Jeremiah Wright At the National Press Club
Reverend Wright was unapologetic at the National Press Club Monday, saying attacks on him are really attacks on the black church.
“If you think I’m gonna let you talk about my momma and her religious tradition, and my Daddy and his religious tradition,…you got another thing coming.”
He doesn’t blame Obama for distancing himself from Wright’s remarks.
“He had to distance himself because he’s a politician…Whether he gets elected or not, I’m still going to have to be answerable to God.” “We both know that if Senator Obama did not say what he said, he would never get elected. Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls.”
Is he saying that Obama privately agrees with him, but can’t and won’t say it publicly?
Wright defended his contention that the government was behind the AIDS virus and referenced the Tuskegee experiment where, for 40 years, our government did not properly treat 400 back men with syphilis.
“I believe our government is capable of anything.”
Defending his “chickens coming home to roost” statements:
“You cannot do terrorism on other people and not expect it to come back on you,” Wright said. “Those are Biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright ‘bombastic’ principles.”
On “G-D America”:
“those citizens who say that have never heard my sermons, nor do they know me…I served six years in the military, does that make me patriotic? How many years did (Vice President Dick) Cheney serve?”
On Louis Farrakhan:
“Louis said 20 years ago that Zionism, not Judaism, was a gutter religion. He was talking about the same thing United Nations resolutions say, the same thing now that President Carter’s being vilified for and Bishop Tutu’s being vilified for. And everybody wants to paint me as if I’m anti-Semitic because of what Louis Farrakhan said 20 years ago. He is one of the most important voices in the 20th and 21st century; that’s what I think about him. . . . Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains, he did not put me in slavery, and he didn’t make me this color.”
Of course, the real question is, does any of this have anything to do with whether Barack Obama is qualified to be president of the United States?
It has everything to do with Obama Alan! Haven’t you ever seen Harry Potter? Not a lot of people know this but when Obama turns around…it’s Reverend Wright’s face on the other side!
It’s true, they’re one and the same!
Bwoohahahah
April 28th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
if HRC or Mccain has slighted some black ppl with clinging to rap or basketball like obama, hell will have broke loose that why why next to god is Obama.
April 28th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Alan:
Great quotes! I am a conservative Southern Baptist Pastor in central Virginia (yes, and a 3 time Libery Grad). Because I love Jesus Christ and follow Him with all my heart, I must be a liberal within this society. I do not blame Jeremiah for anything he has ever said. I may be a oddity, but I also believe that most people in America place their earthly citizenship over their Heavenly citizenship – that is if they in fact have the latter.
America has never been a Christian Nation, and whenever her Christian ministers speak the truth, we are almost always made out to be the enemy. Well, actually we are. The Kingdom of this world has nothing to do with the Kingdom of Heaven. Jeremiah’s and my job is to lead people out of the world and into the light.
God bless you, Alan. Tough job, great job!!!
April 28th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Well, he gave more information on his claim about AIDS, so that’s good.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Regarding the ‘chickens coming home to roost’… I’m still confused about why most people are upset about that statement? I think it possible that they are unaware of our foreign policy and occupation histories. The most recent example I can think of is from the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War”, b/c I watched it last night. :-) We often go in to “liberate” a country and leave immediately after the “liberation” (liberation in quotes b/c I have found that we are usually going into a country to pursue our own agenda, with freeing the people of that country from oppression as a secondary objective). There’s not enough focus on rebuilding the country. We leave the people who were so needy and dependent on us for our troops to act independently to rebuild their society. I’ll end with another movie example: “The Kingdom” with Jamie Fox. The end of that movie is tied in to a statement made at the beginning, but we don’t know what was said until the very end of the movie. I don’t want to spoil it, but basically it illustrates how hate often runs on a cycle, over and over again b/c no one stops to help the opposing sides understand each other.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
“Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains, he did not put me in slavery, and he didn’t make me this color.”
He’s in chains? I thought he was living in a $1.6 million home in a gated community. Oh, the gate…never mind.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
He is NOT qualified to be Presinent. He’s an empty suit.
April 28th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Tom, lol! Yeah, I guess the gate is what he was referring to…
But on the real, he was speaking figuratively.
Did anyone check out the links under the “possibly related” thing?
April 28th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Do this bigot even recognize the thousands of white soldiers that died fighting for his “peoples” freedom?
He needs to remember that just because his voice reaches around the world it’s no more intelligent than when it reached the end of the bar.
April 28th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Craig~ this isn’t a sarcastic question, I’m being totally real: what led you to conclude that Wright is a bigot? You may know something that I don’t, and I’m very open to hearing the thoughts of others.
April 28th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I would take me a bit to find the actual qoutes,but in general how he blames the white race for the ills (no pun intended)of the black race.
At some point the black race needs to take some responsibility for thier own predicaments.i.e. incarceration rates,educational deficiancies, children being born out of wedlock.
No other country in the world has catered to the black race as the United States has. Still many of it’s leaders have a sour attitude toward their country and carry an attitude of entitlement.
