Was Wright Wrong?!?!?

In the wake of the fervor over the statements of Rev Jeremiah Wright and how the snippets from his sermons have been causing issues in the presidential election, he granted an interview. As I watched the interview on PBS (Bill Moyer's talk show), I was enlightened and inspired. All I can say is thank you for what you said and for the gospel you preach. Please don't accept what the media tells you. They will do what they deem necessary to keep you as a viewing audience. They'll cut it up, edit it, and switch it to say whatever they desire it to say. I've posted about 10 minutes of this sermon particularly because it is the one that has caused the greatest amount of uproar in order that you might be able to put it all into context.
In order that you might be able to see that what he is being credited for saying was actually a quote that he actually attributed to the original author within the context of a sermon. It's amazing what we can receive, what we see, what we hear, that is in some ways distorted and in turn distorts our views on things. After hearing this sermon in context, I have no issue with it being proclaimed from a rooftop, pulpit, or a street corner. I have no qualms with the admission that I see things differently when presented with a new set of facts. I also don't have a problem saying that Wright may have made other remarks (riding dirty, etc.) that I don't agree with or think should have been said over the pulpit. What I am saying is, I challenge us all to read, investigate, and learn...that's what it's all about.

It's just my opinion, but I'm not wrong.

Why is it?

Why is it that a Black Man can create a tiny piece called a filament (electric light - Lewis Latimer) That allows people to see in the dark? But can't be seen fit to lead a country to the true light. Why is it that a Black Man can create an instrument (clock - Benjamin Banneker) that all People use to tell time? But people don't think it is time for him to run a country. Why is it that a Black Man can design a place for the high authorities to meet in & a place for the President to live in (The Capital & the White House Phillip Reid (a slave) & Pierre L'Enfant)? But not good enough to lead these meetings or live in himself. Why is it that a Black Man was brilliant enough to do the first open heart surgery (Dr. Daniel Hale Williams) And show the world how to get and preserve plasma (Dr. Charles Drew)? But not good enough to put a program in place where everyone can afford this surgery. Why is it that a Black Man was creative enough to design an instrument (traffic light - Garrett Morgan) To bring multiple people (traffic) to a halt? But not seen creative enough to design a plan to bring all this unnecessary and worthless Fighting between countries to an end. Why is it that a Black Man could create the soles (shoes - Jan Matzeliger) that people Walk on everyday? But not seen good enough to fill the shoes of a bad president. Why is it that a Black Man was smart enough & brave enough to teach himself (Fredrick Douglas & Thomas Fuller - both slaves) and others how to read, write and/or calculate math? But not seen (as) smart enough and bold enough to calculate a platform to be President to a country that sure needs another first by us. So you see my Brothers and Sisters what I am saying is let us not forget our past, which led us to our present and can definitely be the backbone to our future. We were good enough, smart enough, creative enough, and bold enough then, so Lets all give Obama the chance to show that we are still these things and more. We all are as strong as our weakest link, so don't be that weak link that denies our people that chance to show we still can OVERCOME & BE THE FIRST

It's just my opinion, but I'm not wrong!!

Not now...not in 2008!

I was recently sent a copy of a letter that was printed in the Ft Worth Star-Telegram this past weekend (30 March 2008). The letter angered me, confused me, and then left me feeling sorry for its author. A scan of the letter is posted here for your perusal, but you can also go to the newspaper's website to read it along with others on the same topic at: http://www.star-telegram.com/244/story/551415.html

As I read the letter that Richard sent in to the paper, I was taken aback by the level of ignorance that was displayed. I even fired off an email to several friends in expression of this ire. After sleeping on it, I've come to the conclusion that this man is a victim. He's a victim of his own stupidity and the media images that he's chosen to take as the gospel. We all know that the media can twist the truth, or share certain aspects of the truth in order to shape our view of what we see. Don't believe me? Try something as simple as watching the local news this evening. See how the FOX, NBC, CBS, and ABC affiliates report the same stories. Mostly the same information, but pay attention to the verbiage and the emphasis. They did it back in the day to Malcolm X, they did it a few years ago to John Kerry, and they're doing it right now in this presidential race.

