Obama's grandmother and the Rev. Wright

Mr. Obama simply pointed out a generational difference in the experience of his grandmother and his pastor. That does not explain to me why he is willing to continue to attend a church and listen to sermons that damn the United States. Mr. Obama's attempt to place this issue within the broader context of generational change in race relations is political manipulation at its worst. Shame on you, Barack Obama. Both your grandmother and your pastor deserve better from you.

"The Audacity of Hate" continues. From Investor's Business Daily:

"Barack Obama — the self-anointed soul-fixing, nation-healing political Messiah — has lost his glow. That is the take-away from the beleaguered Democratic presidential candidate's "major" speech in Philadelphia yesterday.

For all of his supposedly unique and transcendent understanding of race in America, Obama's talk amounted to the same old, same old. The Glowbama mystique has gone the way of the Emperor's clothes. Instead of accountability, we got excuses. Instead of disavowal of demagoguery, we got whacked with the moral equivalence card. Instead of rejecting the Blame America mantra of left-wing black nationalism, we got more Blame Whitey. Same old, same old.

For two decades, Obama tethered himself to a fire-breathing pastor peddling bitter Marxist "black liberation theology" in the name of God. Behind the "audacity of hope" was a grievance-mongering preacher animated by the voracity of hate. And understand this: The Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama were not merely passing "associates." They were mentor and mentee, guru and student, with fates and fortunes intertwined.

For two decades, while using the church to build his Chicago power base and credibility in the black community, Obama turned a deaf ear to Wright's AIDS conspiracy theories, class warfare rants, anti-Israel, anti-white raves, and "God damn America" diatribes. These weren't occasional outbursts. They were the bread and butter of the Trinity United Church of Christ. Now, Obama blames "talk show hosts and conservative commentators" for exposing Wright's race-based rancor. Audacious, indeed."

If Obama wanted to be President of all the people, perhaps he shouldn't have continued to associate with those who condemn and damm America with such strong retoric. After all, isn't Obama the one that said words count?

It is so ironic about Obama thinking process comparing his grandmother with pastor Wright. What is so hard leaving an institution where rubbish is tought untill and unless you follow thier teaching. Is he telling us teaching of his grandmother and pastor were same? Atleast stop sending two little kids there for God sake. Why polute them garbage tought by Mr. Wright.

I find it hypocritical and intellectually disingenuous that so many people cannot believe that Barack could attend this church and have a relationship with his pastor without believing or subscribing to his pastor's views. That's what intelligent, free-thinking people do - learn from their experiences, absorbing the good parts and discarding or taking action against the bad parts. If people would take the time to fully explore the Reverend's history of helping his congregation and community, rather than pouncing on what, so far, has amounted to maybe two minutes of video clips taken from his sermons, I think they would be able to have a better understanding of how Barack might be able to admire the good that Reverend Wright has done in his community. Also, doesn't one attend church, not only for the pastor, but for the fellowship one finds in the congregation as well?

I think the blown-out-of -proportion negative reaction of people to Rev. Wright's few comments is indicative of the lack of understanding of the challenges that Rev. Wright's generation of African Americans have faced.

Also, I find it extremely hypocritical that so many "right wing" pundits are assaulting Obama and Rev. Wright, when for years, Evangelical Pastors such as Falwell, Robertson, Hagee, and Parsley have made equally offensive statements and have enjoyed visits to the White House and audiences with the president and other high ranking Republicans.

Rev Wright, thanks to the media, will rise in stature and become an important figure in American history. Most Americans sit numbly by devouring dose after dose of American Idol, World Wrestling, Britney Spears, fluff and flim flam on a daily basis. Most do not know what is going on in the world around them and do not even seem to care. This is a situation that the war mongers and power mongers relish. Keep the people ignorant, stupid, and greedy and you can control them.

What the media and right wing zealots have done by elevating Rev Wright is to stimulate the thinking of millions of people who do not attend his church to think about the possibilities that there are powerful elements in this country which can pull off society transforming events like the HIV AIDS crisis. Most Americans don't know about the Tuskegee Project which experimented on hundreds of Black men by injecting them with syphilis and leaving them untreated to see what the result would be.

