Jeremiah Wright's Alleged Racism Not an Issue for Barack Obama
Obama Should Meet with Farrakhan and Answer Questions About His Racial Views
The problem, as Hannity defines it, is that Rev. Wright has been a strong supporter of so-called black theology, supporting racists like Louis Farrakhan with a lifetime achievement award. Hannity argues that the news media needs to ask Obama if he has ever met with Farrakhan and how he feels about Farrakhan's teachings.
Hannity also points to statements Wright has made about the motherland, Africa, and calls Wright's speech and tone divisive and racist. He claims that Americans have the right to know if the man who would be President is a racist.
And, we do. But Hannity's assumption that Obama is guilty by association with Wright and that it matters to his presidential campaign whether he has met with Farrakhan is little more than fear mongering.
Yes, what someone needs to ask Sen. Obama is this: Has he has met with Farrakhan and, if he has, what those meetings entailed. To do it right, they should also ask Farrakhan the same questions.
Hopefully, the answer is that he has met with Farrakhan in the past and will continue to do so in the future. No, that does not mean that we should support Farrakhan's racist teachings in any way, shape or form, but it does mean that if we want a change in politics in our nation, we need to allow our leaders to meet with people of different viewpoints. We need to encourage it, instead of assuming that we are always morally superior.
Right now, Hannity's crusade sounds far too much like the Red Scare of the 1950s. If you affiliate with a Communist, you must be a Communist. I thought we had grown past that logic.
I believe Senator Obama has the backbone necessary to stand up to Farrakhan, tell him that his racist, anti-Semitic viewpoints are unacceptable, and do nothing to promotion racial equality or the peaceful improvement of our country. I also believe that meeting with leaders of the Nation of Islam and taking their concerns about the treatment of people of color in the United States serious is an important thing for our president to do.
Senator Obama has the strength of character to meet with people with whom he does not agree and discuss differing opinions without that meaning that he is caving into their views or demands. After all, Hannity's hero, Ronald Reagan, met with Mikhail Gorbachev dozens of times and by all accounts, they had a friendly relationship with Reagan, even compromising on his view of the Soviet Union as the evil empire.
If Obama were hiding a racist agenda, then yes, his affiliation with Rev. Wright should become an issue in the political campaign. If the issue is that his church and his pastor have on occasion supported views that seem anti-Caucasian, then this is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. While they decry discussions of whether Obama is black enough or too black to be the president, they move to claim his ties to African-American culture might be racist, in that they promote the black culture above others.
Much as Hannity would never paint all Catholics as child molesters because of the deeds of one bishop or one priest, even if it the Catholic had been a member of that priest's parish for years, it is disgusting that some people want to censure Obama because of the actions of his pastor.
Yes, when Hannity calls for all Americans to be judged according to the actions of their heart rather than the color of their skin, I think he believes the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., However, having never lived as a black man in America, I cannot imagine what it is like. I do know that every other ethnicity -Irish, Polish, Jewish and more-are able to proudly celebrate their heritage. It seems that Rev. Wright may simply have overstated his zealousness for his heritage.
Rev. Jeremiah Wright plays an important role as Obama's spiritual advisor, but his so-called racist activities are not enough to derail the Obama campaign. To think otherwise, is just wishful thinking for Hannity and others who believe that John McCain can beat Hillary Clinton, but will lose to Barrack Obama.
Published by Lucinda Gunnin
Lucinda Gunnin is a writer in Illinois, who spends her days running a mini-storage complex. She had her first short stories published in 2009's Elements of the Soul and more in the recently published Element... View profile
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22 Comments
Post a CommentHave any of you read Obama's book? If you had, you might have some insight into the relationship Barack had/has with this pastor. I went to a Baptist church in Texas and it was pretty bigoted, but I did not agree with everything the pastor said. Why is it that Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson can rant about homosexuals and the immorality of the liberals causing the 9/11 attacks and nobody looked into whether or not Bush or Cheney were affiliated with them? Barack became associated with this pastor when he was an activist in South Chicago and needed the church to help. The Pastor gave him the spiritual strength he needed to work in such adverse conditions. These are the ties that bind even though you don't share that same "anger of being kept down by the white man" that descendants of slaves have (and rightfully so). How does society cure this social anger of the black man? They see that one of their own has overcome the hardship and racism. Obama is what America needs to inspire u
A very well written article. It is very disturbing to me that Reverend Wright's sermons are riddled with extreme racism, hatred and political propaganda. As the wife of a pastor I know how the church scene works. If someone has attended a church for almost 20 years I can guarantee that they agree with most of the tenets of the church and pastor. As offensive as Wrights statements are, a person would not continue to support him and his church financially, etc. if they didn't agree with his world view. It just doesn't happen. Unfortunately for Barack, I believe his recent separation from this pastor and church has come a bit too late. The damage has already been done and I don't see how he will be able to repair it.
