Rev. Jeremiah Wright almost cost Barack Obama his chance at becoming our 44th president. Not from his incendiary sermons that were caught on tape. Barack Obama handled the uproar from those video images when he gave that remarkable speech on race in Philadelphia.
Rev. Wright used poor judgement in making a speeches and interviews one weekend on PBS television, NAACP Detroit banquet and Washington Press Club. His comments were so out-of-line that weekend that the Obama family had to resign their membership in Wright's church and distance themselves from Rev. Wright on a personal basis.
Wright said he was hurt when the campaign removed him from Obama’s African American religious advisory committee last spring without sending word. [SOURCE]
“That kind of opened up a wound because … I found out I was put off the committee by watching television on a family cruise in the Caribbean,” Wright said. “Now that hurt.”
Wright was unapologetic about his April 2008 remarks that were widely condemned — including by Obama — saying reporters had “spat in my face” by not asking a single question about the 30-minute speech he gave about his theological views before he took questions.
Though he hopes to talk with Obama again once he leaves office, he also said he won’t hold back in criticizing Obama’s administration.
“I’ve already told … Obama: On Nov. 5, I’m coming after you,” he said.
“It’s not you the person … it’s the policies of this country. And as long as you are presiding over policies that grind God’s people into the earth, I’m coming after you."
Am I the only one who thought that Rev. Wright retired? Why doesn't he just fade away and enjoy his retirement years in quiet solitude?
Some of you might remember how Bill Buckner was reviled in Boston after his error
at first base that many Red Sox fans thought cost them chance for world championship. Can you imagine how much Black America would have reviled Rev. Wright if his error cost Obama the presidency?Personally, I don't have any love lost for Rev. Wright. I figure that he will be on Fox News before long. What are your thoughts on th future of Rev. Wright?
10 comments:
Hello there Villager,
The white media was slandering Dr. Wright by purposely repeating excerpts from two sermons that DID NOT capture the content of the sermon. One level of the lynching was when the white media was attributing statements to Dr. Wright when he was quoting a white person. Anyone who listened to the sermon would have known that. Most did not listen.
As a minister, I have no problems with the media reporting on what I teach or preach about. I would have a problem with being media-lynched however. They can report on what I preach - just don't twist what I have said.
The white media created white backlash against the ENTIRE CHURCH and did not present the facts accurately. This created bomb threats at a megachurch populated by blacks. Black children attend Trinity too, you know. Is THAT okay? Is it OK for their racist ploy to put thousands of lives at risk for attending church on Sunday?
The white media thought that by slandering Dr. Wright, that they could INTIMIDATE black clergy into not criticizing the U.S. government or speaking out against racism while in the pulpit! We will not be intimidated.
I noticed that several black people jumped on the Anti-Wright bandwagon who had not even fully investigated this man's teachings. You see, WE often think that whatever is on television is FACT...and whatever is in print in a paper is FACT.
Some black bloggers were writing posts about this issue and when I asked them if THEY had listened to the two sermons the media was referring to ...what did they say? No they had not!
There is nothing wrong with Dr. Wright criticizing the U.S. government while presenting irrefutable facts...which he did.
"God damn America" was the statement that set everyone off...well...allow me to break the truth to the truly naive! God DOES condemn many actions of the U.S. government. God does NOT bless everything the U.S. government has done. Yes, perhaps he COULD have phrased it that way.
There is nothing wrong with Dr. Wright criticizing Obama. Obama is not above criticism by blacks.
If Obama had LOST the race, it would not have been due to Dr. Wright's comments...or due to his sermons...but it would be due to the willingness of white and black people to stand by silently (and GULLIBLY) while being manipulated by the tactics of the white press.
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
Hello there Villager,
Please give examples of the statements he made at the Press Club and on PBS that were "so out of line"... I watched tapes of BOTH and there was nothing he said that was out of line.
Do you have the links to those clips so that we can all see what was "so out of line"?
I have the link to the video of the PBS at my blog. I have the link to the two sermons at my blog. I don't have the press club link but I saw the entire video.
There was no statement he made that I felt was even borderline inappropriate.
Please share more specifically what statements you are referring to.