What do we know about RNA experiments conducted in the 80's about the time of the AIDS outbreak? What do we know about the origins of AIDS in East Africa?
Were Black people experimented on. It's no coincidence that Christian Barnard performed the first heart transplants in Africa. How many South Africans did he experiment on in secret?

There is reason to distrust the people who run our Federal and State governments. There is ample history to state the case for people to be vigilant about what passes off as domestic planning and foreign policy. There is ample reason to damn the some of the policies and people who are responsible for those policies. The 911 events were horrible symptoms of a much greater problem that U.S. governmental policies created which conceivably boomeranged. Maybe that is what Rev Wright was saying that needs to be heeded.

The media plays these tapes over and over and over again with hypnotic effect, but the big picture will never be addressed, because the media is not the people. The media is the powerful interests who want to control the people, and how and what they think.

Let me begin saying I DO NOT support Jeremiah Wright in any of his beliefs as a christian. That being said, I am so tired of hearing that white people will not sit under a pastor for twenty years who says things like Pastor Wright. I have been a member at predominately white churches and black churches over the years and I know that white pastors don't have to talk about being white to reach their congregations. This is a luxury of being white, you don't have to acknowledge or remind yourself about race. In black churches it is different, in order for blacks to survive in America we must remember in every situation when dealing with white america that we are black. An incident like jay walking can become a life altering event for us. Pastor wright as well as other black pastors (who are probably turning off all cameras while they are giving their sermons as we speak)are pointing out (to us)that there is validation for our feelings of injustice while encouraging us to fight for our liberty. Obama would not be runnining for president if he had NOT heard some of these messages. There are many black Harvard graduated Lawyers and Blacks in congress & the Senate who are afraid to face the white establishment in such a manner. Not because they think that they will be physically assassinated, but to allow white america to see you as "black" in a threatening way such as having the audacity to run for president, is social suicide that can reach into your household, finances and whatever reputation you may have. I know that other blacks have run for president, but they were treated by white society as a non threatening 'pet' that they would indulge for a season, but Obama is different, he can claim to be a part of them while yet not being like them.He IS a threat.
I didn't vote for Obama but I do know that it is time that white america makes it their business to get to know black america the way we HAVE TO know them. The way any person in a subserviant state has to know the person they are serving for their protection. The only way I believe that white america can see our viewpoint is to think about the unspoken threat of a boss that treats you okay but doesn't consider that you may need a raise or have to go home to your family. from the workers point of view that is an abusive relationship. Likewise our relationship with white america. The reason black pastors are not supporting Jeremiah wright is the fact that the boss came into the breakroom and caught him, and they don't want this to affect their raise and benefits for their family. That is the reality of our relationship with white america, only we can't openly tell you how we feel for fear of our lives.

Were he white, the cries for his dismissal would deafen us all. the man is a lowlife for daring to compare the woman who raised him with a hater like Wright. He should resign his Senate seat in shame.

America, just stop it!!!This is only being blown out of porportion because Barak Obama is black. Everyone get a grip and let's all concentrate on the matters at hand, the homeless, affordable health care, rising costs of gas and our educational system. Let's all get involved and do what we can do as individuals and as a whole can and will make changes.

