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IF YOU'RE DOING IT BIG, Sen. Barack Obama thinks you could give a little more come tax time.
THE 4TH OF JULY weekend is nearly here. I don't know about you, but I have mixed emotions about this holiday.
AS MUCH AS I enjoy a good Obama-bash, I have to disagree with you on this one. Given your penchant for calling me idealistic and naïve about therealpolitik of presidential campaigns, I'm surprised that you're tripping about UnityFest 2008.
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On Any Given Sunday, Rev. Wright is Wrong
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Posted By:
arthurmortell at 04/29/2008 12:42:30 AM
Comment:
Hi Joe! You are on the Money! Great piece. Hope you are well, Dinah and Arthur, your fans! -
Posted By:
arthurmortell at 04/29/2008 12:41:37 AM
Comment:
Joe, you are on the money! Hope all is well, Arthur and Dinah! -
Posted By:
ReyLoo at 03/31/2008 8:25:59 PM
Comment:
blah blah blah -
Posted By:
thatblxguy at 03/31/2008 2:11:58 AM
Comment:
I dont know how it is in all church's but it should be a spirit lead service bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the people and encouraging them to surrender there life and except Jesus Christ as there personal Lord and Savior. Key word here is 'PERSONAL' relationship. That being said who really listen to there Pastor, anyway? Sometime somethings it close to home other time it's like your really not talking to me, Rev. For the media to assume that an affiliation with Pastor that has a personal opinion filled with incendiary remarks about there personal experience of what it's like to be Black in American some how speaks for the majority of Black churches or even the majority of the members of a single church is childish at best. The sheep following the Shepard is a spiritual analogue and not a mental mind/body one. Sen. Baraka Obama is a grown ass man and I think he just might be capable of making up his own mind, Harvard Law anyone. -
Posted By:
Alfiaj at 03/30/2008 6:07:05 PM
Comment:
The Jews do not apologize for anything, so why should we? People are not listening to the sermons in their entirety. I find it interesting that in the wake of the Jena Six and the Hurricane Katrina situation that people want to act deaf and blind. I suggest people read Dr. Maulana Karenga's commentary "Healing and Hope with Obama". (www.Us-Organization.org) after they digest Mr. Hicks comments. -
Posted By:
Wright68 at 03/30/2008 5:36:00 PM
Comment:
According to Marian Wright Edelman, MLK's last speech the Sunday after he was assinated was going to be, "Why America Might Go to Hell..." -
Posted By:
CRM114 at 03/30/2008 5:12:47 PM
Comment:
Edmond Hatfield: Pat Buchanan, Ron Paul, the 9/11 commission, the intelligence community, and anyone with a brain recognizes that our actions in the Middle East may, as a practical matter, increase the likelihood that we will be victims of terror attacks. What Wright did, in invoking Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was to imply that we actually deserved to be victims of terror attacks, as no reasonable person thinks that the bombing of Japan inspired the terrorists. -
Posted By:
CRM114 at 03/30/2008 5:05:35 PM
Comment:
Wow, I'd just reached the end of a thoughtful, optimistic piece that left me more hopeful about race relations than anything Barack Obama has ever said, and then I see the author getting smeared by the first commenter. So should I believe the author, as I would like to, that most black Americans are not bitter, paranoid, and profoundly alienated from America at large, or should I not? -
Posted By:
c-roc 311 at 03/30/2008 1:13:32 PM
Comment:
i don't understand why intelligent, progressive websites like the root would allow house negros like joe hicks to to give their self-loathing opinion on any topic concerning our community. people of his ilk just parrot the talking points of the far, far, bigoted right. -
Posted By:
Akinshegun at 03/30/2008 11:38:38 AM
Comment:
This author does not know enough about Martin Luther King's ministry to accurately compare his words to Rev. Wright's. He must not know that Dr. King was kicked off the board of directors of the National Baptist Convention; that Dr. King specifically advocated a "domocratic socialist" change in America; that Dr. King was regarded by much of white, and some of black, America as a dangerous radical. That's why the FBI targeted him; not because he was as wimpy as he is now portrayed in a media that once despised him and by writers like Joe HIcks. -
Posted By:
Edmond Hatfield at 03/29/2008 8:55:26 PM
Comment:
With Pat's blistering criticism of Obama and Wright I thought I would put this out there.