Because people are in general too busy being caught up in how pretty he sounds, and didn't bother looking at anything in his past. And now it's almost too late to do anything about it. Say hello to President McCain!
Barrack Obama along with his America hating wife and their America hating, racist preacher who HATE America and white people are NOT what America needs! VOTE FOR HILLARY!! Before it is too late. THIS is an OUTRAGE.
Obama's Mentor --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAYe7MT5BxM
Obama's new pastor is trying to do damage control?
Read Obama's book/s. He talks about Wright being his spiritual advisor.
Obama's new Pastor said this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6qjeJ5mG8 Wright was not Obama's spiritual adviser, but Obama has been Wright's. Just more Hillary kitchen stink being thrown at Obama. Anyone who accuses him of being racists does not know him. He loves his white mother, his white grandparents and white relatives. His unique history makes him the perfect non-biased person to lead our country. Much of what Wright says is true and I agree with Obama, about the 'old uncle' stuff. Remember Emmett Till? "Mr. Rendell, whose speech preceded Mr. Farrakhan's, commended the Nation of Islam for its emphasis on family values and self-sufficiency." 1997 NY Times article about then mayor of Philly and now governor of PA that endorsed Clinton. Shall Clinton denounce Rendell? Should Clinton denounce Bills UAE Sheik biz partners for their Hebrew hatred? How about Bill's trial with Peter Paul coming up in mid October?
It's not digging for dirt. This guy chose to be married by Wright, as well as have his kids baptized by him. I don't know what it makes you to choose to sit in that Church for 20 years listening to that sort of stuff and choosing to have such a man as your spiritual advisor. But, if any candidate chose to be a part of a white supremacist group for, say, a couple of decades and chose to have the leader of said group as part of one's major life events (marriage, baptism), would it be just 'digging for dirt' to bring up such long-held affiliations? Maybe for an average Joe, but, for a presidential candidate? Let's see how far Obama will speak out on the issue. He knows what he says will affect the black vote because although he might not believe every last thing that preacher spewed, many he sat in church with for 20 years, did, amen. Peacemaker by being a fence sitter and having an aide put out a press release? Or being a man and speaking out personally and publicly about it and
Anonymous, if we should allow you to deflect the conversattion to the "good" Obama is doing for the housing market, why did he help Tont Rezko rip-off the government to the tune of $100 million dollars in the name of the poor? How does that help anyone? And why does everyone keep calling the crisis a threat to the "American Dream"? The American Dream was never to buy a house you couldn't afford, then have the government pay for it when you couldn't make the payments. At least, that's never been the Republican version of the American Dream. Face it, Obama is nothing more than a politician who attends a racist church because he likes the church and its message. He takes his kids there, and gives the church money. Go to the church website and read about how American the church is NOT, its all about Africa. How does that help America? You must think that we are idiots to gloss over the subject of Obama and his racist church. Barack Obama has attended the church since 1988, and last year Ob
I agree that the relationship between Senator Obama and Rev. Jeremiah Wright is not going away. Why are presidential candidates not properly vetted?
The main problem Obama has with this issue is this. He sat in this church for 20 years. This man married he and his wife. This man baptized his children. Are we suppose to believe he never made these outrageous comments at all in those 20 years? The man is a christian version of a black muslim, his "sermons" cloak an outright hatred for the USA. If Obama is to have any chance to be the next president of the US, he must not only distance himself from this man, he must denounce him, which he will never do.