IN 1968 I WAS PLACED IN AN ALL WHITE SCHOOL IIN CLERMONT, FLA. WITH ABOUT TWELVE OTHER BLACK STUDENTS. ADAPTING WAS A CHALLENGE. ONE INCIDENT OUT OF ALL OTHERS STAND OUT IN MY MIND. I WAS HAVING CONVERSATION WITH TWO FRIENDS. ONE BLACK, ONE WHITE. BEFORE I GO ON I NEED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MY WHITE FRIEND WAS COOL AND EVEN DEFENDED ME AGAINST PEOPLE HE KNEW FOR YEARS WHO WOULD LASH OUT WITH MANY RACIAL COMMENTS. MY BLACK FRIEND WAS TEASING MY WHITE FRIEND ABOUT HOW HE DRESSED. WE ALWAYS DID THIS BETWEEN OURSELVES (MY BLACK FRIEND AND I). MY WHITE FRIEND RESPONDED, "MAYBE SO, BUT WHITE GIRLS LIKE IT." THIS WAS THE WAY HE DRESSED. THIS GAVE ME AN INSIGHT INTO WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE INSIDE ONE RACE IS NOT WHAT ANOTHER VEIW AS ACCEPTABLE. ANOTHER INCIDENT, SAME YEAR. MY PARENTS TOOK ME TO A TENT REVIVAL ON OLD WINTER GARDEN RD AND FERGUSON. A WELL KNOWN WHITE EVANGELIST WHO FOLLOWERS WERE LARGELY BLACK. MARTIN LUTHER KING WAS JUST ASSASINATED. THE EVANGELIST COMMENTED IN HIS MESSAGE, "IF MARTIN LUTHER KING WANTS TO BE CALLED A DOCTOR, THEN HE NEEDS TO GO TO A MEDICAL SCHOOL. THE AUDIENCE WENT A LITTLE QUIET BUT NO ONE LEFT. WE ALL STAYED TO HEAR THE REST OF THE MESSAGE. I WAS 16 YEARS OLD AND I WAS OFFENDED. YET OUR FAMILY STILL SUPPORTED THIS EVANGELIST SPIRITUALLY AND MONETARILY. WHEN I READ THE BLOGS AND COMMENTS I SEE PEOPLE WHO CAN ONLY REACT TO WHAT THEY SEE ON THE SURFACE. PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT REMOVED THE FILTERS ON THEIR MIND AND DIG DEEP TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHY. THEY SEE THE PAINTING BUT NOT THE PAINTER. THEY SEE THE SCULPTURE BUT NOT THE SCULPTOR. THEY ONLY SEE HIS LIFE NOT THE MAN. "OBAMA"

RAYMOND WILSON
LOUGHMAN, FLA.

The tie for making grandiose speeches has past. What can a 5 min speech say that will erase the fact that he chose to attend an anti-white church run by a hate mongerer for 20 years. If he were Hillary and the church was anti-black she would have been forced to resign immediately. Comparing an idiot and hate monger like Wright to his grandmother is a joke. You cant pick your relatives but you certainly can pick what church you attend and what pastor you allow to fill your 6 and 9 year old girls with hateful rhetoric. Obama is finished. SOrry but nothing justifies attending that church with a hate mongerer like that for 20 years. Worst of all is how can you raise your children with such hateful sermons. It borders on abuse for the little girls. Giving a speech is what Obama does best. It is always after the fact as well. He only gave that speech because he was forced to. He has no courage and lacks the necessary judgment and charachter to be president.

The Reverend Wright is correct. America has acted in a very bad way for a very long time and the chickens are now coming home to roost. People can turn their heads and chant "USA - A-OK" all they want but it wont change the reality of a very bad situation that we as a country need to face and to take back the American Dream for American Citizens.

It was sleazy for Obama to throw his own poor grandmother under the bus.

What a prick! His pathetic "black" father left him at 2, his grandmother takes care of him, and this is the thanks she gets, she is called a racist bigot in front of the whole country by her liberal grandson because in a private conversation she said she was afraid of ghetto thugs.

GW, are you suggesting there is truth to Wright's statement that the US created the AIDS virus to kill black people? That is a pretty serious charge, accusing our government of intentionally murdering millions of people, with millions more to come. I would hope you would have some specific evidence to back up that claim, other than the conjecture and innuendo you posted above. Please provide it.

You can choose your pastor, you can't choose your grandmother (or any other member of your family for that matter).

I'm sure none of the Republicans have friendships with anyone who has said an ignorant, hateful or bigotted comment, right??

Why would one go to a church and listen to someone preach evil words; they are certainly not from God. If any minister/ preist said anything like that against black people in general, they would be kicked out the first time. It is so nice to live in a double standard. That is what upsets white people more than anything. Most white people have fought for the rights of minorities, me included, and a lot have given their lives. For some reason, it is OK to not acknowledge that and to lump all white people in a negative category. How do you expect racial divides to evaporate when on Sundays people such as Wright are allowed to spew such evilness? Why didn’t Obama and not one other person of his congregation put a stop to this? This is truly the issue at hand. As stated earlier, in a congregation that was predominately white, any minister would have been thrown out the first time on his or her ear with saying a fraction of what Wright has said against white people.

