Letters to the Editor
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I watched the Moyers interview
Where are the Clinton vs. Obama flamers? Joan's post has been up at least 30 minutes already.
I watched the interview on Friday night. I had seen it promoted at least on MSNBC and I think on CNN.
The Rev. Wright sounded very reasonable to me. It was helpful to hear his reasons for saying some of the things he has been saying. It was also good to find out his theological background and which theologians have assisted him. These are mainstream theologians, not crazy religious weirdos.
Not surprisingly, the video clip we most frequently see is taken out of context and Rev. Wright explained the thinking behind his statements. What he said is hard to disagree with.
Unfortunately, most Americans do not care about the reality of what Rev. Wright said. They will say what my SO did as he walked though the room while I was watching the interview, "That Obama preacher guy is really crazy and hateful."
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Close, but no cigar
I had high hopes as it looked as if you had turned over a new leaf and were out of your rut.
Then you stuck in a reference to Obama and his Pastor.
I bet you thought that was pretty slick, eh?
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Rev. Wright on Bill Moyers Journal
I also watched the interview, and my hope is that people who profess to be so disturbed by Obama's association with Rev. Wright will have watched it with an open mind. Given that it was conducted by Bill Moyers and presented on PBS, I'm afraid most viewers would be already inclined to be more sympathetic than not. But for those who were not from the typical PBS demographic, I would say this: you don't have to agree with everything Rev. Wright has ever said from the pulpit to come away from that interview with a great deal of respect for the level of intelligence, honesty, passion, and yes, even patriotism that was expressed quite articulately by this man. He is certainly not the crazed, America-hating racist he has been made out to be in this election campaign so far. His level of erudition - on a wide range of topics including history, politics, government, biblical history and scripture, literature, and on and on would, I dare say, put to shame many in the mainstream press who have been falling all over themselves to demonize and caricature him. The totality of Wright's career and accomplishments is not reflected in the recent attacks on Obama's character, conducted through the misappropriation of one or two of Wright's past sermons, which have, themselves, been distorted and mischaracterized. If character assassination via sound-bite were not the way we now conduct our electoral politics, this would never have become an issue.
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Bill Moyers & the Rev. Dr. Wright
I read about Dr. Wright's speech/sermon before watching the PBS program. As a person of color and as an ordained minister, I saw absolutely nothing with which I could disagree. Much of the controversy has to do with point of view. Those from the majority culture (i.e., white) take issue with his comments. Those from non-white cultures nod their heads in agreement.
What is that old addage? That the victors write the history? So it is with the issues Dr. Wright raised. The audience that throws stones at Dr. Wright is the same one that claims Obama is un-patriotic because he doesn't wear a flag pin. This shallow monocular view of patriotism is what may eventually lead to a President McCain and the same old politics. Change first requires an acknowledgement that something needs to be changed. Those in the majority culture fear the loss of their positions of assumed privilege. Change as radical as the race (or gender) of the country's chief executive is far too threatening. So the voters, I fear, will cling to what they know even if what they know is slowly (and maybe not so slowly) destroying America.
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If God doesn't like fags...
...then why did he spare the old city of New Orleans, where the gay pride parade would take place? He destroyed everything around it plus Mississippi.
If God destroys things he doesn't like with hurricanes, it seems Katrina was aimed at gambling, not homosexuals.
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Joan got two-thirds
Where's your coverage of Reverend Coe and his creepy little cast of crypto-fascist Christians? Don't tell us that Hillary's sexually-segregated prayer groups with the rich and powerful and reactionary of Washington doesn't catch your interest?
We've seen Hillary sit on the board of union-busting Walmart. We've seen her union-busting campaign manager Mark Penn. We've found out that her husband is taking money from those folks in Colombia who're torturing and killing union organizers there. Shouldn't we get a story about Hillary praying with union busters? Shouldn't get a chance to look into Clinton's Christian heart?
Thanks in advance for Salon's unbiased coverage.
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Hagee, Wright, Obama and McCain
Even crazy preachers, like the one in There Will Be Blood, sometimes tell the truth. Jeremiah Wright is able to shine a true light on American sins while he encourages the already paranoid and mentally sick black community to indulge even further in unhelpful behavior and belief. John Hagee is obsessed with the usual nonsense you find among evangelicals but he looks correctly at the Catholic Church which more than any other institution is responsible for the murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis through its two thousand year long program of vicious anti-semitism.
The only question left is this: why do rational people allow these preachers to continue?
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Guessing we won't see much of this in the future
With the low letters count, I can only guess that Joan will be back to the Clinton schtick by next post.
Shame on us, guys.
Still, on the right track. We have to start changing McCain's image. It's not going to be easy but it is absolutely necessary. McCain's image is that of a moderate maverick, when in fact he's a duplicitous flip flopper on some issues and then downright crazy on others. (And you think the moderate family values types will be very eager to celebrate McCain when that public spat with his wife starts making the rounds?)
The perception must be shifted.
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I got no problem with Wright, never did. And I'm not even black.
Unfortunately, on Salon bashing Republicans is in effect singing to the choir, so exposing McCain's awfulness here is kinda pointless.
Though I am pretty sure he in early stage Alzheimer's and that should be pointed out wherever possible.
And he has fairly close relationships with more than wingnut preacher, clips from whom I hope will get as much airplay as possible during the real campaign.