Action Point 5-04-2008

I want to say that I don't believe that Sen Barak Obama "threw the left under the bus".   I personally believe that we should watch our public comments, especially when they affect others.  In the speech at the Press Club, Minister Wright did not respect Sen. Obama, not by what he said, but that he knew every word of is would be analysed, and if there was anything dividing in his words, the press would use it to slaughter Obama.  I would argue that Minister Wright threw Sen. Obama under the bus.  Please note to that Sen. Obama, still showing patience, and a cool head, denounced the words of Minister Wright in no unceetian terms,  without viciousness or malice.  That is the kind of guy we need right now as our president.  One who handles things without ridgid reactions or doing things based on emotion rather than careful, deliberate, rational and logical though process.  My opinion is, we don't need a person who can "work the system", we need a new system.

About John McCain....

I don't see any heroic actions in being captured by the enemy.  He has no war record, except that.  We really don't know what happened from day to day while Sen. McCain was a prisoner of war.  Did he try to escape?  Did he mediate to save other captured soldier's lives in the camp?  We don't know...but we do know that many heros sacrificed life and safety to fight for us.

I just don't see John McCain as a war hero.

CLB

My political posistion is probably moderate, leaning right...lol.  I agree with what Pastor Wright said when taken within the context of his sermons.  They do express truthfulness in regards to the record of civil rights in this country.  I would have chosen my words more carefully though had I been the pastor.  However, I understand that he was preaching to an audience that understood his words, and probably lived through the past inhumanity of blatant racism in this country. 

In America right now, we are peeling back the bandages of wounds that have never been allowed to heal.  Though much progress has been made in the law regarding civil rights and racial equality, the law does not change the minds of men.  We see those fighting back with a vengance to roll back the progress, to stir the anger of those who feel they have been hindered by the progress, and to fuel the passions of those who hate into mob mentality.  In other words, looking in the mirror is painful.  Sen Obama and Sen Clinton have convicted us all, brown or white skinned to face our fears, self reflect, accept our past, and move forward...together.  Both canidates are a symbol of how far we have come to make this a nation where all are truly free to grasp the ring of oppurtunity and run with it.  Unfortunatly it also brings out those who were too lazy to compete and now blame women and brown people for thier inaction.  They see what they could have achieved, and are angry...not really at those they blame...but themselves because they see, against all odds, Sen Obama and Sen Clinton are doing what they could have.     

The "offensive phrases" in the context of the sermons is not really what I am posting about in response to your article.  I am refering only to the speech at the Press Club.  There, Pastor Wright knew the impact his words would have on the media, and the reputation of Sen. Obama.  I think that knowing this, the pastor could have done alot to end the situation and help to heal the division in this nation we have about race.  I think him lowering himself to the level of his critics, and those who used his words, out of the context of his sermons made the situation worse.  I think that Sen. Obama was correct in denouncing those words, and his actions in that particular speech...but I also saw a smart man play the media by not giving them the ability to separate the words from the man, or to separate the words from the speech from the words of the "selected portions" of the pastor's sermons. 

What is more important to me is Sen Obama's charater in the face of adversity though.  I belive now, more than ever that Sen. Obama shows what we need at this time in our nation.  One who can say what he means without bitterness, anger, or vengance in his words.  One who has a cool head in the face of adversity, and not make decisions based on emotion.  One who does not justify the destruction of charater of another by saying "he did it to me".  To me, having everything including the kitchen sink thrown at him by those who oppose him now and him not doing something foolish shows me that he can take on John McCain, become our president and do a fine job.

I say...we don't need a person who can work the system, we need a new system in this country.