Does anyone in the mainstream media ever note that he is a pragmatist, that his policies are actually very pragmatic? I think most of America thinks he's this naive idealist, and that is very far from the truth. They are eager to pigeonhole him, and the sinister suspicion they have of him is not backed up by good logic.
Nigger Not The "N" Word & the Noose ( WORDS OF HATE)
The word "nigger" is a key term in American culture. It is a profoundly hurtful racial slur meant to stigmatize African Americans; on occasion, it also has been used against members of other racial or ethnic groups, including Chinese, other Asians, East Indians, Arabs and darker-skinned people. It has been an important feature of many of the worst episodes of bigotry in American history. It has accompanied innumerable lynchings, beatings, acts of arson, and other racially motivated attacks upon blacks. It has also been featured in countless jokes and cartoons that both reflect and encourage the disparagement of blacks. It is the signature phrase of racial prejudice. The word Nigger is in the news alot and also the noose. I will borrow a saying from Dr. Phil " Are You Kidding Me" The word Nigger doesn't define who I am as a black person. It was design to disrespect black people and other by white people. And I believe that the only reason for the invention of The "N" word was only because whites who started that "N"word BS didn't want Nigger to loose it's validity. When young blacks started using the word nigger to say hello. Whites had to come up with something and the "N" was born. Then white director directed blacks in film to reinforce the believe that blacks are so upset by the word nigger. Then the white media keep it going by reporting that someone used the horrible disrepectful "N" word. AGAIN! Black pay hire car insurance then white just fot living next to one another. Bank loans are Denied to black just for being black. Then when given a loan black pay higher percentage rates then whites. Black are inprison at a higher rate then anyone in America. Nigger and a noose is just a light tool of disrespect. Black are being killed by white cops that scare me NOT the word Nigger or a noose. And getting away with it. Black children as young as 5yrs have been killed by white cops. Just reasonly America watch a 15yr.punch in the face by a white cop. I remember the story of 15 year old Brenton Butler of Jacksonville, FL who was wrongfully accused of murder. On a Sunday morning, an elderly white couple were returning to their motel room after breakfast. They were confronted by an armed robber. Something went wrong, the thief panicked and shot and killed the woman. As the police set up a man hunt in the area, Brenton happened to be walking in the area. ( His only mistake was he was Black) The police picked him up, believing he matched the description of the killer (he didn't come close) and the husband identified him in a lineup. This began the worst nightmare any citizen could experience. Not only were the police incompetent, they were prejudiced and anxious to get 'their killer'. This is normal for all police work in most states. When looking for a black suspect anyone black will do. This is a MUST WATCH to see how our system work s for black people. The public defenders ( A white man and woman) assigned to this case is amazing. What an example of what a public servant should be and can be. I watch the HBO special along with Deadline, a documentary of those mistakenly living on death row. One reviewer commented that this should be required viewing at every police academy. I would agree.( Not That it will help) MURDER ON A SUNDAY MORNING is easily one of the best documentaries I've ever watched. I told my motherabout the program and we watch it together. It was my fourth time seeing it and my mother's first. I still faught back tears. And so did my mom. Oh by the way the public defender was the person that found the real murderer. There is not enough paper to write the horrible behavior done towards black people physical and mental. Nigger and a noose is light! Blacks are being taught to view the word Nigger and noose as another way of keepng us in our place being the victim. Stupid blacks don't get it smart black know our history and see the white Americans that are guilty of this behavoir as GUTLESS. Stupid Blacks that buy into words to define them like ghetto lazy criminal, gang member and stupid. Just don't get it. These are words that Whites and some Blacks associate with black people. From a people that legally owe black people from a people that had seperate but equal Jim Crow. DENIED blacks human right. Now do you think a noose and the word NIGGER is something black should be marching against. BLACKS are still being disrespect and killed. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Let me also tell you my thoughts on MARCHING. Marching does two things "Makes black people tire and white people mad" It had it time and did it's job back whenever.Those blacks that march for me and minds. My hat off to them. Today we must attack racism by way of our Justice system. Like the Magan Law. Megan's Law, the federal version, was enacted on May 17th, 1996. Megan's Law mandates that every state develop a procedure for notifying residents of sex offenders residing there. Each state differs on how they report the information, but the National Alert Registry has combined all of the state's information in to one easy-to-use database. this is a affected LAW. Marching and channing NO JUSTICE NO PEACE. Let just say that after marching and channing there is no justice nor peace. And worst of all NO CHANGE! Don't get me wrong I appreciate the marcher and know that I as a black and other blacks have benifited. Today is different White rule has change over the year indirectly and directly. The attack on white rule and racism must also change. It is ashame what Americans puts up with under white rule. White rule has ruin this country finance just look at the mortgages that families will defaults on in 2007, 2008. 2009. 2007 will have the highist credit card default in the history of this country. That happen because of white greed and republicans lies of a good economy. China has brought some of our dept( If they cash in Americans will be talking Chinese) the country total dept is in the trillions with a "S" The failure of school in black community is the direct result of white rule and white racism. Yet black and other minority continue to sacrifice their lifes in wars that white rule starts. All for a country that disrespects and treat black and other minority worst then second class citizen.WHY?
Hey Tyrone,
Intent on clinging to the past? I think we have made great progress in terms of fighting racism in this country over the years. Some folks like to hang on to their hatred- black, white, whatever. . . To me, it was very telling to hear Michelle (sic?) Obama state that only now, is she proud of her country. That smacks of racism in itself; a racism that has been reinforced by none other than this ranting and raving bigot (Wright), who obviously believes that 911 was our fault, and the murdering of 3000 Americans was justified. If you think this is OK, then you have some serious issues.
