Al Sharpton in Defense of Reverend Wright

Al Sharpton takes pride in being an advocate for justice and racial harmony. He has been at the forefront of many well publicized protests and demonstrations against what he perceives as racial in equality. He has led protests across America and even abroad to represent those he feels have been wronged.

According to press releases issued by The National Action Network, an organization founded by Sharpton to organize political and economic protests, Reverend Sharpton "has during the past year led the charge against the prevalence of pejorative and racial slurs in the mainstream media..."

Having read this it comes as a surprise to see Al Sharpton rush to the defense of Reverend Jeremiah Wright. In recent comments to a reporter for theChicago Sun Times Sharpton said the recent firestorm over Jeremiah Wright's comments in the pulpit is "grossly unfair." "He has a right to express his views," he said. "This is ridiculous. I think Jeremiah Wright has been totally distorted."

Grossly unfair?

Totally distorted?

It is hard to be unfair with Reverend Wright.

It is hard to distort the very plain and bigoted words of Reverend Wright who charged among other things that the American government had developed AIDS virus and had intentionally infected Afro-Americans with it, and the American government had conducted genocide against Blacks in South Africa.

Wright's sermons are filled too with statements sharply critical of "white people" and "privileged whites" taking advantage of under privileged Afro-Americans. His rants against white people and the white race are not directed at specific white abusers, but at the entire white race.

Wouldn't it be fair to assume that this type of racial baiting would fall within Al Sharpton's "charge against the prevalence of pejorative and racial slurs"???

Evidently not. The Reverend Sharpton sees no "pejorative" statements here.

Pejorative : having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force: the pejorative affix -ling in princeling

The Reverend Sharpton sees no racial slurs here.

According to Sharpton Reverend Wright "has the right to express his views"

Fair enough.

When asked during a recent talk show appearance why Don Imus did not also have a right to express his views an indignant Sharpton, who insisted Imus be fired, attributed the difference to Imus having expressed his views about a specific group of individuals.

Evidently in Sharpton's view insensitive, pejorative or racial slurs are only unacceptable when directed at a specific individual or specific sex (female).

That being the case the Reverend Wright's pejorative comments and racial slurs directed at an entire race or at an entire nation are perfectly acceptable and anyone who thinks otherwise is being "grossly unfair" to Reverend Wright.

Al Sharpton may be right, but it seems more logical that pejorative statements and racial slurs regardless to whom they are directed are unacceptable bigotry and for Sharpton to come to the defense of an obvious bigot by drawing such an indefensible line is illogical.

For Sharpton to defend Wright and his bigotry suggests that Sharpton can only see racism and bigotry in the white race.

That's unfortunate.

That is Bigotry.