Rev Wright is setting back race relations 40 years

[guardian]

I believe this whole Rev. Wright incident is setting back race relations 40 years. The Black Liberation Theology is being promoted as the main stream thought of the African American community. I don't know how prevalent this line of thought is, but I see it as divisive, segregationist, and bigoted. So do many others. What the hell did we fight for in the 60s???

[CBGLuthier]

1. We fought for, among other things, the right to free speech for all

Funny how, to some, it's always the so-called minority who creates the problem.

[asthmaticeog]

2. No he isn't. White conservatives and the Clintons are. nt

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Here's what we fought for

So that Rev. Wright would always have the protected right to speak and sound like an idiot.

So that Barack Obama could be a serious candidate for the nomination.

So that people would get pulled up short and reminded that bigotry, in so many forms, is still alive and well in this country, and that we've got to keep on truckin'.

[Brewman_Jax]

4. The past isn't dead

the past isn't past. Set back race relations? Too many white people still don't like the fact that black people have rights.

[RufusTFirefly]

5. Bullshit

Pastor Wright is not the problem. White over-reaction is.

When is Obama going to apologize for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" and for the Wayans brothers' movies?

[Lady-Damai]

14. White over-reaction ..... good one..... n/t

[Dhalgren]

6. That is total crap. Anyone who says that Reverend Wright

is hurting race relations by speaking his mind has no regard for "race relations"...

[Orrex]

7. You're right. It's too bad that he doesn't know his place.

Somebody should step in and tell that uppity fellow which water fountain to use.

[Lerkfish]

8. bullshit

not just bullshit but frickin bullshit.

go back into the dark hole you crawled out of.

oh, and the laundry called: your white sheets are ready.

[JDPriestly]

9. Rev. Wright has the right to voice his racist opinions, however,

ordinary Americans of all races have the right to vote against candidates of any color who voice such racist opinions. Fortunately, Rev. Wright is not running for office at this time, so ordinary Americans do not have to vote against him.

As Obama has pointed out, Obama's whole life is the antithesis of racism. He grew up in a white household, attended school and lived in Indonesia and spent his teen years in Hawaii which is not known to be a very racist state. As a lawyer, it seems he worked in an African-American community to a great extent, and apparently represented majority African-American constituents in the Illinois legislature. He represents mostly white constituents in the Senate.

Obama should have distinguished himself from Rev. Wright long ago. Obama needs to reassure Americans over and over that he believes that we are one America. He needs to go to great lengths to emphasize his multi-racial, multi-cultural background.

If Obama has made a mistake, it has been to feature some of his African-American supporters too much in his campaign. The fact is that much of his support is not African-American. He needs many, many visuals of the reality of his campaign which is that people of all races are working together for him. He has failed to show this reality prominently enough.

[ChrisdemW]

27. offensive to hear white folks

over react and shout RACISM at black folk for speaking our minds

cant we just talk about our own opinions

[acmavm]

10. Jeeze, and yet once again I post "Obama and Wright are two

separate people, not conjoined twins. Wright's absolute lunacy has nothing to do with Barack Obama."

And I am not an Obama fan.

[guardian]

11. I said nothing about Obama

why are you bringing it up?

[acmavm]

12. Not directed at you. At the people here who mention him in

conjunction with the attention-starved old man.

[guardian]

13. Okay. Gotcha

[hokies4ever]

21. It's not Rev. Wright's fault

that the media was pastorbating so much.

[mac2]

15. We as a society have been lectured over and over about white hate toward

blacks is bad. The reverse is being taught in churches such as Rev. Wright? Shame on those clergy. The members have to step up and say this is all wrong. Don't be content to allow bad behavior just because it is a well known religious man or they try to silence you as a trouble maker and not lover of god's will.

Blacks can be bigots too maybe not as frequent in our society but there non-the-less. I worked for one. He discriminated and wanted me in two places at once. He wanted my Civil Service job for another black employee. Unequal treatment is wrong no matter what race you are.

It makes you wonder what we fought for in the 60s only to have it backfire? Guess power corrupts no matter what race they are.

I am worried about the African American churches in our society today. They are being corrupted by Bush and his Faith Based Charity money. He silences them.

The churches in that community are their spiritual, political, as well as social places. It has become part of their everyday life. Now they are running candidates for public office (like Obama) with an understanding that they will get even more funding and their agenda in the future.