Don't want to hear about the black man not getting a fair shake in today's world. EEOC has gone overboard to ensure equality to the point of saying to the black man: We feel that you're not good enough on your own merit to enter XYZ institution (college, work, etc. . .), so, we are going to just create a double-standard for you. There are many black movers and shakers out there who don't need this kind of condescension at all; and they are just as successful as any man/woman. I see it in all fields of employment. So if you want to subscribe to the Jackson/Sharpton school of helplessness, that is your business, and you were given that right to do so by the same military that Mr. Jeremiah has such disdain for.
What concerns me most in this whole story is that virtually everyone wants to judge Wright based on a string of words taken out of context. I'm not saying that the whole context would be something that white America would be comfortable with. But it would still be a picture a whole lot more complex than what that video implies, and the result would be a very different story from the one that is unfolding now. If we saw the inspiration along with the vitriol; if we saw the way that this is rooted in a community that is by all accounts deeply committed to social justice we'd have a context for understanding the frustration, etc. etc. There are two Americas with two different experiences. It'll be a challenge for us to understand each other in any case. But this video, with its highly provocative framing of the differences speaks terribly about us as a nation. Because it's only purpose is to make it nearly impossible for fruitful dialogue to take place. Somebody wanted to score some political hits and that somebody apparently has no concern at all for the fact that our racial divide is real and that we all need wisdom and patience if we want to begin to overcome it. If the reactions to the video stay on this shallow level we are setting back our chances to make real progress on the problems of race in this country. I'm looking for the first journalist that has the courage to tackle this issue in a genuinely thoughtful way. This is a moral test for our nation. And the first few days into the story are not promising.
Kind of hard to take his words "out of context", don't you think there Mags? It is what it is, as they say. Since you've put out the invitation, I would like to know what your genuinely thoughtful approach would be to this "string". How do you elaborate on this?; find some meaning in it other than what it is? I am willing to bet that had the shoe been on the other foot (it being a white pastor who made such racial remarks), your calm and reasonable response may have been very much different. The majority of the people's reactions to this video are correct and appropriate- not "shallow". Americans should be shocked, appalled, and troubled by comments such as this. I am so sick of people dancing around this guy's words with rhetoric that puts the blame for his actions on society in general and angry white males specifically. How about looking into HIM? What is HE about? What is Barak and Michelle Obama about? Who are they?
We had better find out soon; this man wants to be the leader of our country.
In the beginning of Barack's campaign he frequently spoke about his relationship with his pastor. I certainly never looked to see what influence this pastor had on Barack assuming it was a good one. However as the campaign wore on there were a few signs of some of that influence. Early on Barack refused to wear the flag pin. I wrote to him asking him why and of course never heard any reply. Later Michelle would let us know twice that she was FINALLY proud of America now that her husband was a presidential candidate. Later she would state that America was a mean spirited country. That is when I decided to start looking to figure out where all this anger is coming from. You simply cannot sit in a pew and listen to any preacher spewing hate for another race, or gender or sexual preference without being negatively influenced. I just read that Oprah was a member also which is where Barack and Oprah met I have read. However it seems that Oprah did walk away. Why did Barack stay? Why even bring up religion at all during the campaign knowing the landmines were out there. I makes absolutely no sense.
Bill,
It's easy to take words out of context. For example, the Bible says "there is no God." That's a cheap shot, of course, cause what it really says that the fool says in his heart that there's no God. But there are tons of cases that are more complex. Jesus says "I come not to bring peace, but a sword." Those are the words of hate, no? Should we renounce and deject? Of course not. The words sound different when we consider the big picture of what's going on in scripture.
So what's the big picture here? The big observation to be made is that we do not know. We got a clip that was clearly designed to provoke the reaction you are having. The guy's been preaching for 30 years. What else is he saying? Well, he's been talking about Jesus, and hope and faith, for starters. You can find sermons on such topics with a relatively quick google. He's been talking about social justice -- which is what Obama says attracted him to the Church -- and which by all accounts his church practices, by reaching out to the homeless and so on. It's easy to find quotes from sermons in which Wright talks about God loving us all, and that we ought not to be divisive.
None of this is to say he didn't say the words he said. But it's enough to say that at a minimum we need to recognize that it's hardly his whole message. Then the next question is how do the different themes get weighted in his discourse. Which is more predominant?
The next thing we'd want to know is what caused a guy who certainly has positive elements mixed into his preaching to say the words he said? Some of them, we can tell from what we've seen. He's talking about the frustrations of a community that is beset with a whole host of social ills. Some of them are due to internal problems (and he's apparently preached on the need for the black community to have stronger values). But some of them are external -- the legacy of a dark history, and some policies that are insensitive to the complexities faced by the community. Should God bless us when we tolerate a situation in which such a high percentage of young men go to jail? The Biblical God is strongly rejecting of social injustice, of those who would oppress. The Biblical God is also strongly rejecting of those who think that the ills experienced by others are not their problem. Wright's language is strong and is fueled by frustration. But he's not wrong when he says that he's taking up biblical themes. Prophets challenge the powers that be in the name of social justice. And their words make others uncomfortable. In this case, obviously, very uncomfortable.
Look, I wish the black community did not have such a strong thread of anger in it. I do think it's part of the racial divisions in our country. But it's not mysterious as to why they are angry. And the sort of intemperate responses that are spamming the blogosphere can only fuel that anger. It's a massive trap. They are angry. We get angry about the anger. They get angry abou the anger about the anger. Etc. etc. etc.
And the real tragedy here is that Obama clearly wants to move past the anger. And the temper of comments from people like you make me think that he's not going to be able to drive home the point that he's trying to offer a way out of this. He has not rejected the black community because it happens to harbor an anger he does not share. But he wants to be a leader who can show that blacks and whites can come together. And if he can show that, it has to help with the anger problem. So his candidacy will get shot down because white America is so self-righteously sure that it's on the side of the angels that it will not even offer their black brothers a chance to explain themselves. The overwhelming current on the blogosophere is about denuncation and rejection -- not about reaching out to others ina spirit of dialogue.
