View from the Center and Left Message Board

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Politics : View from the Center and Left

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To: greenspirit who wrote (108510)	4/13/2009 1:04:43 AM
From: Sam	Read Replies (2) of 541598

Michael, you aren't the hyphen between African and American. And you never personally experienced Jim Crow and all the violence and hate and demeaning snubs and condescensions as well as the petty irritations that went along with that. Reading about it or being aware that it was going on is no substitute for the actual experience of it. You grew up and experienced a very different America, and it is understandable why you would be irritated by what Wright said in those videos. But Jim Crow isn't just a distant memory--most of the people who actively participate on this board were youngsters when it was still active. It affected the North as well as the South, even if in different ways and perhaps to a different degree. And certainly Wright and many of the people in his congregation had experienced it directly, and were in a variety of ways still experiencing its aftereffects in the 80s and 90s when he was delivering those sermons. You like "quiet" and "respectful," and those certainly are good things. But they aren't always possible. You yourself wouldn't say "peace to all, love and forgiveness for everyone" if the other person was treating you like blacks were very often treated in the US. For sure it happens less--far far less--now than 40 years ago. But plenty of remnants remain. Remember James Jordan? Or the boy who was dragged to his death tied to a truck? Those were just two famous incidents. The way you react to slights against the honor of the US make me speculate that a person of your temperament might well be ranting just like Wright if you had grown up as an African-American under Jim Crow. Please understand me when I say that--I am not trying to put you down in any way when I say that. The Hebrews who were raised as slaves in Egypt couldn't enter the Promised Land--they had slave mentalities, their perspective was distorted by that experience. I agree with you when you said that Obama was aware that Wright was a political liability and ended their relationship because of it. I think Obama was probably always aware of Wright's limitations. But that doesn't mean that he couldn't still respect the man and seek to understand what he and others in that congregation had experienced. And see their humanity along with their anger.

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