Obama Embraces a Bigot and a Fanatic, the Rev. Wright

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From the Wall Street Journal:

Obama and the Minister
By RONALD KESSLER
March 14, 2008; Page A19

In a sermon delivered at Howard University, Barack Obama's longtime minister, friend and adviser blamed America for starting the AIDS virus, training professional killers, importing drugs and creating a racist society that would never elect a black candidate president.

The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., pastor of Mr. Obama's Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, gave the sermon at the school's Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel in Washington on Jan. 15, 2006.

Trinity United Church of Christ/Religion News Service
Sen. Barack Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright
"We've got more black men in prison than there are in college," he began. "Racism is alive and well. Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run. No black man will ever be considered for president, no matter how hard you run Jesse [Jackson] and no black woman can ever be considered for anything outside what she can give with her body."

Mr. Wright thundered on: "America is still the No. 1 killer in the world. . . . We are deeply involved in the importing of drugs, the exporting of guns, and the training of professional killers . . . We bombed Cambodia, Iraq and Nicaragua, killing women and children while trying to get public opinion turned against Castro and Ghadhafi . . . We put [Nelson] Mandela in prison and supported apartheid the whole 27 years he was there. We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God."

His voice rising, Mr. Wright said, "We supported Zionism shamelessly while ignoring the Palestinians and branding anybody who spoke out against it as being anti-Semitic. . . . We care nothing about human life if the end justifies the means. . . ."

Concluding, Mr. Wright said: "We started the AIDS virus . . . We are only able to maintain our level of living by making sure that Third World people live in grinding poverty. . . ."

Considering this view of America, it's not surprising that in December Mr. Wright's church gave an award to Louis Farrakhan for lifetime achievement. In the church magazine, Trumpet, Mr. Wright spoke glowingly of the Nation of Islam leader. "His depth on analysis [sic] when it comes to the racial ills of this nation is astounding and eye-opening," Mr. Wright said of Mr. Farrakhan. "He brings a perspective that is helpful and honest."

After Newsmax broke the story of the award to Farrakhan on Jan. 14, Mr. Obama issued a statement. However, Mr. Obama ignored the main point: that his minister and friend had spoken adoringly of Mr. Farrakhan, and that Mr. Wright's church was behind the award to the Nation of Islam leader.

Instead, Mr. Obama said, "I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan. I assume that Trumpet magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree." Trumpet is owned and produced by Mr. Wright's church out of the church's offices, and Mr. Wright's daughters serve as publisher and executive editor.

Meeting with Jewish leaders in Cleveland on Feb. 24, Mr. Obama described Mr. Wright as being like "an old uncle who sometimes will say things that I don't agree with." He rarely mentions the points of disagreement.

Mr. Obama went on to explain Mr. Wright's anti-Zionist statements as being rooted in his anger over the Jewish state's support for South Africa under its previous policy of apartheid. As with his previous claim that his church gave the award to Mr. Farrakhan because of his work with ex-offenders, Mr. Obama appears to have made that up.

Neither the presentation of the award nor the Trumpet article about the award mentions ex-offenders, and Mr. Wright's statements denouncing Israel have not been qualified in any way. Mr. Obama nonetheless told the Jewish leaders that the award to Mr. Farrakhan "showed a lack of sensitivity to the Jewish community." That is an understatement.

As for Mr. Wright's repeated comments blaming America for the 9/11 attacks because of what Mr. Wright calls its racist and violent policies, Mr. Obama has said it sounds as if the minister was trying to be "provocative."

Hearing Mr. Wright's venomous and paranoid denunciations of this country, the vast majority of Americans would walk out. Instead, Mr. Obama and his wife Michelle have presumably sat through numerous similar sermons by Mr. Wright.

Indeed, Mr. Obama has described Mr. Wright as his "sounding board" during the two decades he has known him. Mr. Obama has said he found religion through the minister in the 1980s. He joined the church in 1991 and walked down the aisle in a formal commitment of faith.

The title of Mr. Obama's bestseller "The Audacity of Hope" comes from one of Wright's sermons. Mr. Wright is one of the first people Mr. Obama thanked after his election to the Senate in 2004. Mr. Obama consulted Mr. Wright before deciding to run for president. He prayed privately with Mr. Wright before announcing his candidacy last year.

Mr. Obama obviously would not choose to belong to Mr. Wright's church and seek his advice unless he agreed with at least some of his views. In light of Mr. Wright's perspective, Michelle Obama's comment that she feels proud of America for the first time in her adult life makes perfect sense.

Much as most of us would appreciate the symbolism of a black man ascending to the presidency, what we have in Barack Obama is a politician whose closeness to Mr. Wright underscores his radical record.

The media have largely ignored Mr. Obama's close association with Mr. Wright. This raises legitimate questions about Mr. Obama's fundamental beliefs about his country. Those questions deserve a clearer answer than Mr. Obama has provided so far.