Members of those African American churches have to see the danger of losing their tax exempt status as well as government taking over your church. You could lose you religious freedom. Or another more powerful church close yours and your political candidate for public office gone.

The public sector who helped the poor and sick in the past is being closed down for the religious ones. The religious ones can't do as good a job nor do they intend to. We've been there in the past and it just doesn't work.

Make a more powerful race group by demanding rights, jobs, education, etc. for your community from politicans. Don't sit by and allow a few in your group to decide the issues and agenda for you. Meet in public places when discussing politics. You might have more support then. You are 13% of the population so you need other race/religious groups to help you obtain your goals.

[Brewman_Jax]

16. That's mighty white of you

Rather than feeling "obligated" to tell black people what they have to do, why don't inform your fellow white people what THEY have to do to end racial caste system based on whiteness. Read Tim Wise www.timwise.org for some ideas.

[kwassa]

18. now the racists have tinfoil hats ....

"I am worried about the African American churches in our society today. They are being corrupted by Bush and his Faith Based Charity money. He silences them. "

Uh, where has this happened? Have any evidence whatsover?

The faith-based charities are a farce, by the way.

"The churches in that community are their spiritual, political, as well as social places. It has become part of their everyday life. Now they are running candidates for public office (like Obama) with an understanding that they will get even more funding and their agenda in the future."

Obama is not running as a candidate from any church. There are no churches running candidates, to my knowledge. A candidate may be a member of a church, but is not sponsered by a church. This would directly violate tax-exempt status. Since this is not happening, there is no quid pro quo, or expectation that such funding will be increased.

[jeffrey_X]

17. Rev. Wright is bringing the real racists out of the closet.

thanks for posting.

[McHatin]

19. I totally agree with you

And it's not just him. It's a huge double standard that won't really get called out because those who defend Wright's bigotry do so by yelling "RACIST" at everyone else. It definitely is hurting the black community as well as race relations, but nothing will be done about it because of the threat of being called a racist for criticizing a bigot who happens to be black.

[kwassa]

20. Show me proof of Wright's bigotry.

Give me quotes of his in context.

I've yet seen anyone accusing Wright of this who has any proof.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

22. "The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of colour"

Not necessarily *bigotted*, exactly, but certainly utterly insane.

Out of curiosity, would you regard being pastor at an church that described itself as "unashamedly white" as evidence of bigotry?

[jeffrey_X]

23. "Not necessarily *bigotted*, exactly" thanks for proving our point

There is nothing racist or bigoted in Wright's sermons. Radical? Far-fetched? Outlandish? Yes...maybe, but this nothing racist what-so-ever in what he said.

But keep on repeating an incorrect talking point from the right.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

24. And my other question?

[kwassa]

25. Why should he respond to a thread diversion?

I will respond to your attempt to thread-jack, though.

you said:
"Out of curiosity, would you regard being pastor at an church that described itself as "unashamedly white" as evidence of bigotry? "

I wouldn't, because I would have no idea what he meant by that statement, as white is not a cultural identity in this country. Those few that do talk about white culture and white pride are almost invariably white supremacists, but the reverse isn't true.

Black is a cultural identity, and the statement of being "unashamedly black" is a statement that reflects pride in African-American culture. Not a hint of bigotry in it anywhere in that concept.

I notice you also have no quotes to prove Wright's alleged racism either, as they don't exist.

Oh, by the way, this subthread's author was actually tombstoned before I responded to this thread the first time, although I didn't know it at the time.

[Smear Talk Express]

26. Unless Howard Zinn's a very good liar...

Wright knows what he's talking about.

[noiretextatique]

28. ridiculous

hearing the view of one black minister does not "set back race relations." it's absurd and racist to think that way. yes: racist.

[drlefty]

29. I Suspect This Was Posted By A Freeper Troll

Clearly you know little or nothing about the Black Liberation philosophy or Afrocentric Christianity. The good Rev. Wright should be applauded for having the moral courage to say the things he does say and tweak the larger (White) American conscience. I understand the political expediency of Obama having to disavow the Brother during the election but, January 20th when we take the White House I for one hope to see Rev. Wright there to deliver the Invocation.
I have heard this man speak in person and I can attest to the fact that he is a compelling, intelligent and moving speaker...one of the best and I am not really that religous but he is the Schizz!