Also, Obama should never have put Ferrara in the same sentence as Wright. If that is the case, Obama should put himself there as well for talking about race. All Ferrara said is that race is playing a factor in this presidential campaign as Obama stated. She has not once said anything against black people or any other minority. Instead she pointed out the facts. Clinton who through out her career has done more for minorities and civil rights than Obama (Obama isn’t even a close second) is only receiving 10% of black people’s vote. If Obama and Clinton were of the same race and gender I can guarantee you that Obama would not have 90% of the black people’s vote. Ferrara was not discriminating, not saying anything negative about the black race. She was just pointing out a fact. Statistically, black people have always backed the candidate that was the most involved in civil rights and minority issues until this race. In this race most black people are voting against Hillary because she is white and not black. Most white people are not doing that. If they were, Obama would not be in the running still. Shame on Obama for trying to share his problem with Clinton; Wright is not the same issue as Ferrara. If discrimination against whites does not get the same attention as other races, then we will never move forward. It is the white people who have fought for equal rights for all people that are completely sick of the double standard and no one from the other races coming to stop discrimination against white people. Instead black leaders such as Louis Farrakhan, Wright, and Jesse Jackson are allowed to promote discrimination against white people. Where was Jesse Jackson when that young white boy a couple years ago was almost murdered on the Southside by a group of black people and they weren’t charged with a racial crime? Where is Oprah on the subject of discrimination against white people? There should be no discrimination at all on any level!!! I can guarantee you that as soon as you place the same importance of discrimination against white people on the same level of evilness as discrimination against any minority we will start to move forward.

When I was 18, my mother was almost murdered by a man who was black. He bashed in her face with a tire iron, shattering all of her facial bones and tearing off her nose. He was only attacking white collar white women. Luckily enough, most people never have to experience such racial hatred. Even with that, I don’t hold one black person accountable for the sins of that one man. Actually, I prayed for the man that did that to my mother that he had such racial hatred. Most of my children have good if not best friends that are black. My cousin is black. I obviously have no patience for anyone who is any minority blaming any current white person for the sins of dead slave owners. DESCRIMINATION ON ANY LEVEL IS EVIL AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. People should try to look at the good in people and stop blaming groups of people for their problems. Judge each person’s acts individually, not based on race or sex.

It would also help if the media stopped only showing when there is a racial crime against a minority and never the same media coverage when it is a racial crime against someone white. All that does is increase racial tension, not stop it. Minorities just see it as continued injustice to minorities and no minority ever hurting a white person. Most white people have fought for equal rights for all people, not for white people to lose their rights in the process!!

Another aspect of reverse discrimination is that if white people had leaders like Jesse Jackson, Wright, and Farrakhan, representing white people, this country would be in an uproar! Why is that? It is OK for the above mentioned people to only care about people of their color? Jackson, Wright, and Farrakhan should be fighting for the rights of everyone of every color not just black people. If not, they should be thrown out of power and not allowed to influence people. People should look at them the same way as if there was a person that was leading a large group of white people that only cared about white people’s rights. When everyone starts caring equally about the injustice done to all people of any race our country will start to see the racial divide diminish until in eventually doesn’t exist.

Along those lines people need to not discriminate against women. You would be hard pressed to find one black person say that they are not going to vote for Obama because he is black. Unfortunately the same can not be said about women. There are actually idiotic women out there that would not vote for Hillary for the only reason that she is a woman. If anyone thinks that Hillary doesn’t have it harder for her being a white women than Obama being a black man, they know nothing of statistics. Also why didn’t anyone call Obama out for making a sexist remark about Hillary’s experience only being that of Bill Clinton’s wife? Obama actually knows all of Hillary’s excellent experience. He also knows that most people who vote have not researched this and he can therefore lie and lead them in the direction of her being a wife as being her only experience. She was named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in the United States of America and he knows that! He also knows the numerous programs that help millions of people that she was instrumental at starting. Obama stuck to Hillary like glue when he first got to Washington. He did that because he knew of her excellent knowledge at getting things done and to stay close to his competition.

This presidential race should be about who has the proven experience to run our county. Since before Hillary Clinton graduated from school she has been solving societies’ problems and helping millions upon millions of people of all race, sex, religions, and ages! Unfortunately the same can not be said of Obama. He has not headed one committee in any job that he has held that has had the same impact as Hillary Clinton. Please take it upon yourselves to research the issues. Look up Obama’s record in the IL Senate and US Senate. Then look up Hillary’s record since she graduated from college. The facts speak for themselves! Please only center on the facts at hand. Our country is in a crisis, we need someone who will positively turn this country in the right direction.

