Is Rev. Wright ever going to shut up?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by URY914

But he seems to ignore all the good this country has done. If we're so bad name a country that's better. And as far as slavery, it was legal at the time. The laws were changed and its not legal now and when it was it was 150-200 years ago. BTW when did this country carry out mass murder?

Trail of Tears as one example. History's a b!tch.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by KaptKaos

For a guy that thinks America is so bad, he's made a fine living for himself here.

Funny, very funny.

I don't think he thinks America is bad, just don't go around the world overthrowing governments, become the world largest arms exporter and then expect to be held up as an inflable holy deity.

Our government is not a holy deity, not in the past, present or future will it ever be. If that was Wright's message then I kind of understand it, and I'm not even black.

[K. Roman]

I think reverend Wright, according to certain folks needs to love the country unconditionally and not criticize it whatsoever. Wasn't he a USMC guy? Can he not have a voice? Anyone check the whole sermon?

[kstar]

One can look the Wright issue in (at least) two ways:

1) Personal opinion of Wright's words; or

2) Political views re how Wright's words may affect the electorate.

FTR, I have been focusing on number 2!

FWIW.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by kstarnes

I think he probably does speak "for a vast number of people who feel the same way he does". But, IMO, this (his continued controversial speaking!) has created a political problem for Obama in the minds of many moderate voters.

That's the rub, whether it is reasonable or not, for BO.

it is a roll of the dice and he's certainly backed away from it. Like any politician, he wants to have it both ways. The problem is I think that will ending up biting him in both directions come this summer.

I guess it never ceases to amaze me how blindingly "white" some people are around here...there is *one* version of reality, and everything/everyone else is "wrong."

[rouxroux]

Originally Posted by K. Roman

Wasn't he a USMC guy? Can he not have a voice?

Yes he was....so was Lee Harvey Oswald. Good cop, bad cop. Not all priests are pedophiles. Not all Republicans are "heartless". Not all Democrats are stupid.

[KaptKaos]

Originally Posted by kach22i

Funny, very funny.

I don't think he thinks America is bad, just don't go around the world overthrowing governments, become the world largest arms exporter and then expect to be held up as an inflable holy deity.

Our government is not a holy deity, not in the past, present or future will it ever be. If that was Wright's message then I kind of understand it, and I'm not even black.

Wasn't trying to be funny.

I double checked the dictionary on the word damn. Here are the results:

damn –verb (used with object)
1. to declare (something) to be bad, unfit, invalid, or illegal.
2. to condemn as a failure: to damn a play.
3. to bring condemnation upon; ruin.
4. to doom to eternal punishment or condemn to hell.

Given that Mr. Wright is a preacher, I assume that he was referring to the last definition. To pray (he was talking to God was he not?) for America to be condemned to hell for eternity seems a little harsh IMO.

I find that to be particularly interesting coming from a guy that has obviously received the benefits of this horrible society that deserves to be cast into the pit of eternal fire.

The guy is a racist and profits by it.

[URY914]

How many people sitting in the pews of his church are employed by the city, county or fed goverment?

How many people in the pews of his church recieve city, county or fed gov't services?

How does he think the goverment is?

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by KaptKaos

for America to be condemned to hell for eternity seems a little harsh IMO.

I think he was D---ing the actions of the government.

From his list the only weak argument was the invasion of Grenada, but you know that because you have actually watched the full clip, right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Grenada

The Congressional Black Caucus denounced the invasion and seven Democratic congressmen, led by Ted Weiss, attempted to impeach Reagan.[8] Although certainly planned for months, it was suggested at the time that the timing of the invasion two days after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing could have been a way to distract the public from that disastrous event.[9]

[gsmith660]

Originally Posted by K. Roman

I think reverend Wright, according to certain folks needs to love the country unconditionally and not criticize it whatsoever. Wasn't he a USMC guy? Can he not have a voice? Anyone check the whole sermon?

He wasn't Marine he was Navy and yes he can have a voice but what he is doing and where he is doing it from is the wrong way to go about it, he is just grandstanding now to make lots of money before he drops back into obscurity and he is going to drag Obama down with him which is not a bad thing as Obama just tells everyone what they want to hear, he is no better a politician than any of the others.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by nostatic

I guess it never ceases to amaze me how blindingly "white" some people are around here...there is *one* version of reality, and everything/everyone else is "wrong."

They should all get inline and taste the liberal guilt kool-aide, then they would see the light


I only see one version of reality. Prolly because there is only one reality. Anything else by definition is unreal.
Maybe it would be different if I had experimented with mind altering drugs, but I called in sick that day at hippie school

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by island911

What if. . . Obama wanted Wright to set the record straight?

I mean, yeah, I agree that Wright is likely just looking for some face time, but I have to think about other motivators. --I doubt Wright would do interveiws w/o getting an okay from Obama . . .but then again, Obama may not be politically savvy enough to sway Wright to STFU.

So, does Obama think that Wright is strong enough to set the record straight? ...or is Obama so ineffectual in swaying even his close friends, that Wright is going to say "FU Barry" ?

and you base this belief on what exactly, possibly something a unicorn told you?