I ought not be surprised, I suppose. Tribalism has shown that it goes very deep, and old animosities don't really go away. And participants are always dead-on sure that it's the other guys who are the source of all the problems. It's just that we aspire to be a better people. And this whole thing makes me very sad.
The White Media: (WHY):( HARD QUESTION)
It is very wrong and racist what the white media is doing. CNN, Fox New, Dateline etc... All of a sudden because Obama is running for President the white media tells America that hispanic and black have a problem with each other. Also now I find out as a black man from the white media that blacks have a problem with Asian. My question is how the hell do the white media know what 38 million black people think? In Iwoa.Obama won and he was the best candidate.in North Carolina he won and it 's because he is black. So the white media said. That is racist and stupid! The white media is quick to point out back to back Clinton & Bush in the President seat. BUT said nothing about the fact that this country has had nothing but white male. VERY STUPID AND NOT FEAR! Chris Hasen has a show To Catch a Predator 98% are white men. Mr. Hasen never mention that. THAT NOT FEAR!. Because if 98% where black HE WOULD! It's not fear because white Americans has a history of hatred of many people of color. But hear again they forget to point that out to America. Discussions of white media stereotyping have tended to focus on how traditionally marginalized groups such as women, gay men, lesbians, and ethnic minorities have been negatively affected by stereotypical portrayals. But increasingly, scholars are considering how stereotyping privileges certain groups. There is a collective response to questions that concerns all Americans by the white media.White privilege is reinforced and supported by the white media. It seem that the white media won't asked the hard question . Like : Mr President will you bring the troops home if congess doesn't approve your war buget? Why is it that President Bush who started a war for nothing calls other people evil? Why President Bush don't want Iran to have nucular power but the US can who is proven to be stupid? Osama bin Laden and Bush family Business connections when did it began and end? How did President Raegan run the country in the last two year of officer? When everybody knows that he suffer from Alzheimer and still stay President. Why didn't the white media report after the OJ civil trial. One of the juror in a interveiw stated." That she prayed to be a juror to help Nicole and the Goldmen. No one ever reported that. Was it because OJ would have gotten a mistrail? Mother Teresa( died on September 5, 1997.) did so many good nature things while alive.Mother Teresa's work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971) and the Nehru Prize for her promotion of international peace and understanding (1972). She also received the Balzan Prize (1979) and the Templeton and Magsaysay awards. Yet Princess Diana ( Died on August 31,1997) who died five days after Mother Teresa is remember and talk about like she was a sanit. There hardly a mention of Mother Teresa WHY & HOW? Where is the Mother Teresa movie? What did Princess Diana do for Americans? Black on Black crime What about white on white crime ? Or Jew on Jew Hispanic on Hispanic. Check the Statistics! Is American military going into Darfur? Or is it ture that white America could give a damm about Darfur? Given the fact that they don't care about blacks in this country? Why would cops shoot a unarm black child or adult? Or Why is nothing done to the officers when he or she does? How is Rudy Giuliani running for President when he didn't pervent 9/11his claim to fame is that he brought down crime in NY. It is ture that he hire the man that brought down crime then Rudy Giuliani fire him because he was getting more attention then Rudy Giuliani. Then hire a crook! Matter -of-fact Rudy Giuliani went to a wedding the day after 9/11. His own family can't stand him. Why is it that the white media NOT going after his kids or ex-wife asking them why they hate their father so much? Why don't the media asked? "Where are the white leader in this country? Why don't we have a health care program ? And get a anwser! Or How come politician disrepects Hillary Clinton when she was only First Lady when she gave it a try. Or during the Reagan years. How could America pay $400 for a $10 hammer? And no one in jail. Or who purchase the damm hammers? Why haven we open up to Cuba? Where is Jimmy Hoffa? Where is the million of Americans taxs dollars that suppose to go to Iraq for recontruction? I watch the news with Katie Couric on December 7, 2007 she reported on a CIA cover up. They destoyed evidence of toture. This is yet another form of the white media buddy systems. Katie nor the other news reporter asked the question. Why aren't they FRIE! Why is America in Iraq? Who told President Bush there where Weapon of Mass Destruction. Why is nobody in jail for the miscalulation that lead to the death of thousands? Why wasn't it more interveiws done with Frank Wills? Why isn't he a Hero? On June 17, 1972 Frank Wills a black security guard at the Watergate Complex, noticed tape covering the locks on several doors in the complex. He called the police and within minutes, five men were arrested inside the Democratic National Committee's office. Frank Wills should be look at as a HERO! Why is it that when white people kill mass number of people they become famous? Robert A. Hawkin 19yr. had recently split with his girlfriend and been fried from his job. He killed eight Christmas shoppers before shooting himself. He had a criminal record and had been kick out of his home. He left a note behind stating he was about to be FAMOUS. The white media has a responsiblity more so then any other media outlet. Because they are seen more and the majority of America believe what they hear and see when white people say it.( Both Black & White) Why is the violence in hockey tolerated? Why isn't Vince McMahon investigated for letting people die on drugs while wrestling for his company? When did it get so easy to murder black people and nobody care? Why don't white people give a damm when a black unarm child is murder? But will tear up whenthey see a beach whale. Why are white producers and directors ever question about their films and the direction of their films. Like Mel Gibson who put out The Passion of Christ and had a white man play Christ. In the Bible it states Christ with hair of wool and skin of brons the color of a penny. ( sounds black to me) Why wasn't he challegne on that? The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola and his comments about black in the movie and glorifying crime and criminals. I truly believe that The Godfather is responsible for such haines and evil crimes in this country. Criminals wanted to one up the Godfather. The white director has NEVER been brought to the carpet. Nataul Born Kill another kill for no reason film by white director this time Oliver Stone.Why isn't he in prison or at lease a mental hospital. That movie was scentless! Jackass has cause so many injury to adult and young teen. Why white people have NEVER been question WHY? Where is your white people's Al Sharpton to answer WHY? Why isn't it reported that white women make up 65% of all abortion? Why is Dr. Martin Luther King refer to as a black leader and