<p>…even mock JFK</p>
<p>…it’s all about helping himself ?</p>
<p>I watched the speech today on FOX. He didn’t insult JFK. He used JFK’s regional accent as an example of how “different” does not mean, as he said, “deficient.” Who could disagree with that? </p>
<p>I thought he was very charismatic and liked the speech (except parts where he stereotyped things into “black perspectives” and “white perspectives” – but it seems like the media in general does that).</p>
<p>imparasite… what does being charismatic have to do with anything when it comes to the Rev. “hates America” Wright? Oh, right, I get it… Obama is “charismatic”…</p>
<p>To be honest, that was the only speech I’ve seen of Rev Wright. I don’t know if he hates America (or what it even means to “hate a country”), or if Obama and Wright’s charismatic personalities are related.</p>
<p>But I agreed with the message he sent today and I liked the way he said it.</p>
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<p>I guess that’s why all those thousands of people at Trinity have been sticking around for so long, because it’s all about Wright. </p>
<p>You have to understand that this guy is highly respected in the field of theology, throughout this country, and has been LONG before Obama came to politics. He was invited to the NAACP - he didn’t seek them out. For him to start turning down opportunities to make public appearances, it would be akin to him denying his whole career; and because he’s done these kinds of things before (for many years), it would appear as if someone were telling him to pipe down. He has every right to accept invitations by groups that are inspired by him and I hope he continues.</p>
<p>I’m not much into pastors, being a Friend, but if I was, he could be mine anytime!</p>
<p>Very good example of how this man’s speech (or anyone’s words) can be misrepresented. I watched a good part of it on TV, and I may be mistaken - perhaps I missed the part where he mocked that American icon JFK that any American patriot would be offended by such mockery. I believe he referred to TED Kennedy. He also imitated the speech of LBJ (after JFK was assassinated). But if not misrepresented, then certainly taken out of context. The Rev Wright was citing examples of famous white Americans whose speech is improper yet are not criticized while African American children are criticized for using improper English. </p>
<p>It may have been a weak argument, but I thought it was entirely appropriate to cite LBJ’s thick Texas accent as well as Ted Kennedy’s Boston accent as improper English. He didn’t even mention former Presidents’ mispronunciation of “nuculer” (sic) and he could have spent an entire evening on Bushisms. 
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<p>I thought he was a very eloquent and entertaining and nonoffensive speaker, but I took it all with much grains of salt knowing that he knew he was reaching a very broad audience this evening.</p>
<p>Am I the only one who thinks Rev. Wright’s public exposure right now will help Obama?</p>
<p>I’ve been turning away from Obama since he probably won’t get the critical deer hunter vote. But this speech made me think, “Okay, I understand why Obama stayed in his church for 20 years.”</p>
<p>It was intelligent, measured, passionate, and right on target - especially his engaging all religious and non-religious traditions in the same vision. Of course, the moment it was over Fox News shot back to their pundits who seemed to have listened to an entirely different speech. Or, perhaps their intelligence is not to the level of Rev. Wright’s. The snotty little anchor girl took some cheap shots before shooting it over to Geraldo who started taking comments way out of context. </p>
<p>Wright never said to teach black kids ebonicks. He said that different children learn differently - are stimulated and engaged by different ways. How was that missed? He never mocked JFK. He simply pointed out the Boston accent is never ridiculed as inferior like the black accent often is.</p>
<p>If most “patriotic” Americans did a hundredth of what Wright has done to try to improve this country he has been accused of hating based on a sound clip taken out of context (a country which hardly recognized his humanity as a child), then we would all be far better off.</p>
<p>God bless ya, Rev. Wright. Keep working to make this country and world great.</p>
<p>Completely agree with your post NJres, except one thing:</p>
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<p>His whole message was “different, not deficient.” So I wouldn’t say he was calling Ted Kennedy and LBJ’s dialects improper, rather explaining that because they were different yet still accepted, common African-American/Southern regional accents should also be accepted (as different–not improper).</p>