April 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Please try to find the quotes. I am currently trying to put together some information on black liberation theology, but am having trouble finding any actual facts… thanks to Wright and Obama, all I’m finding are news articles and blogs with their opinions.
Regarding how you feel that the US has “catered” to its black citizens, I would like to say that all countries who have oppressed a group of people have to then reintegrate those people into society. (The most recent examples of this would be: Africa and India after British colonialism and Muslims in Chechnya after the last Chechnya conflict.) How long does reintegration take? I don’t have an answer for that, but I do know that the majority of blacks are doing their best. Remember, we are only a generation or two removed from Jim Crow.
April 28th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
I’m ordering a couple of books from Amazon about Black Liberation Theology (BLT). There are a few quotes from James Cone’s book that I keep finding online. The quote is basically making it seem like he’s saying that God is only for blacks, not for whites at all. Which, if that’s what he means, is bullshit. I’m ordering the books b/c I have the feeling that he’s saying God is for blacks TOO, not just for whites.
For those confused as to why blacks would have needed a reminder that God loved them too: many slave owners misconstrued Biblical Scripture to condone racism, and churches were legally segregated until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There is no more legal segregation of churches, but many churches remain so due to social conditions.
April 28th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
People are going to naturally be drawn to congregations that they are most familiar with. Thus having churches that are white,black,asian,hispanic and so forth. What I find interesting is that in these black liberation churches they preach alot about their race,which has nothing to do with Christian scriptures. Of course there are also some white churches that do the same but they aren’t as numerous as black ones. In those churches race superceeds theology. The Bible ackowledges two races 1)Jews 2)gentiles(everyone that is not jewish.)
Yes the black race has been mistreated in the past. So have many other people groups.
At the risk of offending some let me say that out of terrible circumstances come blessings in many cases. Had there been no importation of blacks into the United States during the slave trade it is possible that the majority of the race would still be on the African continent. Which as we know isn’t the most advanced nor healthiest place to live. Slavery,as terrible as it was,has worked to advance the black race as a whole.
An example of such a situation is when,in the Bible story,Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Eventaully,after much tribulation,Joseph found himself in a very powerful position within the Egyption government. When a famine came upon Judea Joseph moved his family to Egypt where they prospered,for awhile. In time the Egyptians enslaved the decendants of Joseph,the Isrealities,and mistreated them horribly. In time an individual arose,Moses,and lead the Israelities out of bondage. At the time they left Egypt the Isrealities where great in number and had amassed alot of wealth. They returned to Judea and established a society for themselves.
Had they not had the Egyptian experience they would never have been able to unify and overcome the other peoples of Judea and Palistine to establish the Jewish state.
Slavery was a terrible practice,no one can argue that,yet through it the black race has attained a level of advancement that has illuded their conterparts that are still on the African continent.
April 28th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Craig, I find your argument very sound.
One problem with our society today is that some whites feel that blacks complain and whine about our circumstances, without any justification for our “whining”. I’ve written at length about it, and would encourage you to read, at the least, the last few paragraphs. It should serve to help you understand not only me, but many blacks like me.
http://mamashouse.org/Americas-Original-Sin.html
April 28th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Craig: yes, no,yes,yes,yes,no,no//oh God I’m getting a headache. Some good salient points, but…
I’m a child of the South, an old child at that. I remember ‘Colored’ water fountains and restrooms..the biggest mind bender was : White Ladies vs. Black”women”..as if they were were NOT Ladies…as a child I always was a little awed by that.
Yes, we have come a long way, but not far enough I fear.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
“Slavery,as terrible as it was,has worked to advance the black race as a whole.”
“Slavery was a terrible practice,no one can argue that,yet through it the black race has attained a level of advancement that has illuded their conterparts that are still on the African continent.”
by Craig in Bull Island April 28, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Spoken like a true racist. There are millions of black people in this country who have come here from Africa and many other countries or their relatives have, and they didn’t need slavery to get them here. They came here as immigrants as my relatives did. They advanced themselves with little help for many years by going to school and working hard like anyone else. Barack Obama’s relatives were not slaves. His father was an immigrant from Africa. Barack Obama did not need slavery to advance him to the position of Senator and presidential nominee.
Slavery did not advance black people. It had the EXACT opposite effect, keeping them second class citizens for generation after generation. It took 100 YEARS after the Civil War for blacks to have the same civil rights as all the rest of us do.
Craig your comments repulse me. You are one sick person with racism as your disease. I know you won’t, but you ought to seek out professional help.
April 28th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
PS: I’ve heard the same exact views as expressed by Craig from the KKK. “Where would blacks be if not for slavery? They should be grateful.”
April 28th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
I think Craig was trying to say that we should take a negative history and get whatever benefits we can from it.
Honestly, I think that we’re all making some pretty good points.
This is such a touchy issue. But I think that everyone except for “jerrysrollin” is looking at it from a compassionate and intellectual point of view.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
btw, epiph, thanks for pointing out how long it took for us to achieve full legality. hard to believe that it would take a whole century, isn’t it? have you ever read THE MISEDUCATION OF THE NEGRO?
April 28th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
People have been asking repeatedly today “Why is Wright coming out now?”
