Joan Walsh,

What a profoundly stupid and partial characterization you made of the Moyers interview. You have endeavored to promote miscommunication and should be profoundly ashamed both as an American obliged to listen because of history, but also as a human being, and you failed on both counts.

You stupidly opine that Wright did not explain the sweeping nature of his "God damn America" statement. So let me ask you the glaring question being begged by your 3rd grade analysis: is the African American community, not to mention the very Reverend who served in the military for so many years - are they part of the America he is damning? Surely if his comments are so sweeping as you ridiculously WANT to portray, then he must be damning himself and his audience as well...

It seems to me in your desire to promote Clinton you are also trying to subliminally imply that Wright and the African American community are not Americans... In fact, isn't that exactly your sentiment and your intention? If his damnation of America is so sweeping as you say and his audience is cheering then this African American community is either very stupid, or not American. Isn't that the unspoken warrant of your stupid article?

You should be profoundly ahsamed of this article. Your race baiting and divisiveness are barbaric.

Jack Li

Pastor Wright and many of us in the African American community love America. Our love is not the uncritical love of white America. We love America in a "Let America be America again" sort of way that the great poet wrote long ago. We critique America in order to challenge it to live up to it's promise. There is great potential in us. However, God will damn us for our sins. We as nation need to repent. I am not sure why you are so troubled by this basic Christian theme. This theme is a major part of African American Theology and the black church experience.

Can't have a conversation on race if you can't deal with the anger and pain that a honest conversation entails.

Dear Joan,

Let's see: the President likes to watch tapes of the torture he's ordered; the economy is cratering; oil is over $120 a barrel; the war in Iraq is a quagmire costing us a billion dollars every 36 hours; defense contractors are defrauding the treausury dry; the Bush "Justice" Department is a blunt instrument for use on Democrats; the Republican candidate is a senilescent sociopath; Osama bin Laden is live and well thanks to the bungling of the Bushies; Cheney just tried to float another UN-style counterfeit show-and-tell about Syria's WMD's, the environment is toxifying at an alarming rate; we owe the GNP to China... et cetera et cetera

-- and all Joan Walsh can think to write about is what she can comfortably take in on her TV and how it fits into the predigested story about a political horse race (conflict! character! canapes! suspense! who will be the winner!?!)

Now maybe if Joan and the rest of the press corps actually did the job and covered stories that required leaving the sofa, asking hard questions, telling hard truths, there wouldn't be any horse race because the GOP's organized crime syndicate would be on the run, as they should be.

But don't worry your pretty head Joan. Call the painter, your picket fence needs some whitewashing....

I am willing to acknowledge that the Rev. Wright has the right to say what he wants, whether or not I agree with it. I too, like many Americans, can judge Barry by the company he keeps. Joan has the same right to question Rev. Wright and try to understand what he has said and how much influence his rhetoric has had on Barry. Personally, I don't think it is any more than window dressing. Barry is a product of his upbringing no matter how hard he tries to straddle the divide.

I think what we are reading is a member of the punditry working out how to best be part of the problem.

This is the same dynamic that led to Clinton's impeachment, Gore's loss, Kerry's loss and perhaps even Obama's and Clinton's yet to come.

The letters section represents what America is thinking about the media represented in this blog. The majority of Salon's readership does not think this does anybody any favors or fights any good fights.

We are not going to rise above if we need to stoop to the lowest common denominator for discussion points which just happen to be right wing talking points.

As someone who lived in the Developing World most of my adult life, who spent time in the Jim Crow South (I was quite young, but the hate you feel from white neighbors toward "Nigger Lovers" like my Liberal parents is something you never forget), I don't think you get it.

And neither of us knows what it was like to have to spend years developing a neutral demeanor so that we would not attract the kind of attention that would get us strung up or punished for being disrespectful...

There is no justice in the world for most people -- but for minorities (in any country or place), for poor women and children and for those without power, it can be horrible.

Conservatives ALREADY call Liberals "America-haters for simply being truthful about our history. Hyper-Nationalist freaks like David Horowitz constantly berate Liberal college professor for

"poisoning the minds of US students" -- for the many of the same ideas you and others are accusing Rev. Wright of.

Well, I am not going to be cowed and I am glad Wright is not either. Let him keep talking. Within a certain amount of time, maybe he will be as much a part of the scenery as those crazy gasbags on the Right -- with their Apocalyptic rantings about gays and feminists.

Liberals and Alternate Thinkers on the Left need to stop "hiding out." We have just as much right to be cranky, crazy and wrong as those of the Right.

And when we believe something -- we shouldn't be afraid to stand up for our beliefs!