<p>The whole speech was about tolerance and equal opportunity.</p>
<p>Given how fantastic his speech was, I would have probably stayed in his church for 20 years as well. He was informative, witty, and plain-old entertaining. Go Wright!</p>
<p>applejack - I agree with you, that listening to his speech inspired me. </p>
<p>I did think listening to Rick Sanchez’s reporting afterwards on CNN was hilarious… had he the ability to jump out of the TV to join the others in Detroit, he would have.</p>
<p>I am happy to see that Wright’s own overseeing organization is standing behind him.</p>
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<p>I also found this report from the UCC website: </p>
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<p>It wont…there’s a reason we’ll see more and more of Wright in the future. He turns off a vast majority of white America. Combined with the gun/religion remarks and Obamas inability to connect with white blue collar workers, the people who will decide this election, he’s going to be in serious trouble in PA, MI, OH. Trouble in those states, for a dem, spell trouble in the electoral college.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I agree with you LaxAttack. There is an educated, mostly urban progressive front of society ready to shatter old boundaries, but we won’t do it until the white working class are ready. That’s why I think, realistically, Clinton as president and Obama as VP would make the most practical sense now. In maybe 8 years, Obama will be ready to be president and perhaps the working class will be ready to take the next step. But, I think a lot of the flack against Obama was taken out of context by people who want a reason not to trust someone from an exotic pedigree.</p>
<p>On the Wright issue - it’s appalling watching these news media misinterpret his speech. Of course, most people trust those reporters. On MSNBC this morning, reporters called his speech “bombastic” and accused of mocking past presidents and other religions. HUH?!?!? It was a speech about unifying religions. It was a speech using prominent Americans’ various accents to make a larger point about bias. </p>
<p>I guess reporting on an extremist gets more ratings than someone making a rational plea for change. </p>
<p>We really live in a sad society.</p>
<p>I just listened to this guy say that the attacks on him were not really attacks on him but were attacks on the black church. Apparently, Wright believes he is the representative of the black church.</p>
<p>I’m not a big fan of this fellow but I do like the way he’s come back from wherever he was after Obama threw him under the bus. Rev. Wright isn’t the type of guy to go quietly into the night.</p>
<p>“I just listened to this guy say that the attacks on him were not really attacks on him but were attacks on the black church. Apparently, Wright believes he is the representative of the black church.”</p>
<p>That’s because he IS “a” representative of the Black church, and an important one at that.</p>
<p>A recent column in The Chronicle of Higher Education on Rev. Wright by his friend and former professor at the Univ. of Chicago:
[Prophet</a> and Pastor - ChronicleReview.com](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i30/30b00101.htm]Prophet”>http://chronicle.com/free/v54/i30/30b00101.htm)</p>
<p>The article is not without criticism, but Marty still concludes, “I’ve been too impressed by the way Wright preaches the Christian Gospel to break with him.”</p>
<p>More on Martin Marty:
[Martin</a> E. Marty](<a href=“http://www.illuminos.com/]Martin”>http://www.illuminos.com/)</p>
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As Wright reminds us about the importance of context, the context of his remarks suggest he was speaking on behalf of the black church as if he was “THE” representative of the black church. </p>
<p>I don’t believe he is THE representative of the black church, but if he is then there are a lot of problems in the black church.</p>
<p>Speaking of Wright and context, if you listen to Wright today you would think slavery in the US ended just two days ago.</p>
<p>It’s depressing. Whatever Wright says or does to demonstrate to any sensible person that he is not a hate-filled ogre, the conservative talkers will simply keep on saying that he is a hate-filled ogre, and a lot of credulous people will believe it. It’s really hard to say whether it is better for Obama if Wright speaks up or stays quiet. If I thought that people were sensible, and would actually listen to what he has to say, then I would say he should speak up. But I honestly don’t know.</p>