Letters to the Editor
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As Usual, Off On a Tangent You Go!
I don't think the reaction to the Jeremiah Wright videos was about patriotism, Gary. It was a mixture of anger and disgust. For me, patriotism wasn't even there.
Guys like Wright use God to prop themselves up, give them wealth and status, and then power. They use that power, not to save lives, but to condemn those who are "not like us." They misuse their IRS tax-exemption and their positions to spread their poison and hatred.
Barack Obama needed to leave that church after he heard his spiritual leader say other damning and inaccurate things and find another one that didn't. I guess Mr. Harvard Educated Thang and his wife figured that it was okay for their kids to be around all this because, well, they were special and above-it-all anyway. Typical of people who pick their fights because they have other, more grandiose ambitions, they said and did nothing. Now, Mr. I-Got-The-Judgment wants us to believe that he does.
Sorry, dude, but if you don't know enough to leave a church when it preaches hatred, then you don't know enough to be Commander-in-Chief. Patriotism? Hardly.
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@ blank
I think we're talking past one another on this one.
I don't think Kamiya or those of us on this thread who have responded so enthusiastically to his essay are talking about "strategy" or "electability."
In fact, quite the opposite, I think we're bemoaning the fact that you're probably right, these things are poor "strategy."
The point of the essay is that this state of affairs needs to change, that these things are falsely or illegitimately condemned.
The point (as I see it) is to lay the groundwork for moving us all to a point where we can recognize knee-jerk patriotism for what it is, to free ourselves from its dangerous thrall.
So, leaving questions of strategy and electability to one side, do you have any thoughts on the actual content of the essay?
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@sonofloud
You write:
"as a gay man it takes more than obama's pretty words to buy me off. talk to me when he marches in gay pride like hillary did in nyc."
I don't wish to diminish her walking in the NYC parade. It was an important symbol. However, I would not put it on par with Obama's statements in support of gay rights in front of antagonistic crowds, particularly conservative black churches, as he did in Beaumont Texas before the TX primaries: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Selling_gay_rights.html
Furthermore, not only does HRC lag behind Obama in support of gay rights (not to mention the other, former Democratic primary contenders, particularly Bill Richardson), there's a history here that's not limited to DOMA and Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell.
Perhaps you need to remind yourself: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/11/231551/005/983/464805
Clinton-Gore Spokesman Says Anti-Gay Ad Will Continue to Run As-Is
(WASHINGTON) Despite rumors among gay Democratic activists that
the Clinton-Gore campaign would soon alter, pull or repudiate an anti-gay radio ad running on Christian radio stations, a campaign spokesman defended the ad and confirmed that it would continue running unaltered.
In an article in today's Washington Times, entitled "For Christian Radio, Clinton Changes Tune on Gays, Abortion," it was reported that the Clinton-Gore campaign "shrugged off" angry calls to shelve the radio ad. The article cited reports from gay and lesbian groups that the campaign might delete the portion of the ad which boasts of Clinton signing the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), but "Clinton campaign spokesman Joe Lockhart said there are no plans to alter the radio ads, which will run for 'a few more days.'"
After boasting about Clinton signing the anti-gay DOMA, the ad concludes with the line: "President Clinton has fought for our values and America is better for it."
"After flip-flopping on gay issues for four years, President Clinton seems to have made up his mind in the last days of the campaign to go anti-gay," said Richard Tafel, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans. "These ads reveal exactly where gays and lesbians stand in his vision of America -- we're completely expendable."
Given the he-said/he-said nature of the following kerfuffle - where Clinton supposedly advised the Kerry campaign as reported by NEWSWEEK "to find a way to support the state bans [on gay marriage]" - I'll let you make of it what you will: http://www.americablog.com/2007/06/bill-clinton-reportedly-told-john-kerry.html
To Senator Clinton's credit, she has somewhat moderated her position on DOMA. However, she remains the most conservative Democrat on gay issues who ran in this year's primaries, and certainly more conservative than Senator Obama.
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@ blank
Um... "kill whitey" is a strategy? Where'd you get that one from?
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Correct assesment
I agree with Gary Kamilya's thesis that there should be a national discourse about the issues surrounding race, blind patriotism in this county, and out involvment internationally, however, the path that Wright takes is not the correct path to bring this about.
As during Obama's speach all parties have complaints: black, white, brown, yellow, red (are these even PC terms anymore?). Anger doesn't bring anything but more hate, period plain and simple. Wright as well as many fire and doom white preachers only compound this sterotype of the exteremist that is a danger to the society, and conversly is to be feared not listened to.
The real question is what is the solution? All of us can sit here and point fingers at the other. It's the repbulicans' falut, it's the whites' fault, it's so and so's etc...
So what are we going to do...MR Kamiya do you have an answer...any one else?
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Thank you for having some sense!!!
After listening to the host of NPR's usually on-point "Fair Game" riff stupidly on the 'crazy uncle' spin by her calling her own 'crazy uncle' to have him agree with her that no good American would ever say the terrible things that Wright said, no matter how drunk or crazy, I've despaired of seeing anyone put their flag down long enough to really look at Wright's statements.
Anything pronounced from a pulpit is automatically suspect to me, but some of what Wright is saying does ring true with my gist of what has gone on and continues to go on in this country. As the article points out, it wasn't Wright who sent 4000 (so far) off to die - why is he the big bad enemy?
It is a point in Barak Obama's favour that he does have a relationship with someone who has the chutzpah to say out loud what others, others who have been historically denied (via violence and legislation) the right to say what they have seen, may be thinking. He's level-headed enough to pull the facts out of what Wright is saying and hopefully, he will remember them should he be in a position to act on them. And maybe he will also have chutzpah to someday tell his fellow Americans some of the things that we don't want to hear about the outcome of our way of doing things.