The Audacity of... Race?!?

Tchaka - We're on the same page with finding out why someone would say such drivel, but it would be a discovery that would have to happen rather quickly.  It's not a journey of discovery that could occur over the course of 20 years... not that I believe for a second that the Obama family didn't fully understand and agree with the teachings/philosophy of Dr. Wright.  I've seen the video's - the entire congregation was on their feet and thunderously applauding. To say the Obama family had no idea what his philosophy was, in my opinion, a bald faced lie aimed solely at saving his political backside. There's no way to sell that argument to most people - It would be equal to saying a member of the local KKK didn't really know what the klan was all about... he thought the sheets were just dress up and the burning crosses were a way to keep warm.  To believe that requires us to suspend all intellectual thought and reason. It just does't wash.

Your friends who are anti-gay are entitled to their opinion... as we all are.  The difference is those folks are probably not standing on the street corner or worse, a pulpit, shouting inflammatory anti-gay remarks.  What if they were to stand on the street corner and preach a hatred of Asians, Mexicans, Poles, etc?  There's a point where if you don't distance yourself from them, you endorse their attitude with your presence, which is exactly what this is about.  The Obama family endorsed Dr. Wright's racist philosophy by not separating from the church and denouncing such bigotry. They didn't do that and that's a huge problem. 

The Obama family's stripes are showing through loud and clear.  The only folks who aren't seeing them are the folks who are only interested in advancing Barack's candidacy because they are looking to assuage their ancestral guilt or because they share the same racist philosophy.  Either way, he is the last thing we need in the White House.

Nicholas- You can't attend a church for twenty years and now understand the tenets of the church philosophy.  As I said above, to believe that requires that we suspend rational thought and reason. The Obama family knew perfectly well what Dr. Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ were/are all about.  No one with a fully functional brain will ever believe otherwise.  Some will vote for him despite that for various reasons but no one will ever believe he didn't know and isn't cut from the same cloth.  I will sooner be called to Radio City Music Hall for a Rocket audition before that happens.

David- Understand we're not talking a difference in opinion about who makes the best car.  We're talking about a racist philosophy that Dr. Wright spent 36+/- years preaching at Trinity United Church of Christ.  Racism is racism - it's not exactly hard to spot. If you fail to reject that philosophy, as the Obama family have apparently done, then you endorse it - that's the very real and accurate meaning of guilt by association. 

Ann - I agree... unfortunately I think the lesson they need to learn is one George Wallace and David Duke had to learn... racism has no place in society today.  Those that seek to inject it will and should be ready for a hearty rebuke. 

Bill - He is far from being honest with us about this affiliation with Trinity - today he  admitted to being in the church when Dr. Wright made similar inflammatory remarks... this just has disaster written all over it.  Thanks for the feature, btw. 

 Tchaka - Along with many other vices no doubt - who said I sanctioned cocaine use? 

Come on Tchaka - You're a smart fellow - I've read some of your retorts to some other posts... explain to me how this association with Wright is any different than, say Trent Lott being ejected from Majority Leader because of a comment about Strom Thurmond?  

Tchaka - There is more to learn, I'll admit.  With that said, what we do know is not exactly painting a pretty picture... The general consensus that Dr. Wrights comments were racist seem to be confirmed by his refusal to explain them or back away from them and Barack's refusal to distance himself from them.

The Lott/Thurmond vs. Obaam/Wright comparison isn't exactly apples to apples, but I don't know that I have an apples to applies comparison.  My point was Lott lost his leadership position because of one off the cuff remark - should Barack be held to a different standard?  I think not.

Bill - I'm just trying to call it as I see it.  As I said earlier, it it walks like a duck.... it must be a duck or a really, really good liar. :)  I agree that he had a chance to get past this mess this morning and failed, or more importantly, didn't try - just more faith and hope - let's move forward political drivel.

Tchaka - My point with bringing up Lott is that his one remark at a birthday party for Strom Thurmond - one off the cuff remark - caused such an uproar that he was forced to resign as Majority Leader.  It isn't an apples to apples comparison to Barack/Wright but Barack seems to be getting a pass where others who wandered into the racist arena were quickly put out to pasture.

As for context - yes, certain comments can be taken misconstrued.  I truly don't think that's the case here.  Dr. Wright seems to be pretty clear in his message - If you read their website they are strong proponents of black liberation theology, which I confess I wasn't exactly fluent in... but even a cursory look at the basic tenets would seem to reveal a very racist, albeit reverse racist, mentality.  This is the very antithesis of his unity message.

David - I did see that the "duck" has been talking - I watched the speech this morning but everything at this point is pure political posturing.  He only removed Dr. Wright from his campaign after these videos/sermons came to public light and he's only making this speech now to quell a growing number of the electorate as to his true feelings.  He spent 20 years at Trinity United and didn't see anything wrong with Dr. Wrights sermons in all that time... only when his political ambitions were threatened does he want to preach reconciliation and unity.  I might have been born at night, but it was certainly not last night.  Barack isn't the first politician to step in it, so to speak, and he's certainly not the first to doom his own campaign because of it.

The speech didn't address WHY he chose to align his family with Trinity for all those years... years he admittedly KNEW Dr. Wright was preaching controversial (i.e. racist) sermons.  The "let's look forward, not back" approach is not going to work unless he explains WHY he stayed at Trinity United.  That question has not been answered because he really can't answer it without alienating an entire segment of his supporters and would be supporters.  Either he endorsed Dr. Wrights hate speech - and by being a member for 20 years that seems to be the case or he is too weak willed to confront Dr. Wright about it.  If it's the former he is without a doubt unfit to lead this nation - if it's the latter, how is he going to deal with the worlds dictators?  It's a lose/lose situation.

David - First, I want to thank you for commenting and joining in on what I hoped would be a spirited, but civil discussion.  (everyone else as well) I think we can both agree that racism has no place in the world today... it's a good idea to understand history but also to move past it to a better place. My family is from the deep old, south - Mississippi - and it sounds as though our parents shared a similar mentality toward racism... something I'm proud of.

As far as the speech today, I was taught by my father and I taught our children that words were meaningless next to actions.  What you do says far about your character than what you say.  Barack is saying today that he's beyond the issue of racial division, but his actions - his 20 years at Trinity United tell another story. 

Btw, I don't know a soul in Antioch.... If we have someone relocating to you area, we'll certainly keep you in mind as well!