The tone of his speech is one of victimization, Marxist categorizatin of the races, and a view of whites as the top of the racial hierarchy and as deserving of being treated as a group and knocked off the pinnacle. He justifies the worst anti-American and anti-white tripe because he’s a simpleton or a demagogue or both.

Look the guy very recently gave Farrakhan a big award. Farrakhan hates white people. If he himself is a middling figure between normal preachers and Farrakhan that doesn’t redeem him.

I came across something today that speaks directly to this question of whether or not Rev. Wright “hates white people”. It is an article written by a white member of Trinity UCC. It recounts the story of how his African American wife, also a member of Trinity, had initially broken their engagement because she didn’t feel that she could marry a white man. Upon finding out, Rev. Wright’s response was to ask her to “drop everything” and come to Trinity. There, he spent four hours counseling her, explaining that “racial divisions were unacceptable…no matter how great or prolonged the pain that caused them. God would not want us to assess or make decisions about people based on race. The world could make progress on issues of race only if people were prepared to break down barriers that were much easier to let stand.”

Following this ordeal, he presided over their wedding.

These are clearly not the words and actions of one who “hates white people”. I think this is why we need to be willing to give benefit of doubt when we’re presented with only a skewed perspective of someone or something.

Peace,
TR

See for yourself:

Rev. Wright after 9/11 – in context.

The context behind “God damn America”.

As you will see, even a few more minutes of context on either side of the infamous quotes paint a vastly different picture of Rev. Wright than what we’ve been fed over the last two weeks.

Peace,
TR

P.S. Phil, I’m not going to continue to hijack this thread, as Mr. Roach has already been more than gracious and I have a blog of my own. Please direct any further discussion on this matter over there. Thanks.

You’re right Tom, changing my mind now will be tough. I’m a 27 yr vet of the marines and air force, and hearing those little clips, short as they are, damning our country and telling outright lies about it will be difficult to overcome. From a fellow ex-marine it was a stab in the heart. It will take a whole lot more than another clip about say…, giving your heart to Jesus, to convince me that Obama didn’t sit there in the middle of that vocal vileness without walking away because he was only concerned about managing his voter base. If I’d have heard my priest say such things from the pulpit I would have exploded from the pew. I can’t imagine ANY context that would rationalize the public spouting of what I heard in those clips; and can you tell me what else he might have said in his “sermons” to provide this supposed “context” I keep hearing about? What are we missing? Why shouldn’t we be as outraged as so many of us apparently are?

Nice.

You seem to be intent upon disparaging this man no matter what, which is, of course, entirely your prerogative. Yet, your impression of Rev. Wright appears to be only based on your interpretation of “his tone”, as filtered through the ridiculously narrow lens of a few of the worst sermon snippets that could be found after an extensive search.

However, my impression of Rev. Wright is based on personal experience with him, his church, and his parishioners. I don’t feel like I’m somehow “missing” anything about his tone or otherwise, that you have been able to glean through your much more limited perspective.

As to the rest of your comment, well, you’ve got your version of history, and I’ve got mine.

Happy Holy Week,
TR

It’s absolutely clear what is being preached at that church. They are very up-front about being commited to Africa, first, last and always.

I think your summary of Obama’s speech is spot-on. His idea of unity is to gather all those wanting something for nothing into one mob for looting America’s most productive people.