Posted on 03/17/2008 11:41:36 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The eruption of outrage, shock and fear that is flowing over Barack Obama’s campaign like hot lava because his pastor has preached some strident sermons tells us one thing for certain: Many white people don’t know black people at all.
If they did, they would know that Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago is hardly the only black minister who uses the pulpit to rant against racial duplicity and injustice. The black church has always been the place for letting our hair down and speaking our peace -- a safe haven from the criminations outside. It’s how and why the black church became the nursery for the freedom and civil rights movements. Not every minister seasons his or her sermons with political commentary, and not every one who does is as fiercely spoken as Rev. Wright, but there is nothing unusual about the black clergy as social agitator. Guess the shockees didn’t know that.
It seems they were also clueless that, when race, racism and discrimination do invade the pulpit, it is not always in the context of forgiveness and humility. Much of black America is resentful, angry and distrustful -- rightly so, some of us would say. Did the uninitiated honestly believe that slavery, lynching, Jim Crow, white resistance and flight, economic and educational duality, hyper-incarceration and yawning disparities in wealth, health and longevity have had no lasting effects; that all of that is really no big deal -- something we can kick off as easily as our Sunday shoes?
Surprise.
This could be a teaching moment for the society at large, which would do well to pay closer attention to 35 million of its members and to give heed to their accounts of their own experiences. Unfortunately, and typically, the alarmists are threatening to make it a Waterloo for Obama.
The candidate has denounced Rev. Wright’s statements about America’s treachery, honest as they were.
Obama has even removed his Wright from his ministerial council. That had to be painful for Obama, who has otherwise spoken devotedly of the preacher who “brought me to Jesus,” performed his marriage ceremony and baptized his daughters.
Those pounds of flesh are not enough for the alarmists, however. They and frothing pundit after frothing pundit want the candidate to rebuke Wright categorically -- mind, body and soul.
Obama is in the unenviable position of having to court a large and diverse audience -- the American electorate generally and Democratic voters particularly -- that includes a good number of people who have no knowledge of, curiosity about, nor sympathy for the black experience, while, at the same time, remaining true to what he knows about Rev. Wright specifically and the black church generally.
It’s a delicate balance, and Obama has tried to strike it, explaining to journalists that the anger and disdain expressed by Rev. Wright reflect common themes in “the black memory,” albeit not sentiments he shares.
In a fair world, Obama would be able to elaborate about the black perspective and thereby give some context to Wright’s comments and the facts of black expression.
But, then, in a fair world, there would be no racial divide to bridge. Of course, Obama’s detractors would never consider that.
There's a certain group of white people that use cross burnings for the same purpose.............
I stopped there. Puhleez. You are just afraid we indeed do and can see the difference between our friends, acquaintances (of all types) and then you and your ilk.
Yep, whitey’s not only a racist, but an ignorant racist.
Let me axe her a question?
How do they speak their peace?
My two black neighbors go to nearby bi-racial Christian Churches and in talking with them, they don't want anything to do with the bigoted talk that come from crazy uncle jerry's mouth.
Jeremiah Wright’s remarks are based on 50 year old rhetoric designed to divide America. In that regard, Rev Wright is no different then Calypso Louie.
His campaign is over.
Absolutely correct.
She does have a point. Rev. Wright is doing nothing new.
The revrunds Al and Jesse have been race-baiters for God for years.
I’ve met a few racist white people, but I’ve never met one (let alone a preacher) who said “God damn America” just because he didn’t like blacks.
Somebody buy that woman a clue, cause she sure doesn’t have one.
Shw wants her cake and eat it too.
I don’t mean to minimize in any way the horrible experience of slavery and discrimination in this country, but the words G-d damn America do not belong in the pulpit.
If understanding these hateful comments means I do not understand black people, I confess, I do not understand black people. The whole thing, especially the full throated defense of this hateful person by a significant number of blacks is appalling and frightening. I, as many white Americans, wanted Obama to be a white knight (this is a metaphor, not a racial comment)as I think a black president would be a good thing. I wanted to be cautious because of the hate I have heard being spoken by blacks in my life. I am now convinced Obama is not a white knight. He will never get my vote. I also read his wife’s “thesis” from, I believe, Princeton. I do not want a person with those views in the White House. I suspect some will defend the thesis and this whole sordid affair but thankfully I still have the right to vote for whom I choose.
The age-old coincidence of the ignorant and the self-righteous.
The difference this time time is that the paranoid ranting of Rev. Wright has been not only tolerated but encouraged as the "authentric" voice of the black community, and God help any black American, err, I mean "Uncle Tom", who disagrees with the nostrums of white liberals.
The Obama camp strikes me as genuinely puzzled by the uproar over Rev. Wright because no one they know has ever dared disagree with this black nationalist kookery that is almost a perfect mirror image of historical white racism.
According to Wright it was our fault...we fore new Pearl Harbor so that we could into a war against the Japanese so that we white Americans could dominate them another race of color(of course then we became genicidists by using two Atom bombs on their soil). We pissed off the Arabs so they created 9/11 or we blew up the trade centers deliberatley to justify an oil war...take your pick...he has stated both views!
As I said in an earlier post.. I do think this kind of preaching, and thinking is common in black churches across America. According to this author, we should just dismiss this as, “Oh yea, I see their point”.
But, I do NOT concede their point. They are wrong. And preachers who spew this hate are dangerous for the country. They keep an entire race of otherwise productive people from feeling a part of this great country. This kind of rhetoric is counter-productive, and I am glad that this is beingt exposed for all to see. It’s been in the shadows for far too long.
There's a certain group of white people that use cross burnings for the same purpose.............
I equate Obama's defense to someone attending a KKK rally and then saying they didn't hear the N-word.
Why is it that the loudest racism rants come from people who make their money from non-profit or affirmative action created positions?
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