Well from what I understand he was invited by both the NAACP as well as the Press Club so why point the finger at him? Isn’t the Press Club event a two day affair on religion? He has every right to speak considering it was the media that dragged him out to begin with.
The other issue is why is Wright castigated for paraphrasing the 9/11 “chickens come home to roost” when Ron Paul suggested US foreign policy was partly to blame for 9/11. His punishment was to get 16% in last weeks Pennsylvania primary. How come nobody is speaking about that?
April 28th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
I think Barack could drive this forward by referring everyone to his wonderful Philly speech which was a call for serious reflection on race relations and where we want to go.
The dichotomy between Barack and Wright is palpable. Barack has one special opportunity to emphasize that he both understands the pain of the past but looks forward to the hope/change of the future.
Just my opinion.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
What is Black Lberation Theology? Who created it and gave it its name?
April 29th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I never stated that the black race should be “grateful” for slavery. I was stating that in the broad context of history alot of people groups have,in the course of time,benefitted from bad circumstances.
Cheryl,I read the artical you linked to. It was well written and recieved. I also thank you for understanding where I was coming from with my remarks. I’m not going into detail as to why I’m not a “racist”,as stated by someone who has nothing coherent to add to the disscussion,suffice it to say that my family and friends are not of the “pure white breed” necessary to qualify me for the KKK.
Using another example from the Bible,due to the persecution of the early Christian church by the Jewish leaders and the subsequent dispersal of the followers of Jesus the Gospel message was spread all over the know world. i.e. Thomas(the doubter)eventually made his way to India.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
So it’s taken this long for Barack HUSSEIN Obama to sever his “relationship” with his mentor and apparently avowed RACIST the Rev? Jeremiah Wrong. I say too little too late. Why on earth would the US Govt. waste our precious financial resources to create AIDS and CRACK to “kill the black man”. Sickle Cell Anemia was doing a pretty good job already. This supposed “man of God” was his spiritual advisor? I just wonder what Obamas wifes’ true relationship with this “minister in black face” is? She’s the one that introduced the two. I believe Barack HUSSEIN Obama used the church and its congregants to subvert election law and go door to door and make phone calls to prospective voters in support of his previous candidacys. If true he and every member of this radical anti- american church should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and once convicted should then be stripped of their right to vote as many of their sons and grandsons have been due to thir criminal convictions. If that is not the case one can only surmise that he Barack HUSSEIN Obama actually believes the vicious lies espoused by his “mentor” and if that’s the case he is unfit for even the office of dog catcher.
April 30th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
So now Obamas “chickens are coming home to roost” I just wonder if their fried chickens.
April 30th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Suntan~ you’re HILARIOUS. If you find being a racist dick hilarious, I mean.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Cheryl Carroll Heres hoping you rot from inside out from cunt cancer you leftist, liberal, Chavez loving
April 30th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Yoy don’t like my comments do you? Freedom of speech is such a good thing except when what is said doesn’t match your rose colored glassed view. Check my other comments if you dare CUNTLICKER
April 30th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Here’s a suggestion for all that are appalled by the Rev? Wrongs anti-white, anti-american remarks send him a fruit basket in care of his church, be sure to specify that it contain only coconuts,watermelon and bananas. Then when txes are due next year take it as charitable deduction.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
With friends like rev.Wright who needs enemy in this world. I truly felt bad for Obama because this pastor represent old mentality and he shows he is jealous of Obama success. This is sad in general it shows how people can be out there i feel this can happen to anyone in any place
April 30th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Now, would the Rev. say that Obama’s denunciation is really a denunciation of the black church or him?
Let’s see if the same criteria applies.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:02 pm
I don’t understand why Afro Americans and Wright are so against Americans in this age. 1. They Earned their way here by slavery because they could not become citizen’s any other way. They never needed a Passport nor came in thru Ellis Island as our forefather’s had to. Also they were sold into slavery by their own people! 2. The reason that there is so much AIDS among blacks today, is because there is a new sex movement between black straight men called “On the Down Low” which was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show a few months back…black top athletes having oral sex with each other, who are married and bringing it home to their wives and girlfriends. 3. Have you not seen on TV news the Haitian boat people drowning on boats trying to get over here? People are starving in Africa and have no chance for a decent life except thru food aide. They took over the white african farmers and ranchers’ land in So. Africa who fed them, thereby did nothing to help themseves by this, only ruined years of agricultural crops and prosperity. So Get A Grip black people be an American and Quit the Griping!
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Suffering from Colmes burnout. This man is so against America and any true values that it is impossible to listen to him. Making fun of callers rather than discuss comments shows the his lack of interest and or concern for America. Colmes clearly presents the disease of anti – Americanism, yet freedom allows his posion on the air. It is not clear why Colmes hold interest in destroying the very values which allows him on the air – anywhere. We all are lucky Colmes is on the air as it is the best way for AMERICANS to clearly understand and expose this enemy of America. Colmes will not leave AMERICA as he knows any other country would listen once then physically destroy him. Bottom line – Colmes is gutless and always has been.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Excellent article Cheryl.
December 6th, 2008 at 12:16 am