Reverend Jeremiah Wright....my take on the whole thing....

Reverend Jeremiah Wright has caused almost immeasurable damage to Barack Obama's campaign.
So much damage, that the Jr. Senator from Illinois has gone so far as to completely separate himself from Jeremiah Wright the pastor, the man, the media spectacle. My question is, how did it get this far? How did a 30-second sound bite of Rev. Jeremiah Wright saying, "God, Damn America" go so far as to taint the image of one of the most charismatic, capable, and trustworthy politicians in American history?

Well, this is the logic...at least as far as I can see it.

Barack Obama was not raised in America for part of his life + Barack Obama does not wear his flag pin + Barack Obama's middle name is "Hussein" + Barack Obama didn't support the war on terror + Barack Obama's pastor said "Goddamn America" (Although that's NOT what he really said) = Barack Obama MUST hate America!

Wait...2 months ago wasn't Barack Obama a Muslim according to many people?

Ok, now I'm confused. Barack Obama, the Muslim who doesn't wear a flag pin, goes to Trinity United Church of Christ and becomes a member under a pastor who says "God, Damn America," because he hates us for freedom so he runs for President.

That makes a buttload of sense doesn't it? Well...doesn't it?

No. It doesn't. At all...

The attempt of the mainstream "Right Wing" media (God, damn labels...please?) to taint Barack Obama's darling image by connecting him to a 30 second sound bite of his pastor saying a phrase taken completely out of context is completely and totally WRONG. This STRAW MAN tactic is heinous at best and deplorable at worst and has forced the Obama camp to completely sidetrack itself to deal with what should honestly be a "non-issue".

Let's examine Jeremiah Wright for a second.

According to some people he hates America...ok, lets take that argument on.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright spent 6 years in the military. 2 in the Marines and 4 in the Navy.
He was a cardiopulmonary Technician during his tenure and was charged, along with others, with the care of then President, Lyndon B. Johnson. As a result he rceived three letters of commendation from the White House...

Yeah...real unpatriotic.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright is an intelligent man, I mean the guy speaks five languages...

I can honestly say that there is only one viewpoint of his that I disagree with. That is his view on AIDS.

I can honestly say that the only actions of his that I disagree with would be his, as my Uncle Bill said, wrapping "himself in the mantle of 'the black church' as if he represents all black churches." That is a job more suitable for T.D. Jakes or Bishop Noel Jones.

The problem therein lies with A) the media and B) the voters.

The media has IRRESPONSIBLY cast a dark shadow on Rev. Wright in an attempt to slight Barack Obama. We've been relegated to thinking that the two are inextricably related because the media told us they were. (Much like they did with Don Imus and Hip-Hop...)

The voters' problems are two fold. On the one hand you have ardent Barack Obama Supporters who wish Jeremiah Wright would shut up and stop hurting the campaign as if he's some sort of unofficial spokesperson. On the other hand you have Obama detractors who are either sympathetic to Obama or having a field day.

As Public Enemy said, "Don't Believe the Hype"

STOP Allowing soundbites to determine your belief in someone or something. There is an unprecedented idea of unification and change in Barack Obama's message and the tactics of those who it would benefit to keep things as they are should not drown that idea out!

(WARNING: RACE CARD TO BE PLAYED!)

On a message board that I'm on a poster typed something that resonated deeply within me. It made me think of this in racial terms as well.

It made me look at the entire thing from a racial perspective...the only people in arms about Rev. Wrights ALLEGED anti-American, quasi racist comments are the same people who have not cared about the plight of Black Americans in general in this country anyway...I'll delve deeper into that in my Sean Bell post...


BTW, to the people that have glorified the fact that Obama has distanced himself from Rev. Wright...read the full text of the sermon in the link below, TITLE INCLUDED, and tell me exactly how much you think he's separated himself in ideology and actuality...

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/03/for-the-record.html

Peace.