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.
This sure isn’t what Church is supposed to be about.
TNTC (too numerous to count).
No,I think the elation among blacks over the OJ verdict was more along the lines of”Y’all got away with murder back when blacks and civil rights workers were being killed and now one of US got away with the same thing”
Healthy attitude?Of course not but if you ever sat around a bar or locker room with a lot of blacks you would know that many would tell you in a picque of honesty,”that n—— was guilty as hell”.
It seems to me the word "white" is missing after the word "against"this sentence, as Rev. Wright's tirades certainly are NOT color blind.
Hmmm, did you consult the Bible and see what Jesus said about forgiveness? This attitude is at the core of black racism and enables charlatans like Jesse Jackson to manipulate you and laugh all the way to the bank.
One other thing to explain to the author. These black seperatist always want to list all of the “evils” that have been happened upon the black man. What about my great great grandfather’s sacrifice on the battlefields of the civil war. He was a poor immigrant from Ireland who never benefitted or did anything to a black man yet was sent off to fight for the black man’s freedom. Meanwhile, he was escaping from Ireland because he and his ancestors were oppressed for hundreds of years by Britian.
No. I know them all too well.
So the Civil War was over slavery aye??
I heard Jesse Jackson in the 70s speak to parents, teachers, and administrators in LA about their obligation and responsibility to do well in school and take responsibility for their own future.
We all see where he went from there. Except for people like Bill Cosby and Larry Elder, who is telling these people the facts of life, if this is a typical black minister?
I asked you to name one. One is too numerous? You also need to produce proof of the misdeeds you claim. Otherwise you'll just continue to look like the leftist hack you are.
You made the accusation. Now put up or shut up.
Black racism persists because it relieves black liberals of responsibility for their own failures, and intimidates white liberals into a state of permanent supplication and apology.
Yes, I lived in Atlanta at the time and the OJ decision was an eye opener.
The same could be said of Barry...
Yowsa. I’ve only been here 3 years and I - like many other replies upthread - have never had the stomach-turning pleasure to read your crappy posts directly.
But - in my three short years - I do know that you are a legend. A legend for all the wrong reasons.
So allow me this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Responsibility2nd and I think you’re an idiot.
According to the Black Value System taught by Obama's church, your neighbors would be guilty of "Middle-classishness," which is sort of like being Uncle Toms.
You mean the War of Northern Aggression don't you???
Talk to folks of this generation - particularly those who served in the armed forces and who were slated to go overseas (My Grandfather too!) - and you won't find much sympathetic talk. I read "Semper Fi, Mac" - an oral history of the Pacific conflict - and found that (while the language was pretty salty, as befitting Marines) it was pretty insightful as to what people who were actually there, thought.
For an interesting read, bone up on "Operation Olympic" - the codename for the invasion of the Japanese home islands. It planned for the 2nd and 4th Marine divisions to spearhead the invasion. By H+36 (36 hours into the invasion) neither of these divisions was mentioned in the planning, because they were expected to be annihilated.
Interesting food for thought. But don't count on someone intent on rewriting history to pay much attention.
Just another attempt to blame whitey. The author takes absolutely no blame for the 70% out of wedlock births among blacks or the rampant black on black violent crime or any of the black community’s problems.
Many Black people don’t know (these kind of) Black people at all too!
I’ll tell you this, most of my Black friends were shocked by this episode. I’ve spoken to a 1/2 dozen or so close friends, who happen to be Black, who could not believe what they heard. Only one of my friends had even heard rumors about “this type of Black preacher.” They were all in agreement that the churches they attend are “nothing like what Jeremiah Wright’s chruch was like.”
What really shocks me most is that Obama would be a member of a church, for 20 years, where his own (white) mother would likely be pretty uncomfortable.
Matthew Reid
http://www.Rice2008.com
McCain - Rice 2008
(McCain: Reluctantly) (Rice: Strategically)
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