First of all, Obama says he never heard Rev. Wright make such statements. Okay, I accept Obama at his word that he wasn't in the congregation when those specific remarks were made. But, in Obama's 20 year long history with Rev. Wright, did he ever hear Wright make such statements? Did he ever hear of Wright making the statements even if he wasn't there at the moment?
Surely Obama knew Wright was a controversial man. If Obama didn't think so, then why did he ask Wright not to speak at his announcement to run for President. He clearly didn't want Wright brought up in front of the press. He obviously knew this man was controversial. If all Obama knew was, as he now claims, that Wright preached about Jesus and was a great man, why did he have to ask Wright not to show up. Obama obviously knew of Wright's history and past remarks. Maybe not the exact ones now being played in the media, but some of the many, many anti-American, racial, bigoted remarks Wright has apparently made, even if we don't yet know them all. And if Obama knew of Wright's history, why did he continue to attend Trinity United Church? I'm not a very religious person, so I don't go to church, but if I did and I heard anything close to the type of remarks that Wright made, I would get up that instant, walk out that church, and never, ever have anything to do with it again. Obama clearly knew that Wright had made these type of statements in the past, why else would he ask Wright not to be there for his announcement, and if he did know of some of these statements, why did he continue to befriend Wright and attend the church?
Secondly, Obama is going around using the excuse that Wright was like an uncle who says stuff you completely reject, but you stay friendly with. Let's make it clear, you don't choose who you're uncles are. There part of the family. You can't stop being a part of the family you were born into. Obama, on the other hand, chose Wright as his pastor. And at any time that Obama though Wright was being inappropriate, Obama could have chosen to leave Trinity United. He didn't and I have a problem with that.
I'm sick of people coming out, that includes Clinton supporters, and saying that Obama shouldn't be held accountable for what his pastor said. Obama admits that he has been a pretty regular church goer and a good friend of Rev. Wright for the past 20 years. We just have two clips of different sermons that Wright made, but I'm sure there are many more inexcusable comments out there. And it's not just Wright. I don't like to demonize people, but how could the congregation stand up and applaud Wright's comments? How could they cheer for "God damning America"? Why would Barack Obama want to associate himself with people like that?
It's not enough for Barack Obama to come out now that it is politically necessary and reject Wright's statements. Obama had 20 years to do that. No one forced him to attend that Church. No one force him to befriend Rev. Jeremiah Wright. No one forced him to put Wright on his campaign. Obama himself chose to associate himself with Wright and the Church.
The comments by Wright don't need to be put into context, as some have suggested. Wright's comments speak for themselves. His comments are no more acceptable than the evangelical preachers who say that 9/11 was punishment for abortions or for gay acceptance in America. And there are those who of course will say that Obama didn't know about Wright's statements. Who are we kidding? Of course Obama knew; maybe he wasn't present in the congregation, but surely he knew about them.
The whole thing is really a sad story. It tears me apart, because I do want to like Barack Obama. I do want to wholeheartedly support him if he is our nominee. But when you build your campaign on judgment and your judgment leads you to believe that Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a good man, something is very wrong about your judgment. It's not enough now for Obama to distance himself from the comments, he should have done that a long time ago, and it really damages my impression of him.
4 comments :
Obama is playing cat and mouse with the preacher's statement by saying he was not there and did not hear him make the statement. It was obvious to me from the start that he knew of the statement and also of past statements the preacher has made. It is called political double speak.
Of course, REAL Christians would never make such statements. This is just another case where the right-leaning media is leading weakminded people around like sheep to get their desired results.
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A blatant plagiarism from "Jeff Sharlet".
In contextualizing Jeremiah Wright’s “God damn America,” it might be worth remembering another Jeremiah who expressed similar sentiments: namely, Jeremiah. As in, the prophet of the Hebrew Bible, or the “Old Testament,” if you prefer.
Why does that matter? Because it reminds us that a core function of one who attempts to speak in a prophetic voice is to remind us that we are in this together and that we’ll both prosper and suffer together. Many evangelical Christians speak of a “gift of discernment,” not unlike the “gift of tongues.” Us democratically-minded folk might do well to remember that that core concept of a democracy is that we all have some gift of discernment. So let’s use ours and consider the prophetic statements on offer:
1. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said America is damned — cursed by God, though not permanently — because we tolerate feminists and queer people.
2. John Hagee says America is damned — cursed by God, though not permanently — because we tolerate Muslims.
3. Jeremiah Wright says America is damned — cursed by God, though not permanently, suffering from hate and division, from bitterness and envy — because we succumb to hating one another.
For my money, my Bible, and my democracy, that last sentiment has the ring of truth, and I’m not even a religious man.
That doesn’t mean it’s a sentiment for a campaign trail. But it does mean that in framing this, we might want to turn our anger toward Fox and the NY Post and all those denouncing Jeremiah Wright rather than the man who says we suffer because of racism. Here is a pastor trying, perhaps not successfully, to preach accountability for hate, not for tolerance. And here is a media that is demanding that we NOT be held accountable for hate.
That is, mainstream media is telling us we must tolerate hate — Hagee — but not those who don’t believe we should tolerate hate — Wright.
Jeremiah Wright’s words were harsh, as were Jeremiah’s. As were Martin Luther King’s — “I have a dream” wasn’t his only speech, and he died holding America accountable for the war in Vietnam and the war against the poor at home. That’s not left, that’s not right, that’s not “racial,” that’s not “post-racial.” It’s prophetic. The Right’s screeching, meanwhile, is simply pathetic.
Let me ask a simple question of you and your readers. No one has a problem with any of the democrats or republicans associating with the now-deceased Jerry Falwell or with Pat Robertson or John Hagee but they have serious problems with Obama associating with Reverend Wright. Each has stated that God damned America at different times. Pat Robertson stated that God was punishing us with Hurricane Katrina because of our hedonistic lifestyle. He repeated the same charge after 9/11.
Jerry Falwell stated many times that God has punished us because of our acceptance of abortion and the removal of state-mandated prayer in school.
John Hagee has said God damned us because of our acceptance of Muslims.
Jeremiah Wright has said God damned us because of our intolerance of others. You ridicule Wright's congregation standing and cheering when he says none of those people have ever been called nigger. I'm assuming that you've never had a hate word used against you because of who you are.
I grew up in the racially charged 50s and 60s. Unless you've been called a nigger or a faggot, you can't imagine the hatred behind the eyes of someone when they say those words.
Please, if you're still following this post, I'd like to hear why you think Hagee's words are so wrong and Robertson Falwell or Hagee's are acceptable.
I don't remember any one saying Robertson, Hagee and Falwell comments to be acceptable. At the time they happened the public and many journalist openly put their two cents in and condemed those remarks. But now it is Wright's turn and he is catching the same flack. Journalist will run any story over and over in order to fill up air time and to give an advantage to a candidate that they support. It is very unfortunate a free society has to put up with this, but the public does have the power to change all this if they would take the time to do it. Remember the public is gulliable, the majority swallowed Bush's pronouncements that Iraq had WMD stockpiled and ready to use against the U.S. or transferred to terrorists. Any american should have known Iraq was and still is a flea compared to the U.S. and that our country was not in danger.
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