Pat Buchanan says, "U.S. dominance of the Middle East is not the corrective to terror. It is a cause of terror. Were we not over there, the 9/11 terrorists would not have been over here." and he is held up as a statesmen?
But when Wright says,""America's chickens coming home to roost" all of a sudden everybody is ready to shoot him.
Give me a break. Wright has been hung out to dry by the media. -
Posted By:
Edmond Hatfield at 03/29/2008 8:52:02 PM
Comment:
"I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government." MLK 04/04/1967 -
Posted By:
east coast at 03/29/2008 5:03:00 PM
Comment:
The author fails to demonstrate that he has gathered enough information about the totality of Wright's teachings and sermons to know whether Trinity really is that different than many other churches he himself describes. He hasn't shown evidence that he knows more about Trinity than the handful of quotes that's been in the media recently.
Here's how the author described other churches:
"As the former executive director of the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization founded by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957, I traveled nearly every Sunday to visit black churches from San Bernardino to San Diego, and everywhere in between. Did I occasionally hear sermons that mirrored the ignorance and bigotry of Wright's recent comments? Of course I did. But the majority concentrated on messages of sin and salvation, and themes of uplift for communities struggling with single parent households, community violence, drug-peddling street gangs, and endless economic struggles." -
Posted By:
Hawkins at 03/29/2008 4:11:16 PM
Comment:
I am from Oklahoma and altho mostly Caucasian, am also part Black and part Alerican Indian -- proven by an autosomal DNA test. I recall my mother (1915-2002 - totally White) telling me of a Negro girl who once walked up to her and said "My grandma worked in cotton fields when she was young, all day in the heat of the summer sun." Here is southwestern Oklahoma 100 degree temperatures are very common in the summer. I've seen it up to 118. Mom was amused and said, "Why honey, so did I." She was surprized thinking White people have never been done that. Both my parents worked in cotton fields when they got to be 6 or 8 years old to help support the family. That was very common in the 1920s and 30s. Both my parents lost farms during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, but stayed in Oklahoma. Dad (1915-1992 and a WW2 vet) once said if it weren't for Roosevelt's policies, his family (Dad was tri-racial) WOULD HAVE STARVED TO DEATH. He spoke of having no food at all except corn bread and pinto beans, which they occasionally supplimented with a cotton tail or a cat fish. Mom's family was in the same boat.
You can't look at us and tell our family story.
To assume ALL Whites are rich is WRONG. Some are mixed race. Rev. Wright's comments made me sick, not proud. HE needs to appologize in public.
Vance Hawkins -
Posted By:
edgecurrent at 03/28/2008 11:21:02 PM
Comment:
All I can say is thank-you for this article. I agree with you and I am so tired of Rev. Wright's brand of victim, hate and excuses mentality. I am a 51 yr old African-American women. I am not a victim of slavery, white greed or any thing else. -
Posted By:
unfilteredopinion at 03/28/2008 7:29:23 PM
Comment:
asweetone - you need to calm down. It's fine that you support Wright and his message, but there is no need to attack someone just because they don't. This is the problem with blacks. We feel like we all have to agree with each other, no matter what, especially if it involves white people. Blacks are individuals with different brains just like every other ethnic group. We should have different opinions. We can agree to respectfully disagree.
www.unfilteredopinion.com -
Posted By:
unfilteredopinion at 03/28/2008 7:23:47 PM
Comment:
The author of this article got it right. I have been trying to tell people this from day one. I could care less about Wright and what he said. My problem was with Obama and his supporters in the media saying that this behavior could be found at any black church on any given Sunday. That's a bunch of crap and they know it.
I grew up in the black church and my grandfather is a minister of 2 churches in the deep South. I have never heard any preacher say the things Wright said or even use profanity for that matter. So I can't relate to Wright - I can only compare him to my grandfather and the other ministers I grew up listening to.
www.unfilteredopinion.com -
Posted By:
unfilteredopinion at 03/28/2008 7:16:24 PM
Comment:
The author of this article got it right. This is what I've been trying to tell people since this story broke. I grew up in the black church and my grandfather is a minister of 2 black churches in the deep South. I have never heard any black minister say the things Wright said or even spew profanity from the pew.
I could care less about Wright; I just got mad when Obama's campaign and the media started saying that Wright's episode could be found in any black church on any given Sunday. That's a bunch of B.S.
www.unfilteredopinion.com -
Posted By:
HOUSEFAM at 03/28/2008 6:43:14 PM
Comment:
I will not say that Dr. King in his speeches said the things that Rev. Wright said, however I will say that though King had more style that some things he said such as warning to America was similar to what Wright said. Listen if you can to the speech at Riverside Church, in N.Y., date around April, 1967. "Why I Oppose the War" speaking about VietNam and America's involvement thereof.
