very thoughtful piece. You are absoloutely right. The time has come for us as Americans to talk through the issue of race that has plagued us for hundreds of years. It is interesting to see that Obama as an african american is able to speak about the issue with such authenticity.

Senator Obama listend to his preacher for 20 years and his preacher was spewing hate. Mrs. Obama was only proud of America “once” and that was because her husband was running for president. What a shame! America is a great country and coming from the city many years ago I was taught about what a person is, not the color of their skin. I could never vote for a man such as Obama. Are you aware that while he was a state senator, he would not sign a bill allowing babies who survived an abortion to receive care. Babies were left in dirty storage rooms to die. No, I would never vote for a man who talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.

Thank you for your candid and intelligent response to the Rev. J. Wright and Senator Obama issue. I hope this incident can move us forward on the subject of race in America. It is unfortunate that many found Rev Wrights comments the exception as though there are no other African American Reverends that speak out in the same manner. I am not saying such speech is the status quo of African American Churches but as an African American, such speech is uttered from time to time during services. The Church in our communities commonly and traditionally serve as a meeting place to discuss social and political issues of the day just as during the Civil Rights movement. It is true that most members would find Rev. Wrights’ speech non progressive but not hateful. They may view it more as a reminder of the consciousness of a nation who, in the past, has done the unthinkable in the name of hate and economic advancement. Rev. Wright may sound paranoid when speaking of AIDS/HIV in our communities but let’s not forget our history documents government testing of black men with syphilis. I hope his comments gave educators and fighters for HIV information to strategize on how best to communicate or deliver prevention programs in the future. Finally, many of us have friends, family, politicians, and clergy alike that may have very prejudiced ideas that we do not agree with but we don’t stop being their family, golf buddy, friend or whatever. We simply know that we are not on the same page as these indivduals and steer clear of confrontation. Although, as individuals we are in better proximity with each other to make a difference in race relations, we usually do nothing positive or negative to discourage the opinion or thinking of others. Therefore, it seems unreasonable to hold any political figure White, Black, Hispanic, or otherwise to such a standard. Such a standard should begin with us as individuals and then be upheld by our political leaders. Once again thank you for your article.

I just listened to the sermon “The Day of Jerusalem’s Fall” played over and over again on TV, showing a raged Rev. Jeremiah Wright spewing so-called anti-American rhetoric, right after 9/11 using the “God Damn America” phrase and repeating Malcom X’s “chickens coming home to roost.”
Listening to it showed me how without context, the media can persuade us to believe anything. To be honest, it was one of the most powerful, touching sermons I’ve heard, and fit right in with the mood the country was feeling at the time. Check it out for yourself on Roland Martin’s blog: http://essence.typepad.com/news/2008/03/listen-to-rev-j.html

ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT GOD SAID FORGIVE YOUR ENEMY NOT SEVEM TIMES BUT SEVENTY SEVEN TIMES…….PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMY AND LOVE YOUR ENEMY AS I LOVE YOU

I like the term “post-racial” future. I was raised, and continue to believe people are just that, PEOPLE – not blacks, whites, hispanics, etc. It is a continual struggle to maintain that attitude, when we hear so much labeling going on, especially in negative ways.
Perhaps when we can maintain a “post racial” attitude, then we can look at each candidate’s stand on the issues that will be so important to us in the future. I fear that in the midst of this focus on racial comments by Rev. Wright and others, we will lose sight of where these candidates REALLY stand on the economy, war, the standard for Supreme Court judges, national sovreignty, the rule of law, moral and ethical issues, etc.

We seem to relegate to the background that God is real and that He made all things; man being part of. Because of this, many of us have fallen head over heels with satan’s lies about one version of a skin color being supreme than another.
Interestingly, all flesh; whatever your color, form or make do vanish after a brief spell of existence on this earth as God said in His word. So who benefits most with all these hullabaloos of skin color fever the enemy satan has used so effectively and efficiently to man’s demise since time immemorial? Do we recognize his deft hands at the very core of our lives at all? am afraid many don’t, thats why they will remain insatiable.
My last straw is that if God has willed Obama to preside over this land He made, he will prevail.

Our ghosts?????? Did you actually listen to Obama’s speech????? He managed to take the whole matter of race that his pastor vehemently spues from his pulpit and turn it around to make it our ghosts. Up until his pastor’s sermons were revealed the American public were massing in large numbers for Obama. Black, white, yellow and every other race. NO, the problem of racial hate is Obama and pastor Wright’s problem. How easily we take on the blame. Yes, he is a great orator and thats how he managed to, with eloquent words, turn it around and hand the problem to the American public. There is an old saying. You are known by the friends you keep. If he has attended this church for 20 years he must agree with the words of his pastor. He refuses to disassociate himself from this man. Doesn’t that tell you he really doesn’t condemn his words?