Originally Posted by gsmith660

I saw on the news today Rev. Wright behind the pulpit saying when "Obama gets elected that he will be the first president to legally have a black woman in bed at 1600 Penn. Ave. " what need is there for something like that to come from the pulpit at a church service?

I was not aware that adultery was illegal, but it helps to divide people along racial lines, if you see that as appropriate for the pulpit. I don't.

Originally Posted by nostatic

ok, all the poor black people in the room raise your hand.

How do you know that he isn't actually speaking for a vast number of people who fell the same way he does? It's kinda like those crazy Australian versions of the map of the world - the US isn't at the center of it.

Perspective accounts for alot.

Just because he may mirror the beliefs of his parishoners(evident in the reaction from the crowd during his sermons), makes it no less racist, no less divisive and no less damaging to the Black Americans his church's stated mission is to specifically benefit.

He foments racial hatred by making statements that he almost certainly knows are false to financially benefit himself. How exactly is it going to be helpful to his flock when he tells them white people invented crack cocaine or AIDS to kill blacks? I can see how it helps him, but the po' folks dropping cash in the collection plate to help defray the cost of his $10 million dollar home, how is this helping them?

He has the freedom to say whatever he wants. When he makes offensive, racist statements to get attention, he shouldn't be upset when he gets negative attention.

Todd, I don't really get where I have an alternative reality relative to the rest of the planet

[gsmith660]

Originally Posted by Tobra

and you base this belief on what exactly, possibly something a unicorn told you?

I was not aware that adultery was illegal, but it helps to divide people along racial lines, if you see that as appropriate for the pulpit. I don't.

I DONT see that as appropriate along with many other things he says from behind the pulpit, and for the record adultery is illegal in many states.

[cairns]

"The guy is a racist and profits by it."

Exactly. He's a race baiting self promoting assh*le. He's gone farther than even Jesse ever dared. The pathetic attempts to justify his speeches on here are not convincing me (and evidently a lot of others) any differently. Martin Luther King was a preacher- Mr. Wright mongers hate.

The trail of tears or slavery were not perpetrated by anyone alive today and while they're important to remember they should be put in context to ensure they are understood and never happen again- not to be used as incendiaries to promote division and mistrust- or as excuses for the failures of so many to assimilate themselves within our society and make it (and themselves) successful.

One hand's a fist damning the USA and the other's open seeking a favor from the very same government. And the bleeding hearts here consider it "white" when someone considers this repellent and want to justify Mr. Wright as just "doing his job" as a "preacher".

Sorry, I don't share your guilt and I'm not buying his hatred. The sooner he's off the national stage the better.

[nostatic]

I'm not saying his words are "right" and are not "racist." But that in fact perception is the key. Comments like "there is only one reality" just show the narrow view of the world. How someone perceives a situation is dependent on a lot of factors. Just like there is no "photorealism" and no such thing as a documentary without bias, there is no absolute perception. eg look at different people's accounts/recollections of the same event. They will invariably be different, and often that can be traced to embedded cultural mores.

It has nothing to do with "liberal guilt." It has to do with having some empathy and actually admitting that other people might have a different take on "reality."

[Mule]

Originally Posted by kach22i

Funny, very funny.

I don't think he thinks America is bad, just don't go around the world overthrowing governments, become the world largest arms exporter and then expect to be held up as an inflable holy deity.

Our government is not a holy deity, not in the past, present or future will it ever be. If that was Wright's message then I kind of understand it, and I'm not even black.

The problem is that we haven't overthrown enough governments!

[widgeon13]

You can debate Rev. Wright's sermons all day but I am quite certain his audience on Sunday does not interpret/debate it the way it is being disseccted in PPOT. His outrageous comments are specifically meant for the shock effect and he is basking in the limelight that the media affords to folks like him. He enjoys this freedom because he is in America.

He is not a prophet nor a patriot in my opinion and while his comments are protected by free speech he is no different from Jesse and Al Sharpton in trying to insight the people who listen to him as well as hiding behind the cloak of religion.

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

They should all get inline and taste the liberal guilt kool-aide, then they would see the light


I only see one version of reality. Prolly because there is only one reality. Anything else by definition is unreal.
Maybe it would be different if I had experimented with mind altering drugs, but I called in sick that day at hippie school

Hippie school.
I don't care who you are, that's funny.

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by nostatic

I guess it never ceases to amaze me how blindingly "white" some people are around here...there is *one* version of reality, and everything/everyone else is "wrong."

On these crisp Michigan evenings I like to curl up with the wife in front of Nostatic's crackling hearth of enlightenment.

I'm sure most of us have no problem understanding how/why such folk develop their mindsets, that doesn't mean we have to accept or coddle them either. I can see why he believes what he believes and at the same time know he's dead wrong, they are not mutually exclusive ideas.

[Dueller]

Originally Posted by lendaddy

On these crisp Michigan evenings I like to curl up with the wife in front of Nostatic's crackling hearth of enlightenment.

Ldiddy...you ARE kinky