NOT a American Leader? I also remember a reality show called The Osborne the children as young as 12yr. use profanity in front of the camera and there parents. No media never reported on the disrepect given the age and the fact that they are in the present of their parent and the world. Joey Buttafuoco a convicted child predators is embrace by white director of film. WHY? He had a affair with a then underage Amy Fisher, who subsequently shot Joey's wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco, in the face. Again NO WHITE LEADERSHIP. Just think if the Osborne was a black family and Joey Buttafuoco a black man. The white media wouldn't destroyed those people. Where is the white media when a new video game for children is invented and it about killing black people and cops. And is invented by a white person. Also why is every story done on the Iraq war? Where are the black military personel? You would think that the war is only faught by white people. The Whites Media are NEVER made to answer!Why isn't Pat Robinson seen as a NUT? Why is it that people sentence for crack cocain are given mandatory sentence? But powder cocain there is NO mandatory sentening.Why is it that whites are charge with unauthorize use of a vechile and Black are charge with grand thief auto which carry a mandatory sentence. Why is it that the white media don't asked hard question? Why the white media don't tell the world the total number of death in Iraq not just Americans deaths. Why President Bush is more concern with country other then America. When gangs in this country almost match the deaths in Iraq. Judge Judy doesn't take written statements in her courtroom but other Judges do WHY? Where the hell is Jimmy Hoffa? Why would Mitt Romney be apart of a religion that think black people are curse? Then want to be President of all America. And why is he still running for President. And why is he not made to explain his position and believe of black Americans. Given that fact that black men and women are dying in war for his life.Mitt Romney believes black-skinned people are of inferior origin - mormonism teaches that the spirit beings that did not fight valiantly for God come to earth as blacks, while those who fought valiantly come to earth as whites. Until very recently blacks could not become priests in the mormon system of worship for reasons related to this and other demeaning doctrines. WHY?WHY? Why don't the white media the next time a white woman say they just don't trust or hate Hilary Clinton . MAKE THEM TELL YOU WHY?Why wasn't Jackie Robinson given recognition for his RBI's during time in the Black American Base ball? The Whites media needs to stop saying that blacks don't talk about crime to law enforcement. Knowing that is a LIE! Given the fact that 87% of the prison population is Black and Hispanic SOMEBODY BLACK IS TALKING! Where Jimmy Hoffa? Who kill JFK? Who brought those hammer for $400 that COST $10 while President Reagan WAS IN OFFICER? Why do white cop always say someone black was backing up with there car so they had to shoot over 50 bullet? Remember the black men on there way to a basketball game driving on Rt.29 in New Jersey. The cop stated that the driver try to hit them with the car . So they shot the three sleeping ocupants. Where is the white leadership when it come to the Porn Film Industry. 95% white female. Why is it ok to say bitch ass and hell? It seem white America has approve these profandy for primetime TV. I was looking at The Veiw and they couldn't say penis. Why didn't the white media asked Rudy Giuliani after cops shots a unarm man 41 times and murder him. Why he did nothing to the officers. I always wanted to asked white people if the situation was reverse. What would they do fight black racism? How come Jackie Robinson pass record in black baseball not get recognition when he came to white baseball?( Both played in AMERICA) Why is it that white women that go missing. Their story are on the news time after time. Reporters interview everybody from the husband pass boyfriends neigbor school teacher co-worker family members the pope every black person within a million mile. Black people that are missing.... JUST MISSING! I watch New Detective, Most Evil, 48 hour most feature story of WHITE PEOPLE. Where is the white Al Shapton to explain WHITE PEOPLE? Question after question and NO answer. The white media has disapointed everybody. WHY? Why isn't the WHITE MAFIA refer to as a gang? Whats the diffrents between organize Crime and unorganize crime?Why is The Sopranos look at as just family entertanment? And not view as glorifying a crime family.Why did Bruce Cutler get a show playing a Judge? Where is black people 40 Acres and a Mule? Many people believe that David Koresh (or the Branch Davidians) were responsible for the deaths of the 74 men, women and children who died in the inferno at Waco on April 19, 1993. This is the story that the FBI put out. It is a lie. The guns they had were legal. The local sheriff investigated and found no basis for complaints against them. That didn't stop white rule. These were law-abiding American citizens, even if they thought differently to most other folks. They trusted the U.S. Constitution to ensure their political rights, but they were murdered by agents acting under the authority of the U.S. government. Waco occurred under the presidency of Bill Clinton, with Janet Reno and Wesley Clark in supporting roles. Already back in 1993 the US government demonstrated its contempt for the American people by carrying out a massacre in order to "demonstrate" (on prime time TV) its supposed "authority" (a tactic favored by fascist governments). Following the usurpation of the presidency in 2000 by the psychopath George W. Bush, and the subsequent installation of the insane John Ashcroft as Bush's Himmler, things became much worse. On 9/11 about forty times as many people were murdered as at Waco. In both cases the murderers have so far gone unpunished.WHY? On May 13, 1985 the Philadelphia headquarters of MOVE, a radical black organization, was destroyed by a bomb dropped from a police helicopter; in the explosion and subsequent fire, 11 members of MOVE, including five children, died and 61 homes were destroyed. Michael Boyette served on the grand jury that heard testimony against Mayor Wilson Goode ( A BLACK MAN) and police commissioner Gregore Sambor, but did not indict them WHY? In this compelling account the authors, husband and wife, present a history and analysis of the movement. Founded by the virtually illiterate John Africa, MOVE preached a philosophy of uncontaminated nature--pure air and water and uncooked food, for instance--and a reverence for life, including the rats and cockroaches that infested their headquarters. Founded in the 1970s, the group had its first confrontation with authority in 1978, when a police officer was killed in a siege and several MOVE members were charged with murder. MOVE then became militant, disrupting the neighborhood to the point that the city was forced to take action, argue the authors, who convincingly conclude that the 1985 tragedy was caused more by official bungling than by malevolence. So far gone unpunished. WHY? Three of the five policemen whose 50-bullet barrage killed an unarmed Sean Bell on his wedding day were indicted in a case that heightened racial tensions and renewed allegations that the city's officers are too fast on the trigger.
