\nParting With the Pastor:<\/strong><\/a> "But Mr. Obama is right when he says that his entire career is antithetical to the divisiveness of the Rev. Wright’s comments. We’ve found things to cheer and things to criticize about Mr. Obama during this long campaign, but we don’t see how anyone could question his commitment to transcending old racial battles and finding common ground. The Rev. Wright doesn’t speak for the candidate, and we hope the pastor doesn’t become a continuing excuse for political ads built on racial fears.<\/em>"<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\nMr. Obama and Rev. Wright:<\/strong><\/a> It was the most forthright repudiation of an out-of-control supporter that we can remember. We would like to say that it will finally take the racial charge out of this campaign. We’re not that naïve. It is an injustice, a legacy of the racist threads of this nation’s history, but prominent African-Americans are regularly called upon to explain or repudiate what other black Americans have to say, while white public figures are rarely, if ever, handed that burden. Senator John McCain has continued to embrace a prominent white supporter, Pastor John Hagee, whose bigotry matches that of Mr. Wright. Mr. McCain has not tried hard enough to stop a race-baiting commercial — complete with video of Mr. Wright — that is being run against Mr. Obama in North Carolina. If Mr. Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee, we fear that there will be many more such commercials. And Mr. Obama will have to repudiate Mr. Wright’s outbursts many more times. This country needs a healthy and open discussion of race. Mr. Obama’s repudiation of Mr. Wright is part of that. His opponents also have a responsibility — to repudiate the race-baiting and make sure it stops.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThe Washington Post<\/strong><\/font> and New York Times<\/strong><\/font> both seem satisfied with Mr. Obama’s responses to Reverend Wright’s recent comments. I guess I was too, though I didn’t see Wright as so offensive as he played on the national stage. He still reminds me of the "spirit" that moved the world I grew up in away from being the shamefully aparthied South. But I don’t question the general reactions to Reverend Wright. His time is past. Too bad he doesn’t know it.<\/div>\nBut there’s a piece of this story that’s being ignored that really sticks with me. Without the intervention of a particular segment of the religious community [the "religious right<\/strong>"], George Bush would never have been elected in 2000. I doubt he would have beaten John Kerry either. The church "stumped" for George Bush on the national and the local level – unmercifully. And their statements were much more irrational and divisive than anything Reverend Wright ever said. Abortion, Stem Cell Research, Homosexuality, Gay Marriage, Pop Culture, Values Voters, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Louis Sheldon, James Dobson, Ted Haggard – the list goes on and on. And it’s still happening. Take a look at http:\/\/www.traditionalvalues.org\/<\/strong><\/a> for the list of topics – many far more inflammatory and frankly crazy<\/strong><\/em><\/font> than Reverend Wright ever even imagined.<\/p>\n
When I read, "How could Barak Obama have picked Reverend Wright as his pastor?" or that he didn’t "repudiate" him soon enough, it makes me furious. For eight years, we’ve heard nothing but venom and ranting from a very loud segment of the American religious community, saying outrageous things, and the Republican Candidates have basked in their support. When are the New York Times<\/strong><\/font> and Washington Post<\/strong><\/font> editorial writers going to notice the absurdity of this double standard?<\/p>\n
Barak Obama is obviously a religious man with strong family values. Nobody talks about it much, but he’s a real turn the other cheek<\/em> guy. He’s not much of a stone thrower<\/em>. He seems to get the meaning of the Golden Rule<\/em>. He lives by the part that was printed in red in the bible I grew up with. And now he’s being attacked for going to a church? Give us a break!<\/div>\n
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