Mark missed the target a bit.

I think most people's problem with Obama's comments on this issue are less that he threw his grandmother under the boss but that he is not disowning the Reverend because he argues that Reverend Wright is family. If BO can truly make that argument acceptable to America then he has justification for not being able to "disown him" and had part of his argument to move on.

The major problem with this argument is this preacher is not his family. He CHOSE Reverend Wright. He CHOSE to look past the angry, hurtful rhetoric. He CHOSE to let their relationship grow over the years with the bubbling anger towards "white America" on the periphery. He CHOOSES now to act as if he is standinig by his crazy, old uncle. Did he even address any of his speech directly towards Wright? Did he confront him about what he did and has said? Ever?

I have had made new friends over the years and am currently 31. When I make a new friend and he makes a racist comment I call him on it. When I meet someone older or a client I may not, however I do recognize it and take note. I may even become friendly with the older person but I keep a safe distance. If there was a situation like BO is in I wouldn't hesitate to drop them. I wouldn't let a relationship grow with such a flawed person. As for my closest friends they wouldn't utter a racist word/thought and are accepting of all. If I used BO as a barometer then the way I carry myself and establish relationshhips may not be the norm. But for BO to stand by and stick with him as he preaches anger from a pulpit, as he disseminates this to a whole church of people is disgusting. You were there. You saw the signs. You let them pass. You have a major character flaw. I will happily show you how to deal with people and how to create proper relationships. With such a lapse in judgment and need to foster such relationships why the hell should anyone vote for you. You are looking to be the biggest representative of this country. Of all of us.

I wonder if Oprah turned away from this preacher in the 80s as a result of his anger? Did she see the paradox that we all see now with wanting to be loving/accepting of all but then preaching hate/anger in church (of all places)?

What I am suggesting is that there is precedent for the kind of calamity that HIV AIDS has become, perhaps an experiment gone wrong. The Tuskegee experiment is a very strong precedent for the kind of unconscionable experiment that goes on whether sanctioned by the government or not. It would take a super sleuth to produce the kind of evidence to take this beyond conjecture.

The point is rather than awakening from a good dose of Britney Spears to find a Black minister on TV scaring you to death by his presence alone, look into the possibility that what he is talking about "may" have some basis in fact.

"That's what intelligent, free-thinking people do - learn from their experiences, absorbing the good parts and discarding or taking action against the bad parts"

Except that when you run for prez, actions that might be accepted for the average Joe are NOT acceptable. Deal with it.

"The Reverend Wright is correct. America has acted in a very bad way for a very long time"

NO, he is TOTALLY incorrect and it will cost OB mightily. Slavery is past, Jim Crowe is past and it is evil to blame white folks for the past.

To compare the woman who raised you and supported you financially and mentally to the race-baiting, hately Reverend Wright defies belief. Did it ever occur to Obama that maybe her prejudice stems from the fact that her daughter's husband left him and his son in order to pursue an education at Harvard? And he didn't pay a time in support!

And let's face it. How do we know if she even made these statements.

I feel sorry for his family. Obama expends all this energy writing a book about his father who deserted him and paints his white family as if they are a bunch of lowlife hicks. Then on public TV, in front of the entire country, he tells people that his elderly granny is a racist.

Can anyone imagine how painful that was for her? She was watching TV, full of pride for her grandson, and then he announces to the world that his grandmother embarrassed him and made him cringe because of ethnic and racial slurs and stereotypes. It wasn't enough to say that granny was scared of black men, nope. He had to imply that she is terrified of all races.

If you think this wasn't purely BS so he can continue his HOODWINK ROUTINE for the rest of the election process WAKE UP. He and his wife have played the race card every time it is needed. Now he says because he is biracial he IS THE ONE that can win what's never been won that he has some special insight to the racial problems of the country. He is a contributer to the racial problems of our country. He condones this speech in churches and uses race to Bludgeon his opponents. 92% of the black vote ! He uses terms in black communities from MALCOLM X speeches. HOODWINK BAMBOOZLE AND OKE_DOKE. Barack Obama is the divider not the uniter.