Attorneys for officers Marc Cooper, Gerscard Isnora and Michael Oliver said their clients had been indicted, but they did not know what offenses the officers had been charged with. Grand jurors had considered charges including murder, manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide. The three officers fired the most shots — Cooper, 4, Isnora, 11, and Oliver, 31 — in the Nov. 25 confrontation that killed 23-year-old Sean Bell and wounded two of his friends as they left Bell's bachelor party at a strip club in Queens. WHY? There are plenty of statistics that document the horrible reality of racism.And nothing being done. WHY? The death of Amadou Diallo became a defining event for the New York Police Department. The shooting of the unarmed West African immigrant by four white officers spurred protests, prompted various examinations of the department's admittedly aggressive tactics, and attracted so much attention. This happen when Officer Carroll mistook the black wallet in Mr. Diallo's hand for a weapon, he shouted ''Gun!'' and fired. The officers claim confusion, the four officers fired a total of 41 bullets, striking Mr. Diallo 19 times some of the bullet in his feet. The officers want people to believe that Mr. Diallo while being chase and then fire at he pulled out a wallet. For what? He wanted to indenify hisself while being murdered? That was a LIE! These officers couldn't just murder Mr. Diallo they had to go further and disrespect him. It was left to the prosecution to suggest that Mr. Diallo might have acted the way he did simply because he feared the four strangers. State Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer's civil rights bureau later reported that 62.7 percent of all people stopped by the unit were black, and that 16 blacks were stopped for every 1 arrested, compared with 10 whites stopped for every 1 arrested. In defending the unit. Mr. Safir said that the ''unfortunate truth is that communities of color are disproportionately victimized by violent street crime.'' Bull! The officers where back to work before the bodie was in the ground.WHY? IN THE former USSR, people knew that the country’s state-owned newspaper Pravda would peddle Moscow’s line, no matter how outrageous the lies. George W. Bush can’t boast that the Republican Party owns the country’s newspapers, television stations or radio networks. But he can still count on a press that’s nearly as obedient as Pravda.
No matter how many lies George Bush tells about Iraq’s "threat" to the U.S., the corporate media won’t ask him the hard questions. Bush and his administration know that they can count on the "patriotism" of the white press--which will report on the coming war like a local sports reporter rooting for the home team. And Bush--unlike the rulers of the former USSR--won’t even have to issue any orders or appoint any news censors. That’s because the white press in the U.S. censors itself.
The Bush administration has provided White House media credentials to a man who has virtually no journalistic background, asks softball questions to the president and his spokesman in the midst of contentious news conferences, and routinely reprints long passages verbatim from official press releases as original news articles on his website. This make me think everybody America see in those press conferences are plants.
Jeff Gannon calls himself the White House correspondent for TalonNews.com, a website that says it is "committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news coverage to our readers." It is operated by a Texas-based Republican Party delegate and political activist who also runs GOPUSA.com, a website that touts itself as "bringing the conservative message to America." YEAH RIGHT! The obscenity trial of Luther Campbell, the 29-year-old leader of the rap music group 2 Live Crew was such a show of white rule and white double standard. It struck me odd and stupid to go after this rap group for obscenity. When I was looking at the new report the news reporter went to a record store to interveiw the store keeper about the sale of 2 Live Crew album. Right next door to the record shop was a Porn film shop. Where white people where participating in prostitution on film sex with animals gay sex group sex anal sex sex with toys. But 2 Live Crew was on trial for not having sex in front of anybody they just talk about it.WHY? THAT"S STUPID!!'Oh yeah, Where in the hell is Jimmy Hoffa!
To Maggie,
See Tyrone's post above; I rest my case.
It is funny that all of a sudden a black man run for President and white American acuse him of racism. Base on assoiation not words Obama said. White must accept like many Black where made to do . That we are diffrent. Patrick J. Buchanan if telling the truth would tell of conversation and association, with whites that have said racist and disrespectful against many people none white. But he won't like many gutless white American. But thank GOD for the whites that are saying with there vote for Obama. The time has come to look at the world without hate but with togetherness. There will be many whites no matter what Obama said. Will be happy to have a reason not to vote for Obama. What make me sick is everytime I hear blacks address is like we all know each other. Whites have listen to evil word said in there family from there pastor from there white co-worker. And still voted for a white President. Many of OUR early white Presidents where openly racist and voted that why and white new it and voted for another white President. In my 49yrs. I have heard that whites in the south didn't like racial togetherness on TV. Or blacks and white to kiss on TV. As a black man I have heard from the white media that white in America are just not ready for a black American as President. But whites will vote for President G. Bush who has been the worst President in the history of this country.
