The Jeremiah Wright Contradiction
To understand why Barack Obama finally decided to sever his ties with pastor Jeremiah Wright, one only needs to reach for a copy of Dreams from My Father .
After meeting Wright for the first time, Obama recalls thumbing through a church brochure, reviewing the guiding principles of Trinity United. He described one particular passage that stood out for him.
“While it is permissible to chase middle incumbness with all our might, those blessed with the talent or good fortune to achieve success in the American mainstream must avoid the psychological entrapment of black middleclassness that hypnotizes the successful brother or sister into believing they are better than the rest and teaches them to think in terms of we and they instead of us.”
That statement speaks of community, of not forgetting where you came from.
Whatever we might think of the now infamous Wright sound bites, the tapes were released by a third party. Although responsible for his harsh words, the pastor did not put himself under the sharp glare of the media. Obama did what most politicians would not, but what most Christians would. After expressing his extreme disappointment, he turned the other cheek.
While speaking at the National Press Club , not only did Wright seek out the media spotlight, his remarks expressed undercut the very principle that drew Obama to the church in the first place. Wright became all about Wright, hypnotized by his fifteen minutes of fame into believing that he was better than the we of who he preached.
He didn’t practice what he taught others to follow and apply to their own lives.
For Obama–a Yes We Can type of guy–the betrayal rocked the foundation of his steadfast faith in coming together as community. To keep his vision for change front and center, he cut Wright loose.
By doing so he proved his faith to be his guide.
It is now America’s turn to have faith in Barack Obama.
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Having seen Wright’s National Press Club Speech and his Bill Moyers interview online, I have to say that I think this is a tempest in a teapot. Wright really said nothing that deserves such an uproar. Clearly he was enjoying his moment in the sun, so what?
Obama’s reaction is the only reaction he could have. He has to distance himself from the media shitstorm, even at the cost of his relationship with Wright.
As we are witnessing this evening, it appears that voters from North Carolina and Indiana agree with you.
A well thought out argument. However, I think you are being way to charitable to Obama. While Rev. Wrights comments weren’t sent to the media by Rev. Wright, they were sold on DVD by his church. To say Wright would have been upset if this information was on a national stage is inaccurate. I also don’t think there was anything significantly different from Wrights “sound bites” and his appearance at the National Press Club. Obama went from “I can no longer disown him…” to disowning him. I think it was a political move by Obama and exposes him for what he is: a politician
Liberation Theology has been around along time!
Civil Rights in america would not have evolved to the point of having a black person as a candidate for the American Presidency, if it was not for the militants that came out of the Liberation Theology movement!
The Christian Right has always been on the side of fascist regimes in Latin America and elsewhere!
The National Liberation Theology is a reaction to the Christian Fascists.
The fascists all over the world are for the continued exploitation of the poor by the rich and powerful.
Rev.Wright tells it like it is!
Only the ignorant and american racists that hate poor people will trash Rev. Wright!