Obama resigned their membership in order to appease whites. But that was a-okay with black folks...you see...it's okay to watch your friends get lynched with lies being told, just as long as there is an important goal, history-shattering objective that is being sought.
Is that what we are REALLY saying here?
Honestly?
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
Lisa is exactly "right!" Dr. Wright's messages have been the same for 40 years.
It is a reflection not upon Dr. Wright, but upon those who make his dissenting opinions to be something disloyal or unpatriotic.
The church, I believe, in particular, has a responsibility to be counter-cultural and definitely should not merely be the echo of a society that says everyone has to support a certain foreign policy or cannot criticize it.
Maybe some were put off by what they considered crude language, but the Old Testament biblical prophets performed similarly.
We really are in trouble when we lack linguistic diversity on issues and only one discourse - one which supports a failed government policy is allowed.
Wright's sermons, were not expedient for getting Obama elected because others were able to manipulate them and distort their true meaning, but they were not wrong. He did well to go undercover until after the election and not be further exploited.
Hotep Villager,
I hope that in the future that there will be a point in time when the Rev. Wright that I have heard speak will be vindicated.
I never agreed with that whole media circus around snipets of his sermons. There is no way that an entire ministry can be judged based on selective statements.
Yes Rev. Wright did envoke an angry uproar from us. There are times when you should really keep your two lips together.
But pearls are created from friction. As I see it, without the irritation created by Obama having a realtionship with Rev. Wright helped to move Barack to write an on point speech about race. Perhaps that might not have happened without the circumstances being like they were.
Lisa and Rev - I don't question that Rev. Wright was a remarkable preacher. I don't question that his sermons, including those where snippets were placed on a continuous loop by right-wing folks at Fox News and elsewhere, were based on biblical research.
When the video clips were first put into the public domain ... Obama didn't distance himself. In fact, Obama used the occassion to demonstrate his leadership with that race speech in Philadelphia.
At that point, Rev. Wright ... who had retired from active leadership of his Chicago church should have stayed low-key for the remainder of the campaign.
He didn't.
Instead he clowned with song and satire that 3-day weekend on PBS, Detroit & Washington DC. It was his clowning ... his lack of control at that stage of the campaign ... that caused Obama to make a political decision to leave his church and denounce the words of his minister.
Wright was silent for the last 6-7 months of the campaign. Why couldn't he show that discipline during the 3-day weekend in question???
Lady D - I agree that the race speech was a remarkable demonstration of leadership by Obama. I simply wish that Wright had laid low from that point forward. His 3-day weekend romp thru the mass media was disasterous for him.
Bill Buckner was eventually pardoned by the Red Sox fans. Perhaps Wright will get his pardon at some point in the future as well...
I am of mixed opinion of this nothing the rev said was new, and if you listen to his speechs in their full context it is very truthful as well as heavy handed.
Now that being said he would of done Obama a great favor by keeping low key and not stir the waters, knowing that his voice is polarizing.
And yet to flip it again why should the man lie about who he is? Why compromise who he is?
In the end he is in my dog house because I took his actions as egotistical in becoming a media whore when this election should have been about Obama and the issues.
In my opinion, Wright's sermons were right on and presented only the truth. Although much more animated, his G-D sermon was extremely similar to MLK's sermon delivered 1 year to the day before his assassination. But, having said that, Wright's performance before the Press Club was entirely something else. His antics during that interview were way off base. The PBS Wright should have showed up at the Press Club rather than the Que Dog who looked and acted like a baffooon. So, if that's the one who keeps showing up - I'm with Villager and just wish he'd go away!
His message is so powerful that hope he never shuts up.
Here's a wonderful short clip that sums up much of White America didn't want to hear and still doesn't. Had they not been deaf, Wright would not have been perceived as he was.
Most blacks I know went along with Obama because we know he had to do what he did to get elected - symbolically kill the messenger of racism - and on that horrible day, I could see the pain in Barack's face and hear it in his voice.
All - This post quickly became the most popular post on my blog. I appreciate the discussion from Lisa, Rev Ray, and others. I imagine that the Obama family will be scrutinized by many to see who they choose for their church in Washington DC...
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