I'm am really getting sick of the whinning blacks. Number one the blacks in Africa were the first to sell and inslave their own race. Number two any blacks here should feel blessed that their axxxxxxxxx were bought by whites. If that hadn't happened guess where they would be? Still in Africa, still living in grass huts, still wearing skins for clothes. Now, if they take a civil service test they automaticaly get 20 points up front.They whine if the police come to their neighborhood to arrest a black then whine if one of them gets killed because the police were not around. Check the records, most of the violent crime is committed by blacks or Mexicans.
I'm so glad that I lived in the 50's when a person could walk down any street, at any hour and not be afraid of getting killed or even mugged. I hate LBJ for signing into law the civil rights law. To have seperate water fountains, bathrooms,eating is totally wrong.Butif the Blacks had taken this civil right law and not have abused it everthing would have been fine. It's just in there blood to steal, take advantage of anyone and whine.
Bill
I have to set you straight number one. This country has given NOTHING to black people it didn't give to whites. Only different is that whites don't state that they are the first recipicants of affirmative action in America. My grandfather came to Trenton NJ from the south in 1935 and try to get a job at General Motor. He remember the sign that stated NEGRO NEED NOT APPLY that was affirmative action for white people. Four months later he went back and got hire this time there was two lines one for black and one for whites. The one for white was given jobs in the factory. Blacks where given either a mop or broom. And as for Sharpton and Jackson they are two black Rev. that have done good for both blacks and whites. Instead of critizizing. Where is the white Sharpton and Jackson what are white people doing for Americans. As black former correction officer I seen first hand the racism of white America that not the pass that is as I type. Just last month the goverment had to let some 2,000 blacks out of prison for unequal inprisonment. It funny that you name two black Rev.
Bill
I have to set you straight number one. This country has given NOTHING to black people it didn't give to whites. Only different is that whites don't state that they are the first recipicants of affirmative action in America. My grandfather came to Trenton NJ from the south in 1935 and try to get a job at General Motor. He remember the sign that stated NEGRO NEED NOT APPLY that was affirmative action for white people. Four months later he went back and got hire this time there was two lines one for black and one for whites. The one for white was given jobs in the factory. Blacks where given either a mop or broom. And as for Sharpton and Jackson they are two black Rev. that have done good for both blacks and whites. Instead of critizizing. Where is the white Sharpton and Jackson what are white people doing for Americans. As black former correction officer I seen first hand the racism of white America that not the pass that is as I type. Just last month the goverment had to let some 2,000 blacks out of prison for unequal inprisonment. It funny that you name two black Rev.
Roger Willaim,
You are the sick white person that keep GOD's country from going forward. What gutless man would make a child stand while they sit? Black people have put on uniform for this country and still was treated like dogs. And they continue to be blame for crime threw a unfair justice system. That puts black in jail and prison and white on probation. It no way that blacks commit more crime then whites. There are 400 million whites to 38 million black there are 2 million inprison and 87% are black and hispanic. You have to dead or just stupid not to see the racism in the numbers. A black person steal a car GRAND THEIF AUTO 5 year prison white same crime 18month probation Cocaine 5oz 18 months 5oz crack 5 years who uses crack . Now this I could care less about because I hate drugs. I'm just tell be fear before you keep stupid alive. Just renmeber both you and I will be dust in a box and stand before OUR maker are you going to tel GOD tha while on earth I made sure I hated your people?????
Roger Willaim,
You are the sick white person that keep GOD's country from going forward. What gutless man would make a child stand while they sit? Black people have put on uniform for this country and still was treated like dogs. And they continue to be blame for crime threw a unfair justice system. That puts black in jail and prison and white on probation. It no way that blacks commit more crime then whites. There are 400 million whites to 38 million black there are 2 million inprison and 87% are black and hispanic. You have to dead or just stupid not to see the racism in the numbers. A black person steal a car GRAND THEIF AUTO 5 year prison white same crime 18month probation Cocaine 5oz 18 months 5oz crack 5 years who uses crack . Now this I could care less about because I hate drugs. I'm just tell be fear before you keep stupid alive. Just renmeber both you and I will be dust in a box and stand before OUR maker are you going to tel GOD tha while on earth I made sure I hated your people?????
America need to hear what Rev. Wright is saying and look into what he is saying. David Duke ran in the republican party claim to be a former head of the kkk. 9/11 NEVER has been explain President Bush go to Iraq . 4,000 American killed for nothing that will benifit America . Gas pricing up and going up No healthcare plan for American . American all over the country losing there homes. The dollar is losing it's power. Americans has Never been hated in other country like in todays times. I look in the eyes of these young white media people who are instructed to play up Obama pastor trying to keep hate alive. The white media want to have America think that Obama is a hater of America that stupid this man is half white and has never say anything against this country. Hillary was the one that voted to send American to war for nothing then said she though she was voting for more inspector . She also said she voted for a bill that she wanted to fail. THAT STUPID! She shouldn't be Senator let along a President. It is time to pick someone other then white person to lead this country. And that's not racist the country can't afford 4 or 8 years of white people in the pocket of company and country that are hurting Americans. White people have a nevre to tell anybody who they should believe in. This country has done and is doing horrible things to Americans