Haven't you had a friend?, it was only snippets, they must be haters, and it was the greatest civil rights speech *ever*. Here's the deal. I don't think Obama is racist. But, I do know that the comments made by Wright, who has been Obama's mentor for 20 years, were inappropriate and inflammatory for a person who is endowed with a certain job, authority, and responsibility to lead people the right way. It doesn't matter what Wright said before or after the snippets. It doesn't matter if it is an everyday thing or a one day thing for Wright. It doesn't matter if it's Wright's whole sermon or an itsy-bitsy piece of his sermon. It doesn't matter if Wright and his comments represent an older generation. (Having sat in urban colleges in African American classes I can say his views are expressed by the young black generation as well.) It doesn't matter if the Trinity church is good or the Trinity church is bad. If Obama was "present" at the sermon or out on the town working overtime to get elected. If racism exists. Or if Pat Robertson did it too. I can tell you BECAUSE I find ANY such comments offensive made by the other side, I find these comments offensive as well. "God sent Katrina to the Gulf because God doesn't like sin," is bad, and because it is bad Wrights hostile comments are bad. The media is only doing what Wright did when he chose those words for those points. Driving points home to an audience. When you are watching the media remember that you are watching the pastor who chose inflammatory words to get his point across. Wright chose sour points. And no amount of context justifies such expressions of hate when you have the power and responsibility of standing in front of, leading, "free thinking" sheeple. The power and responsibility of indoctrinating a new generation.

Obama did not say anything new in the speech. He only validated that he did not agree with the divisiveness of the comments but justified the existence of such divisive comments. Same old story different day. And no I'm not "swift boating" Obama, and you can't swift boat opinions that differ from yours, Obamabots, by implying thery're Republican, Hillary, McCain, Rush, Bush, media related. If Obama can think outside of his spiritual leadership, then we, who do not don rose colored glasses to see Messiah, are thinking for ourselves. To be critical of the media does not require blind allegiance to the Obama viewpoint.

It is hard to picture Obama being so affected by his mentor and not having heard his mentors spiritual and political ideas. Especially when race politics and spiritual religion coexist in black churches. Obama's inability to do something over the course of 20 years, to confront his mentor as he has now, is sad. Change doesn't happen if you sit by idly, because we're friends/you married us and baptized our kids/ you're my mentor, on sermons, ideas, that remotely inspire racial divide. And change usually starts "at home." Even if the pastor is "old." Even if he is a mentor. (Especially if he is a mentor to others.) Even if the language is not always inflammatory. The pulpit is not intended for a Reverends therapy session, it's there to be considerate of how you shape attitudes. Would Obama allow his grandmother the room to stand in front of people and share such hot comments, just because they're family? I doubt it, but if he did than it confirms that either he adheres to a status quo, or he has a hard time confronting friends and family. Both reasons of why white people used to stay in white separatist churches during segregation even if they disagreed with the pastor. The bottom line "black or white church" poor excuses for a "change maker."

I personally was turned off by the "snippets." For snippets they held more venom than I can fathom. If you want to spin and say people have to sell out to anger and the controversial to get points across in the media than it's time to turn off the TV and join civilization. Countless intelligent people made their points and contributions to society, black white purple, without selling out. If BSpears is you standard bearer, you have issues. If people sell out to such tactics they only lower the bar on TV not raise it.

I would have to wonder what the Great Obama's grandmother would think of the righteous Reverend Wright's most hateful rant. Whenever taxes are not confiscatory enough for liberals, it typically becomes about "the children". What about now? What about "the children"? Is the Wright rant ignorant enough to do "the children" any good? This is how we are able to stay mired in the mud and slime for at least another couple of generations.

The Great Obama delivered a fine speech, but the righteous, history-challenged Reverend Wright needs to spend some serious time in introspective meditation.

In the future this speech will be known as "The Throw My white Granny Under The Bus Speech"

Obama will be known as a politician so ruthless that he would sacrifice his own grandmother's reputation just to win an election!

[Most Americans sit numbly by devouring dose after dose of American Idol, World Wrestling, Britney Spears, fluff and flim flam on a daily basis. Most do not know what is going on in the world around them and do not even seem to care. ]

GW, you throw out a lot of generalizations, and you throw out a lot of unfounded accusations. How do you know about MOST Americans and what they do, think, and feel? This is destructive, supercilious thinking on your part, mixed up with paranoia. Wright could certainly have conveyed black sentiments without damning America or encouraging racism against whites. Please. Use your brain.

