Obama’s Big Speech: Too Little, Too Late

Family Security Matters ^ | 25 March 2008 | Ed Koch

[K-oneTexas]

Published: March 25, 2008

Obama’s Big Speech: Too Little, Too Late

Ed Koch

 

Barack Obama’s speech last week addressing his 20-year relationship with his radical pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, was very well done, yet unconvincing.

 

Obama sought to explain that relationship and why he could not end this close association, despite the minister's hate-filled rhetoric. He said, “There will no doubt be those for whom my statements of condemnation are not enough. Why associate myself with Rev. Wright in the first place, they may ask?  Why not join another church?”

 

Yes, those are the questions that people are asking.

 

Many of Rev. Wright’s incendiary statements are on videos sold by his church. Minister Louis Farrakhan, a friend of Rev. Wright with whom he traveled to visit Muammar Khadaffi in Libya, also makes his sermons and those of others associated with the Nation of Islam available for sale. Their attacks on the U.S. and Israel often coincide with those of Rev. Wright. 

 

Rev. Wright’s sermons charge that the U.S. government gives African-Americans drugs, created AIDS and is deliberately infecting blacks with that disease. His sermons claim that the U.S. unjustifiably nuclear bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II, and that 9/11 and the deaths of 3,000 Americans were caused by U.S. foreign policy. He alleges Israeli state terrorism against the Palestinians; calling Israel a “dirty word” and “racist country.” He blames Israel for 9/11 and supports the divestment campaign against it, denouncing “Zionism.” His venomous thoughts are summed up in his most discussed sermon in which he says the U.S. government “wants us to sing God Bless America. No, no, not God Bless America. God damn America. God damn America for killing innocent people.”

 

Senator Obama in his speech acknowledged that the rantings of his minister are “inexcusable,” but stated, “I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.” 

 

Before we discuss his grandmother, let’s examine the impact of Rev. Wright’s statements on the Senator’s two daughters. Nothing says it better than a song from the musical South Pacific, to wit: “You have to be taught to hate and fear…You’ve got to be carefully taught.” Few dispute that Rev. Wright’s sermons are filled with hate.  Why didn’t Sen. Obama stand up in the church and denounce his hateful statements or, at the very least, argue privately with his minister? It was horrifying to see on a video now viewed across America the congregation rise from the pews to applaud their minister’s rants.

 

Now, as to Obama’s grandmother: There was a time spanning the 1970s to the mid-1990s when many blacks and whites in large American cities expressed the same feelings on street crime held by Obama’s grandmother. Indeed, Reverend Jesse Jackson made similar comments in 1993 at a meeting of his organization, Operation Push, devoted to street crime. According to a November 29, 1993, article in the Chicago Sun Times, he said, “’We must face the No. 1 critical issue of our day. It is youth crime in general and black-on-black crime in particular.’ Then Jackson told the audience, ‘There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery. Then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved….After all we have been through,’ he said.  ‘Just to think we can’t walk down our own streets, how humiliating.’”

 

Isn’t that exactly what Obama’s grandmother was referring to? To equate her fears, similar to Jesse Jackson’s, with Wright’s anti-American, anti-white, anti-Jew, and anti-Israel rantings is despicable coming from a grandson. In today’s vernacular, he threw her under the wheels of the bus to keep his presidential campaign rolling. For shame.

 

What is it that I and others expected Obama to do? A great leader with conscience and courage would have stood up and faced down anyone who engages in such conduct. I expect a President of the United States to have the strength of character to denounce and disown enemies of America – foreign and domestic -- and yes, even his friends and confidants when they get seriously out of line.

 

What if a minister in a church attended primarily by white congregants or a rabbi in a synagogue attended primarily by Jews made comparable statements that were hostile to African-Americans?  I have no doubt that the congregants would have immediately stood up and openly denounced the offending cleric. Others would have criticized that cleric in private. Some would surely have ended their relationships with their congregation. Obama didn’t do any of these things. His recent condemnations of Wright’s hate-filled speech are, in my opinion, a case of too little, too late.

 

It is also disturbing to me that Obama’s wife, Michelle, during a speech in Wisconsin last month, said, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country, because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.” 

 

Strange. This is a woman who has had a good life, with opportunities few whites or blacks have been given. When she entered Princeton and Harvard and later became a partner in a prestigious law firm, didn’t she feel proud to be an American? When she and the Senator bought their new home, was there no feeling of accomplishment and pride in being a U.S. citizen? When her husband was elected to the state legislature and subsequently to the United States Senate, didn’t she feel proud of her country? 

 

Sen. Obama was asked if he thought his speech changed any minds. He replied he didn’t think so, and certainly not of those who weren’t already for him. A more important question is, whether his 20-year relationship with Wright has done lasting damage to his candidacy. We will soon know.

# #

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Ed Koch is the former mayor of New York City.

[K-oneTexas]

"If Sen. Obama can’t stand up to his minister, how can we expect him to stand up to the foreign and domestic enemies of America?"

[Jeff Chandler]

Rev. Wright’s sermons charge that the U.S. government gives African-Americans drugs, created AIDS and is deliberately infecting blacks with that disease. His sermons claim that the U.S. unjustifiably nuclear bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II, and that 9/11 and the deaths of 3,000 Americans were caused by U.S. foreign policy. He alleges Israeli state terrorism against the Palestinians; calling Israel a “dirty word” and “racist country.” He blames Israel for 9/11 and supports the divestment campaign against it, denouncing “Zionism.” His venomous thoughts are summed up in his most discussed sermon in which he says the U.S. government “wants us to sing God Bless America. No, no, not God Bless America. God damn America. God damn America for killing innocent people.”