I just watch It Your Call with Lynn Doyle and the two white men that where for the war kept stating lies. Both say that President Bush is doing a good job both are sitting here in America safe with there children and family wanting war. neither could tell why we are at war nor why we went to war. THAT IS SAD AND STUPID! I am so tire of hearing that there been NO attacks on American soil. That is very good for the Americans NOT in Iraq. 4,000 AMERICANS are dead. They don't have too attack here in America we send American to die in Iraq. And that stupid gutless man that sit in safety with the bad hair needs to go live in Iraq. Or enlist in the military like I did in 1977 and serve 3yrs or my brother who enlisted in 1976 and serve 27yrs USMC.Or my father who serve five yrs.in a seperate army fighting in Korea This war should have NEVER taken American military to solve Iraqi problem . The Iraqi goverment don't even respect the fact that American men and women gave there lifes for the liberation of there country. While in there country American don't have healthcare , Americans are losing there homes, police murder of American blacks unarmed are up. Gas pricing is up and going up. Military personel are returning from Iraq with limps gone and treated like second class citizen. In east LA Americans are killing Americans. Around the country American drug use is up. Race relation are bad in this country. People in America are losing there jobs Some former military are homeless former military are mentaly damage. 74 American where murder in WACO by our goverment. No other country came here to murder President Clinton
Greta Van Susteren should be FIRE! This RE PORT TER was not only not prepare but she lied. She stated that she nearly fell over after hearing Rev. Wright comments she also stated that the Rev. stated Anti American statement. Rev. Sharpton was invide to the Greta show and she should have been prepare. She knew he was coming. When asked by Rev. Sharpton to give him ONE statement that Rev. Wright said she could NOT. The so-call bigest story in the NEW. She then try to compare Don Imus comments to the Rev. Wright comment. That Stupid! Don Imus made his comment because he thought he could. Whites in this country have done worst. Like shoot unarm black children adults and the mentally ill. Whites in this country say nothing so Imus only did what this white America alway do. DISRESPECT! Rev. Wright comments are about his country. The same country that he serve in the USMC the same country that he love and sometime hates. Whites in this country have a nerve. How many kkk meeting took place in churches around this country. Where there pastor was either sitting and listening or leading the meeting. The bottom line white not black are the reason there so much hate in this country. White are the reason why all American are hated in other country . Whites are the reason this country is in the condition that it in . Whites have always been incharge. There has NEVER been a black President. So the country can't say that blacks screw up this country or any other race. Whites are the first recipicants of affirmative action in America. Not blacks. With the Obama for President moment in time. whites where looking for any reason to hate him too. Rev.Wright stated some things of his believe and Obama got blame for another America comments.
Five teenagers were convicted of the attack on the Central Park jogger, in two stormy trials. All pleaded not guilty and claimed that their videotaped confessions were concocted by the cops. Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam, and Kharey Wise served sentences ranging from five to thirteen years. Wise got out of prison August 12 -- just months after the only DNA collected at the crime scene, which was never tied to any of the accused, was matched to Reyes.
Rape and murder suspect Matias Reyes is taken by detectives for booking
While New York City police and district attorneys were preparing a case against five teen-agers who were ultimately convicted of the April 19, 1989 attack, Matias Reyes, who last winter confessed to raping the jogger--and whose admission is supported by DNA evidence--continued to terrorize women on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
By the time he was arrested in August 1989, Reyes had raped and murdered a 24-year-old pregnant mother of three and raped three other women. He pled guilty to those crimes and was sentenced to 33 and one-third years behind bars. He has also recently admitted to raping a fourth woman two days before the Central Park attack, but the statute of limitations has expired on that crime, and he cannot be prosecuted for it.
The prosecutor the police officers that investagated the case. NOTHING HAPPEN TO THEM . They where able to lie and get away with it. On the other hand District Attorney Mike Nifong is disbard and the lacross player that NEVER where inprison are sueing everybody. The district attoney the the police officer investigating the crime Are acuse of a rush to judgement and whites wonder why there a Rev. Wright and black anger..
Robin or Bily
You both don't tell the hold story.You might have got up if you heard that in your church. I will let you have that. But how many time did you stay in the company of hateful talk and said nothing or was it you that started the talk?? That is the question for all white Americans. Whites are the reason that race in this coutry can NEVER stop being a issue. Until whites in this country stop hating people because they are not white. And stop teaching there children to hate NOTHING will change. Haven said that . We are all the recipicants of the behavior of OUR pass. White have to be taught that we are all GODs people. And one day we all will stand in front of OUR maker. What would we tell him.
Greta Van Susteren is a lair she try to turn the interveiw around making it out to be something Rev. Sharpton did. I saw both interview with Al Sharpton. The first Greta interveiw she was not perpare nor could she state anything that Rev. Wright said. That she stated that she fell over when she first heard the comment of Rev.Wright. That was the problem in the first interveiw. Nothing Al Sharpton said or did. The second interveiw it was so obvious that someone had to talk to Greta and told her she had to make Al sharpton and not her stupidity and incredible outrageous none performance as a reporter The problem!. Then someone told to play the tapes of Rev.Wright and NOT comment on the so-call hateful statements. That way she didn't have to explain how outrageous she was wrong. I heard the tape video along with the country and Greta . I heard NOTHING that would make me think that Rev. Wright hated white people a claim that Greta stated. But the problem Greta heard nothing too. But as I said Greta was told by somebody not to say NOTHING . That Gutless! A search for racism is not racism. It IS WRONG. There is so many things in this country that need all American addessing. the white media that Greta is a part of is wrong and has been wrong for many years. It use to be about getting the story adding a little lie to it and run with it. Now the white media just lies. Obama is the first real black candidate for President there is no one to compare him to that not his faught nor black people faught . That the faught of America. This is new for whites and blacks. Blacks have supported white hateful candidate for President, Senator Mayor etc... Black have put on every uniform of America military and faught in many wars. Even the fact of being disrespected entering a seperate military fighting for OUR country coming home to a country that still disrespect black people. This hate of black people by whites is practice in every Institution in our goverment. In our schools and justice system. It is a gutless practice that Greta and the other white media people must learn to STOP! There is no way whites can't understand that black anger is justify.