Mr. Kessler, a former Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reporter, is chief Washington correspondent of Newsmax.com and the author of "The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack" (Crown Forum, 2007).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120545277093135111.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

And Obama wants to be elected Patriot-in-Chief.

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This is the Obama his campaign is desperate to conceal. The man who associates himself with racists and bigots while condemning white politicians for their associations. This hypocrite is trying to become elected President of the United States after a measly three years in the Senate. This naked ambition, fueled by empty rhetoric and smarmy charm is an indictment of his dishonesty.

He was in the pews when this anti-American rants were being spewed. He has known the Rev. Wright for over 20 years. He most certainly knew and most likely agreed with some of this bigot's views and anti-American ravings.

Why, I think that must eminently qualify him to be President. After all not much else does.

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Yes indeed, Obama must be a bigot, after all is said and done he's still a black man and we all know all black men are bigots by nature. I hate all black men just because I'm white; I'm right.

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Obama disagrees with those statements.

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Crapturites are up in arms. Rev. Wright spoke truth to a mass murdering Superpower. God damn.

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Parker Cross wrote:

This is the Obama his campaign is desperate to conceal. The man who associates himself with racists and bigots while condemning white politicians for their associations. This hypocrite is trying to become elected President of the United States after a measly three years in the Senate. This naked ambition, fueled by empty rhetoric and smarmy charm is an indictment of his dishonesty.

He was in the pews when this anti-American rants were being spewed. He has known the Rev. Wright for over 20 years. He most certainly knew and most likely agreed with some of this bigot's views and anti-American ravings.

Why, I think that must eminently qualify him to be President. After all not much else does.

You should try thinking. It's fun!

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Or at least listen to the speech that Obama gave after this article was written.

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engineer wrote:

Or at least listen to the speech that Obama gave after this article was written.

That was headline new yesterday. How are we supposed to take this thread seriously?

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And in response to these anti-American comments such as "God D@#m America", Obama delivers a 37-minute speech wherein he eruditedly and impliedly agrees with the Rev. Wright's comments by justifying them with these comments:

"But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow."

"Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments - meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations."

He then goes on to exonerate some from the burden of personal choice through the justification of their economic situations to an environment designed to impair them:

"A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one's family, contributed to the erosion of black families - a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods - parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement - all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us."

Far be it from them to build for themselves like every other immigrant and underpriveleged group in this country their livelihoods starting from little. Apparently the Irish were far better off upon their beginnings in America. The Japanese-Americans fared much better as well. The "SHAME" was such that in 2008 with the advent of the internet, cellular phones, hip-hop, and nano-technology it still serves as a justification, and an accusation, for being of lesser means.

We must elect this man into the Presidency immediately. The country cannot survive without him. We do not hate ourselves enough.

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Parker Cross wrote:

And in response to these anti-American comments such as "God D@#m America", Obama delivers a 37-minute speech wherein he eruditedly and impliedly agrees with the Rev. Wright's comments by justifying them with these comments:

"But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow."

"Legalized discrimination - where blacks were prevented, often through violence, from owning property, or loans were not granted to African-American business owners, or black homeowners could not access FHA mortgages, or blacks were excluded from unions, or the police force, or fire departments - meant that black families could not amass any meaningful wealth to bequeath to future generations."

He then goes on to exonerate some from the burden of personal choice through the justification of their economic situations to an environment designed to impair them:

"A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one's family, contributed to the erosion of black families - a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods - parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement - all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us."

Far be it from them to build for themselves like every other immigrant and underpriveleged group in this country their livelihoods starting from little. Apparently the Irish were far better off upon their beginnings in America. The Japanese-Americans fared much better as well. The "SHAME" was such that in 2008 with the advent of the internet, cellular phones, hip-hop, and nano-technology it still serves as a justification, and an accusation, for being of lesser means.

We must elect this man into the Presidency immediately. The country cannot survive without him. We do not hate ourselves enough.

And certainly you remember when the Irish were chained to slave ships and beaten in cotton fields. Are you seriously making that comparison? You're blaming African Americans for an uneven playing field? Is your middle name "Burning" perchance?

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Parker, I think if we scratch your thin surface a really nasty racist will pop out, or maybe just a troll.

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How about this gem:

"But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it - those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations - those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future."

Yes, that legacy of defeat forced them at the point of a gun to commit crimes (many incidentally with the points of guns), and remanded them unjustly into prisons and onto street corners to languish. That damn legacy. It truly is to blame.

... What personal choice? Choosing NOT to commit crimes? Stay in school?

Madness. How can this be accomplished in the face of the legacy of defeat.

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If you have seen the video you could not have missed the audiences cheering and approval of the ""reverends" words. I can only wonder how many times Obama has been among the cheering.