[samuraiguppy]

30. message deleted nt

[Lydia Leftcoast]

31. Uh, I'm white, I actually listened to the whole sermon, and

I didn't find anything in there that I disagreed with. He's not saying "God damn America" in general. He's saying that America has committed many sins, especially against people of color and deserves condemnation for that. This is objectively true, as anyone who knows American history realizes.

But right-wingers go all apoplectic if anyone says anything even mildly negative about the U.S.

[crownchakrabound]

33. I agree with you for the most part

Most everything he said was on point, however he really brought out the divisions (saying 'rich White people,' for example). And I don't think church is an appropriate place to spew these political notions. A minister is supposed to INSPIRE his flock. All this does is piss them off further.

[kwassa]

34. Your sense of what is appropriate is your sense, only.

A church whose tradition rests in social justice needs to point out injustice. Doing so and speaking out for what is right might be quite inspirational to this congregation.

I don't see discussion of politics ideas as spewing.

[Rabia]

32. Rev. Wright

I think, since Rev. Wright isn't a seditionist and does not advocate treason it may behoove many of us and this situation in general to at least dispassionately listen to what he has to say. If we can listen with our minds and intellect rather than our subjective emotions, we may just get something out of what he's saying.

After all his experiences as an American may be different than those of many other Americans. And while I agree his 'indictment' on America is harsh and caustic, a style which may be attributable to his experiences, maybe if we are objective enough in being to hear the substance while discounting the subjective input, as with everyone we may learn something.

Here is an author who indirectly addresses some of Rev. Wright's points coming from another perspective:

SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME
By Douglas Blackmon

A good read:



http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200805/20080501_blackmon.html

http://www.slaverybyanothername.com/about-the-author

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/06202008/profile2.html


About the Author
Douglas A. Blackmon

Over the past 20 years, Douglas A. Blackmon has written extensively about the American quandary of race, exploring the integration of schools during his childhood in a Mississippi Delta farm town, lost episodes of the Civil Rights movement, and, repeatedly, the dilemma of how a contemporary society should grapple with a troubled past. Many of his stories in The Wall Street Journal have explored the interplay of wealth, corporate conduct and racial segregation.

In 2000, the National Association of Black Journalists recognized Blackmon’s stories revealing the secret role of J.P. Morgan & Co. during the 1960s in funneling funds between a wealthy northern white supremacist and segregationists fighting the Civil Rights Movement in the South. A year later, he revealed in the Journal how U.S. Steel Corp. relied on forced black laborers in Alabama coal mines in the early 20th century, an article which led to his first book, Slavery By Another Name, which broadly examines how a form of neoslavery thrived in the U.S. long after legal abolition.

As The Wall Street Journal's bureau chief in Atlanta, he manages the paper’s coverage of airlines and other major transportation companies and publicly traded companies and institutions based in the southeastern U.S. The bureau directly covers the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and more than 1,200 companies, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Delta Air Lines, Bank of America, Wachovia, Wells Fargo, United Parcel Service and FedEx. The Journal staff in Atlanta also writes about key news and issues in the 11-state region, including race, immigration, poverty, politics and, in recent years, global warming and hurricanes.

Blackmon's stories or the work of his team have been widely acclaimed, including for coverage of the subprime meltdown, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Florida hurricanes in 2004 and for his 2001 examination of slave labor in the 20th century. His article on U.S. Steel was included in the 2003 edition of Best Business Stories. The Journal’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina received a special National Headliner award in 2006.

Blackmon joined the Journal in October 1995 as a reporter in Atlanta. Prior to joining the Journal, Blackmon was a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covered race and politics, and special assignments including the fall of the Berlin Wall and the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. Previously, he was a reporter for the Arkansas Democrat, managing editor of the Daily Record in Little Rock, Ark, and a writer for weekly newspapers.

Blackmon penned his first newspaper story at the age of 12, for the Progress, in his hometown of Leland, Mississippi. He graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, Ark., and lives in Atlanta with his wife and two children.

© Copyright 2008 • Douglas A. Blackmon. • 303 Peachtree Street, NE • Atlanta, GA 30308 • t: 404.865.4363 • Terms of Use


Douglas Blackmon was recently part of a C-SPAN panel on Poverty, Civic Disengagement, and Violence

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=281928-1&showVid=true

[Name removed]

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