"Many white Americans will not engage in race discussions because they fear making a mistake and being called a racist. That statement is one of Bill O'Reilly. Black and white people get it O'Reilly is trying to keep hate alive and he think American don't see what he doing. They get it! O"Reilly of all people should be ashame of hisself. Obama NEVER disrespect a women O'Reilly did. Obama NEVER sold drugs Rush Limbaugh did. President Reagan and Bush (1) did Oliver North did. And white America gave all them pass. Don Imus called American hateful name and was welcome back to the air by white people again given a pass. As for O'Reilly statement as to whites not discussion race because of fear. Are you kidding me? White cops in this country will assalt black children as young as five year old without fear. Murder unarmed blacks adults and children without fear. Mortgate company redline black without fear. This goverment disrespect black in the justice system without fear. Former President Reagan did not fear blacks when he planted drugs in black area no fear. So we must laid to rest Bill O'Reilly comments about whites fear. He can't change history. Just like the comment of Rev. Wright about Jesus being black read the Bible Jesus IS BLACK. Just letting white people state that he is white is stupid or you just don't read.
Boogie Man
Black people are white's people Boogie Man we are the bad people and white see themself as the good people . The helper the big brother the discipline the enforcment of a dump and stupid race of nigger people. This is taught to white people's young children. This is why racism and hate stays with this country so strong. Remember the Boston incident Charles Stuart ( A White Man) lied and said that a black man had kill his wife and cut him. Before long investigators had produced several people, all black, whom they called suspects in the slaying. Mr. Stuart picked one of them, a 39-year-old man being held on an unrelated robbery charge, out of a police lineup and gave what John T. Dawley, a lawyer for the Stuart family, called ''a fairly exhaustive identification of the guy.'' Mr. Stuart took his own life not before his brother came fouth and told that Mr.Stuart was the killer of his wife. It was easy to let black people take the rap. like I said black people are white people Boogie Man. To date no ture apoligie. SUSAN SMITH ( A White Woman) did the same thing by accusing a black man, the argument goes, Smith's tale would somehow be more credible.White America believe after all, it's more likely to believe that a black man could commit such a heinous act. A big, black man, wearing a knit cap. If cops were ever to find that ominous figure, we could solve every mystery from the disappearance of Amelia Earhart.YEAH RIGHT! Ms. Smith put her son in her car and drove it into the water killing them. I watch programs like New Detective,48 Hours, To Catch a Predator, and Most Evil and 98% of the people feature are WHITE PEOPLE. Mostly WHITE ON WHITE CRIME! One program that stands out is Chris Hansen To Catch a Predator 99% of the people caught are WHITE! From teachers to Rabi to Home land Security military personel and Doctors. These people can control and influence other people lifes. White people with power. Now the white media and law enforcement is alway telling America things they have concluted about Black People. How big are penis. How often black people have sex. What type of father black men are.Where black people live. How black people live. How black people are all criminals. How black people celebrate a football touch down.: Ridicule after ridicule disrepect after disrespect black folk keep being the reciplicant white people's believe system of hate. But NEVER do you hear nothing conclusive about WHITE PEOPLE from white people.Chris Hanson of To Catch a Predator reference about the Predators professions like because they are professional they should no better. That absurd! That also tell me and should tell all Americans that white repoter Chris Henson is just like alot of white people that think whites that further their education somehow are incapable of being criminals. THAT"S STUPID! Chris Hanson if he was a medeoaker reporter he would report the fact that 99% of the people feature on his show are WHITE! He would also report if just a medeoaker reporter on the light sentence these Predators receive from the mostly white court Judges, Maybe if he did all AMERICANS could solve the problems that we ALL have TOGETHER! This is prove that black people are white's people Boogie Man We are NEVER given the breaks that white give whites NEVER! It hurt so bad to know that my grandmother and grandfather and Aunts and Uncle will NEVER see this country come together as one. They are DEAD. In 1955 a petite 42 year old black woman named Rosa Parks lived in Montgomery, Alabama. One evening, Rosa was riding in the colored section at the back of the bus. Once all the seats were filled at the front of the bus for the white people, the driver said, "Gimmie those front seats!" When Rosa refused, the driver said, "I’ll have you arrested." Rosa still refused and the police were called. Two police officers approached Rosa. She said, "Why do you push us around?" One officer responded, "The law is the law and we are arresting you." This event helped start the end to the segregation laws in the south.
David Duke ran for President as a republican and claim to be a former KKK. During his campaign he couldn't keep his racist and stupid views to hiself. And lost. The white media gave him a pass never questioning the follower of David Duke. Never calling him anti-American never calling for him to get out of the race for President. Now here come Obama and the white media finds it's so-call moral patriot back bone. And Obama MUST denouce his pastor because the Partor NOT Obama stating the Pastor believe about The Pastor's country that the Pastor serve and was willing to die for. Rush Limbaugh is another white person given a pass by the white media. Here is a man that brought and sold drugs. Make daily hateful and racist comment against Americans but he get a pass from white media.. Bill O'Reilly is a pervert and abuse women with unwanted phone sex talk. He also made a statement that he was suprise that black people use silverware. But that ok with white America he is given a pass. Former President Ronald and Oliver North was given a pass. Reagan & North was given a pass after it was found out that they brought DRUGS then planted the DRUGS in black neigberhoods. Reagan was also given a pass because the last two years he suffer from Alzheimer. The white media said nothing didn't question his staff nor his wife Nancy who knew. Another pass! The white media gave former President Bill Clinton a pass after letting 74 women men and children be burn alive in WACO another pass given by the white media.Princess Diana ( Died on August 31,1997) five days after Mother Teresa the white media to this day can't stop talking about a women that cheated on her husband with many men. Was always gone from her young children and gave NO money to all these so-call causes that she care so much about. Mother Teresa on the other hand just died.
One minute of Jeremiah Wrights hate sermon agaisnt America and whites was all most people needed to convict Obama of hypocrisy, bad judgement and lying. No one in their right mind would believe Obama didn't know what his Minister was up to.
As for Richards endorsement of this horrible man, who can think much of Richards.
If either of them are Christians they have fooled Jesus Christ himself.