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Gargamel wrote:

And certainly you remember when the Irish were chained to slave ships and beaten in cotton fields. Are you seriously making that comparison? You're blaming African Americans for an uneven playing field? Is your middle name "Burning" perchance?

Brilliantly witty. I have been smote by such a detailed and well thought response.

Any defense of the actual speech. Here is the transcript.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23690567/

There were a number of points that I applauded. And Obama does earn points from all for the bravery of making such a controversial speech, despite it being partially tarnished by his waiting till his back was up against a wall to make it.

I imagine you agree with the thought that the legacy of defeat is to blame for all of African-Americans' ills.

For if not, then perhaps the roots of their misfortune should also be illuminated in a speech designed to explain and confront racial divides?

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au1929 wrote:

If you have seen the video you could not have missed the audiences cheering and approval of the ""reverends" words. I can only wonder how many times Obama has been among the cheering.

Absolutely a good point. This is the man that Obama CHOSE to officiate his wedding, be his pastor and spiritual mentor for 20 years, and baptize his children.

Sound choice indeed from a man who wants to be the next President of the United States. Cut from the same vein as Washington, Lincoln, and Kennedy no doubt.

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Parker Cross wrote:

How about this gem:

"But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it - those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations - those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future."

Yes, that legacy of defeat forced them at the point of a gun to commit crimes (many incidentally with the points of guns), and remanded them unjustly into prisons and onto street corners to languish. That damn legacy. It truly is to blame.

... What personal choice? Choosing NOT to commit crimes? Stay in school?

Madness. How can this be accomplished in the face of the legacy of defeat.

Of course, by simply staying in school, underfunded schools with no resources (I'm assuming we are talking about the marignalized black community since, believe it or not, not all black people live in the ghetto), they can easily escape communities designed to keep their inhabitants marginalized and easily nagivate a workforce full of open-minded people like yourself who surely have loads of experience interacting with minorities, and have no biogted tendencies whatsoever.

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Parker Cross wrote:

au1929 wrote:
If you have seen the video you could not have missed the audiences cheering and approval of the ""reverends" words. I can only wonder how many times Obama has been among the cheering.

Absolutely a good point. This is the man that Obama CHOSE to officiate his wedding, be his pastor and spiritual mentor for 20 years, and baptize his children.

Sound choice indeed from a man who wants to be the next President of the United States. Cut from the same vein as Washington, Lincoln, and Kennedy no doubt.

well, at least McCain ain't no nigger.

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Parker, the Rev. Wright haters have managed to edit what he said and of course they would. Wright said, "God damn America for killing innocent people. God damn America for threatening citizens as less than humans. God damn America as long as she tries to act like she is God and supreme." Are we killing innocent people? Again? We were lied into war in Vietnam and millions died. God damn we still show no remorse as a nation over that. Today about 6 out of 10 Americans say Bushie deliberately misled us into war in Iraq. That's quite an accusation. Lying the world into war is as great a crime as a man could commit and how many innocent people have been killed in Bushie's war crime? Yet even though millions of Americans believe Bushie deliberately lied us into war they dont seem to be calling for his prosecution. God damn that dont make sense. If he's guilty of lying us into war he's guilty of mass murder. Seems even Bushie's accusers dont get it. The people Bushie has killed are real flesh and blood not less than human and mass murderers Blair and Bushie are not brought to justice. Certainly that needs to be condemned. But it does appear to be true that America is acting like she is God and supreme. She would be what she pretends to be if she stopped crucifying truth tellers and put the Mass Murderer in Chief behind bars.

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I wish you people would stop picking on Parker Cross and people like him. If you support Obama, you should urge people like this on. They will overplay this whole America-hating pastor card that currently has them all so giddy and very soon they will end up looking like a blood-thirsty lynch-mob who is out to get the black candidate, which will play "Wright" into Obama's hands.

So please, shhhh...let the man speak.

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Green Witch wrote:

Parker, I think if we scratch your thin surface a really nasty racist will pop out, or maybe just a troll.

Indeed, a terrible racist. But, wait! You don't know my ethnicity. Perhaps it is merely my own "legacy of defeat" that drives me to such insanities?

Green Witch, I would wager money that you are a white, liberal Democrat, most probably living in a large metropolis, having attended a liberal college and opposed to the death penalty for serial rapists and killers.

I'm sure that label of "racist" scares any other white opponents to your liberal views. It is a handy one at that now, isn't it?

Doesn't apply to me, friend. My legacy of defeat has made me impervious to cliched race guilt. My justifiable anger, because of my legacy of defeat, allows me to blame society - namely ultra-liberal society - for all of my woes. I find that I have the right to break laws, languish in prison - and street corners of course - and be excused due to my terrible legacy of defeat.

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Obama Embraces a Bigot and a Fanatic, the Rev. Wright

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