GW, what Wright is saying "may" be true? Well, the cow may have jumped over the moon, but I'm not going to run around asserting this as fact unless I have some evidence to back it up. You and Rev. Wright can harbor any beliefs that you want to, but people who hold convictions without supporting evidence are not taken seriously.

I don't "fear" Rev. Wright as you state. I dismiss him as a quack, whose only relevance is calling into question the judgment of a presidential candidate, who up until this point, has been more than eager to put his judgment at issue.

Thank you, Herbie H....

Obama spoke lovingly of his grandmother who raised him and sacrificed for him. Then he pointed out that she also had made some bigoted comments. He did this in the context of saying that he could not condemn her as a person, because he had a long and loving relationship with her. Even people we love can be blinded by racism at times, was his point.

I believe people are intentionally twisting his words for their own political purposes. Obama loves his grandmother but hasn't always loved everything that has come out of her mouth. My own grandparents have said bigoted things too -- yet I loved them unconditionally. Don't you all understand what he was saying? Read the speech again.

The way I take it is that Obama is an exceptionally sincere person with exceptional leadership skills. I feel happy to be in the group of comments here that include the people like julie@4:10 and Raymond Wilson. I feel sad for those in the other group who are so full of anger and hate.

"Obama spoke lovingly of his grandmother who raised him and sacrificed for him."

Julie

And he could no more disown a race-baiting, irrelevant, pimp of a preacher (whose message and church he could have summarily rejected in favor of a message consistent with his BS "I can bring everyone together message) than he could his "grandmother who raised and sacrificed for him". Right.

That Obama player talk that's got your nose so wide open is just tired and through.

Wow... Exactly what is in that Kool Aid anyway?

Most white America for hundreds of years have not only discriminated against Black Americans, but expect the latter to continuously accept the hurts etc without complaint, when they do the former pleads ignorance or else say that it was not they personally who have treated the latter so, but have they forgotten when these people were chattle, then 3/5 of a man, when their women were raped, then when many were tarred and feathered and hanged for frivolous reasons, do they remember the Tulsa Race riots and the KKK or else poor schooling and many other means of discrimination. Why was there a Civil Rights movement of Rev. King, but for the treatment of Black America there would not be the outrage spouted by many Black Americans, granted there are many Black Americans who act like animals but so too there are many White Americans who are like wise. White America has to face up to the way it has and still treats Black America and not hide its head in the sand, face up to its actions past and present and begin to have a dialogue with all citizens and this should start with our leaders, civil as well as religious. Because of the hypocrisy of Christianity I and many like me left the Church so that is why I have included them not that I will ever return to Christianity but because there are many Blacks who are still in it.

I agree with Julie completely. I lived in Montgomery Alabama my last year of High School with an Aunt and Uncle that I had always dearly loved. The year was 1957, the year Rosa Parks had had enough. Up until that time, I had not been exposed to overt recism. I had certainly heard "Colored", "Nagra", "Nigger", "pickaninny" and other names that were not spoken in anger or with malice but that were just a part of the times in which I lived, and occasionally I would hear part of a conversation in which AfricanAmericans were disparaged. I knew many whites didn't care for AfricanAmericans but I also knew many whites who did. My own mother would wash my mouth out if she heard me say "Nigger" and give me a proper whiping if I put anyone down because they were different from us.
She always cautioned me when I went to Montgomery to remember what I had been taught - and to keep my mouth closed and not disagree or argue with people "down there". The Rosa Parks thing and the resulting boycotts really brought race to the surface and out into the open. People I had always loved and admired, people who had always seemed gentle and loving suddenly exploded with hateful words and self-rightous indignation. The talk was terrible. I was completely torn. I still loved my family but I absolutely hated what they were saying. And I was afraid to speak up. I was afraid they would no longer love me if I did. I realize now that racial discrimination was rampant, it was part of everything that was done and said at that time, and it was "normal." It took a Rosa Parks and a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a lot of "folks from the churches" and a few "white boys from up north" to make white America conscious of what was happening and to finally bring about a change that is still taking place even to this day. I have many wonderful memories of my southern family and the times I spent in that enchanted land of Alabama, and I love them very much - but now it's tempered by what I saw and by what I came to understand they were capable of.