I attend a very conservative Christian school where a very well respected professor recently said, “You know God Damn America is almost right because how can we ask God to bless America when America hasn’t blessed God.” I don’t think Wright’s comments are all that controversial. Patriotism can be a good thing, but not when patriotism and religion come to be synonymous. Even though Obama sat in that church for twenty years doesn’t mean he agreed with everything Wright said. Just like my professor (who I happen to agree with), but I’m sure there are plenty of people who would disagree with him, but that doesn’t make him less Christian . You can disagree with someone, but still respect and love them. I am proud of Obama for not disowning Wright. It’s pretty un-christian to disown people anyway. And to Jean regarding your old saying, “You are know by the friends you keep” well Christ kept some pretty unappealing friends-prostitutes, traitors, etc. We’re all sinners, besides, where in the bible does it say that being un-patriotic is a sin.

As an Australian christian I at first was intrigued by black liberation theology, without knowing much about it. I listened to various educated blacks explaining it on Fox News. I worried about strands of Malcolm X and Marxism. I listened to the critiques of Pastor Jeremiah Wright’s sermons by such eminent syndicated columnists as Charles Krauthammer, agreeing with some of the finer moral points he made. But over Easter, I decided to think about it a little more and I came to the conclusion that Wright was right. The theological debate should continue and if the dialogue is elevated it may engage the interest of the conservative, white christian right. It got me that black Americans consider Pastor Wright to have prophetic gifts. It got me that the original OT prophet Jeremiah was forever warning the people of Israel of their sins and got himself jailed as a consequence, and that the Babylonians subsequently invaded Israel. It got me that I needed to re-read Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. And it got me that Pastor Wright was a friend to former President Bill Clinton of the Global AIDS initiative and, as a consequence, may well know what he is preaching about on this score. Even in Australia, where we love America and Americans, we know you sin (as do we) and we understand you naming a plane in WW2 “Necessary Evil”. All of which encourages me to believe this dialogue is healthy.

If you are born in America, raised in America, attended American Schools, born to American Citizen parents, YOU ARE AMERICAN…SURPRISE! It doesnt’ matter what your color is or where your ancestors are from.My mothers ancestors are still on the Reservation. My Fathers ancestor’s came from Wales. He is also part Irish and German. What does that make me? Just your “Typical white Grandmother”.

I find it interesting that in a country where freedom of speech is part of the First Amendment, where burning the flag during the Veitnam War was protected by the Supreme Court, where the Klu Klux Klan still exists and uses the N-word to describe African Americans, but consider themselves as having the love of God working in them. In an environment such as this that people can be so outraged by someone who is frustrated with America. The same people who are casting stones and saying that Senator Obama should have separted himself from Rev Wright probably have family members who have said worse things about America in public and they have not distanced themselves from their family. I am not condoning what Rev Wright said, but in America he has a right to say it. Free speech means that a person may say want they want whether I agree with it or not. I would venture to say that if a person separted themselves from everyone who said something they found offensive he or she would have to live on an island or in a bubble totally separated from society. I have a hope that one day we will be able to move beyond, but realistically as long as we have a sinful nature that nature is going to drag us down. As Senator Obama pointed out there is frustration to go across the entire cultural spectrum. I hope people take this opportunity to have a real dialogue about what is bothering them. I am a 24 year retired veteran and I know veterans (those who fought this countries wars) of all hues who, though patriot, are not happy with our government or our leadership and are very vocal about it in language that makes Rev Wright’s 30 second sound bite sound like Sunday School. Should I or other countrymen separate from them. Because like Rev Wright, if you see them on another day they are waving flags and wearing their uniforms and supporting great causes. We have the right to disagree and disagree passionately. That means you have the right to crucify Rev Wright, but just remember he has broken no laws and in fact the law protects his right to give incediary speeches. And, none of us have the right to shut him up. That is the right I risked my life for in the military.

Obama should be praised for some of his poignant appeals to heal our nation’s racial divides. But, he delivered this speech only to retrieve a floundering campaign and really therefore showed no real leadership. He did not stand courageously and take responsibility for his irresponsible membership in a church that was built in part on militant Black racism. He arrogantly proclaimed and lectured us how he represents a healing vision to unite our racial divides because he is half black and half white and implied that he has this strength of character and leadership born out of this unique background. Wrong!! He showed no leadership in his church for 20 years in healing racial divides. Never saying l word to bring reconciliation in the urban ghetto of South Chicago. In fact his 20 years of membership, begs the question. Why? Pastor Wright and his church offered Obama the route to his political ambitions. To show leadership and confront Pastor Wright would have been making a powerful enemy that would have dashed these ambitions. Obama has made his political rise in Illnois State Politics as a member from his southside district on a very radical platform that earned him the highest liberal ratings for members of the Illinois legislature. He has continued this as a member of the Black Caucus in the U.S. Senate. Never did he reach across party lines and bring policies of reconciliation which include militant support of partial birth of abortion or bankrupting entitlement programs. He accepted no guilt in his speech and no responsibility but only pulled out the “boogeyman” of evil corporate America and how they are responsible for the real problems of America that supposedly all Americans can unite and direct their anger and frustrations toward correcting. That’s called leadership by the liberal media and Frank Schafer??

“The American Eden”
BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!