As it pertains to the stereotypes about blacks [men particularly], I encourage you to seek out and watch Janks Morton's documentary "What Black Men Think". Once you sift through the negro conservative rhetoric and the Robert Townsend "Hollywood Shuffle" level production, there are some truths in there that can open your eyes. Overall, my personal feelings are that letter is an exhibition of the idiocy of some people, even today in 2008. How we still have that splinter of society that has been hoodwinked and bamboozled by the media's images of a sector of society. The author of this letter obviously doesn't know that the ratio of black men going to college (relative to population) is higher than that of white men of their legion. He obviously doesn't know that of the 40 million poor and underprivileged in this country, 26 million look like him. It's an unfortunate truth that when the news reports anything about the poor, those receiving public assistance, etc they inevitably show stock [or real] footage of people of color [black or brown]. The purpose of this is for the poor whites to feel as though they have more in common with the wealthy and give black and brown the mindset of identification with the poor. This is no more an accident than it is that every time they put out their lists of beautiful people there are less than 10% people pf color. Try this when you get the chance - go to Target or Wal-Mart and look in the toy section; count the ratio of white dolls to dolls of color [ANY color]. This is all by design. Give us the mindset that our woman aren't beautiful, our plight is to be poor and that we are disenfranchised in the country of our birth. They even have us, still today, separating ourselves from our country. No other group gives themselves a name that separates them from America. We have to be African American, while they are white, hispanic, or asian.

This letter, while it should raise the ire of many blacks, it should also open our eyes. Yes, he's an idiot of epic proportions, but I shan't leave us out of the fray. Why, you ask? Because in every lie, there is some level of truth; unfortunately, we still have that contingent of niggers that give black people a bad name. On that same token there is a contingent of white bread crackers (like this imbecile) that make all white people look bad. I could get angry and say, "You can’t expect too much from someone whose mother is also their sister and their father is also their grandfather." However, I won't stoop to that level…whether it is true or not.

Sadly there are too many who buy into this type of crap. Unfortunately, many of those that do are people of color. Therefore, the objective has been reached, the disillusionment of a generation, they won’t expect anything more of themselves because society expects nothing of them. They believe the lie that there are more black men in prison than college, that black men don’t graduate high school, that they can only aspire to be a pro ball player or a drug dealer. That any job that doesn’t afford them the luxury cars (Maybach, Bentley, Benz, etc.) isn’t success. They believe the hype that all black people have bad credit, go everywhere late, we're supposed to be po (not poor) and that our men don’t marry their baby mommas or pay child support. They believe this crap. Until we, as a people, stand up and prove this wrong, they’ll keep believing this crap.

You see, there are several tragedies that this letter to the Ft Worth Star-Telegram brings to light. Not only is it a tragedy that this idiot was stupid enough to audibalize this moronic attempt at profundity; it is also a tragedy that this 'supposedly' reputable media outlet was irresponsible enough to print it; but the biggest tragedy is that there is some modicum of what he said that is true. That’s what really angers me. If we, as a people, were in a place where we could indisputably say that none of what this idiot says is true, then I’d be happy. To a certain extent, everything he said is untrue, relative to the proportion of the blacks that are guilty of these transgressions. However, we can each readily name at least one person who is guilty of each of the line items he accused us of. This being the case, there are far too many of them out there that need to change. Yes, we need to be mad as hell about this letter and the lunacy of the assertions made in it. We also need to retrieve the perpetrators of the actions he’s accusing us of and collectively whip them into shape individually and corporately to make everything he said a lie. Then and only then, might we rid ourselves of this niggardly activity and thus, shed the auspicious title of always being the trifling, rabble-rousing, boisterous, ignorant fools that we’ve been called.

It’s just my opinion, but I’m not wrong!