So, yes, I understand Mr. Obama's relationship with both his pastor and his grandmother. I'm sure you've all had loved ones who were different, difficult, even embarrasing, but you still loved them.

I agree with Julie completely. I lived in Montgomery Alabama my last year of High School with an Aunt and Uncle that I had always dearly loved. The year was 1957, the year Rosa Parks had had enough. Up until that time, I had not been exposed to overt recism. I had certainly heard "Colored", "Nagra", "Nigger", "pickaninny" and other names that were not spoken in anger or with malice but that were just a part of the times in which I lived, and occasionally I would hear part of a conversation in which AfricanAmericans were disparaged. I knew many whites didn't care for AfricanAmericans but I also knew many whites who did. My own mother would wash my mouth out if she heard me say "Nigger" and give me a proper whiping if I put anyone down because they were different from us.
She always cautioned me when I went to Montgomery to remember what I had been taught - and to keep my mouth closed and not disagree or argue with people "down there". The Rosa Parks thing and the resulting boycotts really brought race to the surface and out into the open. People I had always loved and admired, people who had always seemed gentle and loving suddenly exploded with hateful words and self-rightous indignation. The talk was terrible. I was completely torn. I still loved my family but I absolutely hated what they were saying. And I was afraid to speak up. I was afraid they would no longer love me if I did. I realize now that racial discrimination was rampant, it was part of everything that was done and said at that time, and it was "normal." It took a Rosa Parks and a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a lot of "folks from the churches" and a few "white boys from up north" to make white America conscious of what was happening and to finally bring about a change that is still taking place even to this day. I have many wonderful memories of my southern family and the times I spent in that enchanted land of Alabama, and I love them very much - but now it's tempered by what I saw and by what I came to understand they were capable of.

So, yes, I understand Mr. Obama's relationship with both his pastor and his grandmother. I'm sure you've all had loved ones who were different, difficult, even embarrasing, but you still loved them.

Well, senator Obama’s recent events sure made me think 5 times, not twice about voting for him in the general elction.
- What senator Obama did was what he chose to do (talk about his WHITE grandmother and his RACIST pastor).
- Senator Obama has proved his CHANGE' AGENDA 3 times so far:
1- The amount of illegal campaign money - one day he said $150K the next day he CHANGEd a different amount!
2- His good friend for 20 years was indicted and his refused to talk about this friend, then he CHANGEd his mind and talked about that man the next day? According to the senator, that good friend did not do the senator any favor nor did the senator do any favor to this friend. He was right, this friend sold "a garden" adjacent to senator's house for $100,000 (the friend bought the land for up to 5 times more) to Michelle Obama, not Barack Obama.
3. The senator CHANGE(S) his answer about hearing his pastor racist sermons in his “hysterical speech’ – RACE IN AMERICA.
Well, we all know that YOU CAN FOOL SOME OF US SOME OT THE TIME, BUT YOU CANNOT FOOL ALL OF US ALL THE TIME!
- WIN AT ANY COST?
- VOTERS, CAN YOU TRUST THIS MAN TO BE YOUR LEADER, AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF?

I think for everyone to understand Mr. Obama, you just have to read his book. He wrote about his grandmother's remarks in this book and Rev. Wright and the US. This was first written in 2003 and then published in 2004. How could he be throwing his grandmother under the bus for election votes when this was written 5 years before? This man would not be where he is today if he had not experienced those events in his life. He obviously understood the divide among whites and blacks to try to begin a campaign on unity. This is something McCain and Hillary can never ever offer in their lifetime.

How can Obama get away with making such a racist statement?
From 610 WIP in Philadelphia this morning:
"610 WIP host Angelo Cataldi asked Obama about his Tuesday morning speech on race at the National Constitution Center in which he referenced his own white grandmother and her prejudice. Obama told Cataldi that "The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity, but that she is a typical white person. If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know (pause) there's a reaction in her that doesn't go away and it comes out in the wrong way."
My response:
We doubt this story will have legs, but wonder if Hillary Clinton referred to a "typical black person," would we ever hear the end of it?"

Sound bite: God damn America!
Context: If anyone would listen to the entire speech, Wright was referring to God's supposed reaction to genocide and imprisonment of Native Americans, interrment of Japanese Americans during WWII, and the chaining and treatment of blacks as property with no human rights.