[Retain Mike]

Obama Allegiance to Reverend Wright

You do not need to hear Reverend Wright’s entire sermons to interpret, as Hillary Clinton did, his ministry as one of hate. All applicable preacher school courses teach analogies for sermons must be understandable and acceptable, to not diminish the scriptural message. His scripture may be the Sermon on the Mount, but the Christian spiritual message is utterly compromised by the type of analogy he routinely chooses. One should seriously question the religious faith and moral compass of anyone who would sits under that ministry for twenty years.

[Jeff Chandler]

A more important question is, whether his 20-year relationship with Wright has done lasting damage to his candidacy.

Since Oblama has instructed us to discuss race, shouldn't the most important question be, what percentage of the black population believes what Wright preaches, and how are the rest of us supposed to deal with such paranoid buffoonery?

[goldstategop]

Exactly. If Obama can't stand up to a purveyor of hate of America, of whites and of Jews - how is he going to unify the country? Americans already have their answer.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[K-oneTexas]

Koch most always surprises and often entertains with his articles and hitting on a point.

[Biblebelter]

I think Wright’s connection to Farrakahn is a major factor here. In this country, Farrakahn is the most prominent and virulent hater of Jews.

[BFM]

Barack Obama spends 20 years listening to hate filled speech from Rev Wright and barely utters a word. But one “nappy headed hoe” comment from Don Imus and Obama’s on fire about having found a racist.

Well, Barack, if you can’t find one racist in your own church after 20 years you sort of lose credibility about finding them anywhere else...

(I’m not a defender of Imus but he isn’t a racist but was only trying to be funny and hip. He succeeded at neither and it cost him his job.)

[nyyankeefan]

it is great when a lib/dem makes the case against b. HUSSEIN and republicans don’t have to say one word!!!!

[garyhope]

My wonderful, hard working Aunt Melba was the first person I ever heard to use the expression “A day late and a dollar short”.

I’ve loved it ever since. So much wisdom and truth there.

[TNCMAXQ]

So if Obama is the nominee is Koch not going to support him? He has already said he is a proud Hillary supporter. This is after he endorsed GWB 4 years ago because he thought Kerry was soft on defense. I fail to see how Hillary will be tougher.

Still it is good to hear Koch hitting Obama for his Wright connection.

[Alberta's Child]

Ed Koch is in the tank for a woman who has spent the better part of her life serving as an enabler for a sexual predator who also happened to be her "husband" -- often to the point of attacking the credibility and destroying the reputations of his victims.

The bowel movement I left in my toilet this morning had more integrity and credibility than any of these @ssholes.

[snarks_when_bored]

Ed Koch is staunch backer of Hillary Clinton for President (stunning, but true). So now we see proof that Hannity, O’Reilly, Limbaugh and the rest are carrying water for Hillary for as long as they continue to shout about Obama’s preacher. If they don’t clam up, Hillary is going to muscle her way into the Democratic nomination and quite possibly the Presidency.

[fightinJAG]

Thank you, Ed Koch.

It’s about time people of good will, who love this country, feel as though they can and should stand up and condemn the RACISM and RACIST HATE spewed by the likes of Wright and applauded by the likes of the Obama family.

No more silence.

[fightinJAG]

See the news on Obama’s military adviser, McPeak,today.

[nogates]

40 million babies murdered (”abortion”) teri schiavo tortured to death (on self-serving hearsay) by s-l-o-w starvation and dehydration. the ignoring of the genocides of thousands of Christian brothers and sisters in favor of bringing “democracy” to the oil-rich heathens who danced in the streets on 9-11. do not wonder that the feces are hitting the fan in the good old USA. so look what we have for “new” rulers. you takes yer choice:

Clinton - a proved amoral “for sale” couple.

McCain - So anxious for office that he has sold out to the bunch that viciously slandered his name in the 1999 primaries; his platform should read “4 more years of the same (oil-) slick garbage”.

Obama - a throwback to the corrupt chicago ward healers and communicant with a church that seems to be totally out-of-touch with The Word of God (see Galatians Chapters 1 & 3)

o they all got “the rhetoric” and got their focus groups buzzing along. and “we” the people are getting precisely what we deserve (with perhaps the exception of the little kid who was busted bringing teri a glass of water and a few others) .

[Biblebelter]

I found the story. The MSM is so much in love with Barry, that they bought Barry’s speech about race and anger. They misread that Wright’s most egregious comments found on the video were anti-American. Wright’s most egregious associations are the anti-Semitic ones. I think Wright is racist, because if you hate America and you hate Jews, you probably are some kind of racist as well. But in the long run, it is Wright’s anti-Americanism, his anti-Semitism, his Marxism, and then his racism which will come eventually to cripple Obama if not in the nomination process, most surely in the general election.

[Retain Mike]

The white churches are being fractured on social issues as liberals, who go to church and occupy leadership positions, exhibit their buffonnery on national defense, homosexuality, abortion, etc. The same sort of overt splits do not seem to occur in the black churches. I know in my Foursquare denomination the black churches do not accept those things, but do not challenge other denominations. Overall the black community seems to successfully exclude observation of the splits which must be present. Overall black leadership seems successful in labeling all those not following the script as really not black. I think we need to do whatever is possible to give the exceptions a forum.

[tessalu]

The real lesson that I got from Obamas speech is that he does not know that a Christian should resist all evil and flee from it. When he accepts Jeremiah Wright and his teachings, he is absolutely no better than Jeremiah, himself. Obama shows us that a child may never recover from atheist and half cracked drunk Muslim parents.