Joseph
EvansTurnstone@aol.com -
Posted By:
asweetone at 03/28/2008 4:27:38 PM
Comment:
Reading this article and then listening to Reverend Wright's message makes me wonder why some Blacks seemingly REFUSE to unite in some way. Everything spoken by Rev. Wright is the TOTAL truth. Honestly not sure why Joe Hicks insists on saying Rev. Wright is wrong but allows me to say your article does NOT speak for Blacks in America. ONE of the most significant elements of Reverend Wright's sermons spoken is how G.W. Bush does not care about education... allow me to provide a little known secret not shared with mainstream media. His mother Barbara was (not sure if currently) extremely vocal about Adult Illiteracy in America during the 1980???s. Obviously, Rev. Wright knew something so perhaps when he speaks truth... some people REFUSE to comprehend and accept and quick to denounce. IF I were Senator Obama... distancing myself from Rev. Wright is not an option. Hey, GW stood by his decision to start a war in Iraq knowing there weren???t any weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, Rev. Wright's words have not killed 3,000 PLUS soldiers and let us not forget those citizens in Afghanistan and Iraq and Bin Laden a wanted man is not captured BUT Saddam Hussein and his sons are deader than door knobs (no weapons of mass destruction). Bin Laden lead terrorists into flying planes into the twin towers and nearly the white house. Okay, I am done and REALLY wish Mr. Joe Hicks would research history. Wait a minute??? I am not done yet, this reminds me of how the FIRST African sold the FIRST African to Europeans and how an African built the FIRST prison/cage/trap for those sold into slavery and snatched away from their family and friends. Geesh??? when will this cycle cease to exist. Mr. Hicks??? may God have mercy on you forever more. Attacking a man of God of the cloth is not right.-
Posted By:
HOUSEFAM at 03/28/2008 6:45:21 PM
Comment:
Have you ever tried listening to Dr. King's sermon at Riverside Church in NY? It is called Why I Oppose the War, about April, 1967. Not to say it is what Rev. Wright said, it is the style in which King said what he said.
Joseph
EvansTurnstone@aol.com
-
-
Posted By:
asweetone at 03/28/2008 3:43:22 PM
Comment:
Reading this article and then listening to Reverend Wright's message makes me wonder why some Blacks seemingly REFUSE to unite in some way. Everything spoken by Rev. Wright is the TOTAL truth. Honestly not sure why Joe Hicks insists on saying Rev. Wright is wrong but allows me to say your article does NOT speak for Blacks in America. ONE of the most significant elements of Reverend Wright's sermons spoken is how G.W. Bush does not care about education... allow me to provide a little known secret not shared with mainstream media. His mother Barbara was (not sure if currently) extremely vocal about Adult Illiteracy in America during the 1980???s. Obviously, Rev. Wright knew something so perhaps when he speaks truth... some people REFUSE to comprehend and accept and quick to denounce. IF I were Senator Obama... distancing myself from Rev. Wright is not an option. Hey, GW stood by his decision to start a war in Iraq knowing there weren???t any weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, Rev. Wright's words have not killed 3,000 PLUS soldiers and let us not forget those citizens in Afghanistan and Iraq and Bin Laden a wanted man is not captured BUT Saddam Hussein and his sons are deader than door knobs (no weapons of mass destruction). Bin Laden lead terrorists into flying planes into the twin towers and nearly the white house. Okay, I am done and REALLY wish Mr. Joe Hicks would research history. Wait a minute??? I am not done yet, this reminds me of how the FIRST African sold the FIRST African to Europeans and how an African built the FIRST prison/cage/trap for those sold into slavery and snatched away from their family and friends. Geesh??? when will this cycle cease to exist. Mr. Hicks??? may God have mercy on you forever more. Attacking a man of God of the cloth is not right. -
Posted By:
asweetone at 03/28/2008 2:19:11 PM
Comment:
Reading this article and then listening to Reverend Wright's message makes me wonder why some Blacks seemingly REFUSE to unite in some way. Everything spoken by Rev. Wright is the TOTAL truth. Honestly not sure why Joe Hicks insists on saying Rev. Wright is wrong but allows me to say your article does NOT speak for Blacks in America. ONE of the most significant elements of Reverend Wright's sermons spoken is how G.W. Bush does not care about education... allow me to provide a little known secret not shared with mainstream media. His mother Barbara was (not sure if currently) extremely vocal about Adult Illiteracy in America during the 1980???s. Obviously, Rev. Wright knew something so perhaps when he speaks truth... some people REFUSE to comprehend and accept and quick to dennounce. IF I were Senator Obama... distancing myself from Rev. Wright is not an option. Hey, GW stood by his decision to start a war in Iraq knowing there weren???t any weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, Rev. Wright's words have not killed 3,000 PLUS soldiers and let us not forget those citizens in Afghanistan and Iraq and Bin Laden a wanted man is not captured BUT Saddam Hussein and his sons are deader than door knobs (no weapons of mass destruction). Bin Laden lead terrorists into flying planes into the twin towers and nearly the white house. Okay, I am done and REALLY wish Mr. Joe Hicks would research history. Wait a minute??? I am not done yet, this reminds me of how the FIRST African sold the FIRST African to Europeans and how an African built the FIRST prison/cage/trap for those sold into slavery and snatched away from their family and friends. Geesh??? when will this cycle cease to exist. Mr. Hicks??? may God have mercy on you forever more. Attacking a man of God. -
Posted By:
moldy oldy at 03/28/2008 12:48:25 PM
Comment:
There is nothing that Wright said that is wrong! -
Posted By:
Black Girl at 03/28/2008 8:31:10 AM
Comment:
On any given Sunday, black folks are duped by pastors in their tailored suiits that pontificate about the ease of gaining wealth while their congregations drown in debt and despair. They are witnesses of surface sermons that do no more than arouse them in the moment and leave them more bewildered in a matter of hours. Clearly, you too are a victim of such baby food preaching that you reject a full meal when it's served. It amazes and saddens me when people quote Dr. King and present him as a passive voice of yesteryear, when in actuality King fought with the venom of his words just as Wright does today. King was learned scholar and passionate about uncovering the truth and then presenting it in a way that could be digested. It was King that paraphased that black people cannot be blamed for their response to the darkness in this country; the blame falls on those that turned out the lights. This was in response to being questioned about his seemingly striking differences with the Black Panther Party. He went on to say that we [black people] will continue to fight in whatever means we know until liberation is won. According to King, "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself." And, what about our incredible ancestor Malcolm X who, with his "radical" speeches, inspired a nation of black people to see themselves as the powerful beings we are. Wright, like his predecessors, refuses to dumb down the truth and hits us with it every time he's given an opportunity. Have you ever listened to an entire sermon? Have you seen more than the five minute sound bites played on the evening news? And, in the words of Rev. Wright, "Have you read James Cone?" I advise you to read more than the mainstream works about us that aren't written by us in the more popular book stores. I also urge you to delve deeper into the words and works of Dr. King, Malcolm X, James Cone, *** Gregory, and Rev. Wright. We can no longer afford to be ignorant or chastise the truth.
-T. Coverson -
Posted By:
blessinggirl at 03/27/2008 8:50:26 PM
Comment:
The writer did not really explain liberation theology, which began in Central America. There are many liberation theologies, and the essential element of that tradition is that Jesus came to save the oppressed, and Christians have a duty to do the same. It is empowering to oppressed people, whether Latinas, black Brazilians or Central Americans. I appreciate the posters who remind all of us how fearful and mean many well-to-do black Americans were to Dr. King, how he was seen as a revolutionary nutcase. The truth is Dr. Wright has been caricatured, and we need not let it bother us or worry about the majority culture's views of the black church. -
Posted By:
tstubbs at 03/27/2008 8:38:25 PM
Comment:
I feel if Rev. Wright was just some jack-legged pastor spewing rhetoric out the side of his neck he would have been dismissed as some crazy kook, and this "controversy" wouldn't have gotten half a sound bite. The only reason why this was blown out of proportion was the simple fact that some of what he said is basically true. Whether we want to accept it or not Rev. Wright was right on point. Anybody who has studied Black history knows about the "invisible" church. The slaves had one service when the white people were looking and a completely different service when all the white folks went home. The church was a vessel to freedom. They had secret messages in their hymns, and in the sermons that were preached. Let us not forget, Nat Turner was a preacher.
I feel the church is the perfect place to teach Black History, and to uplift the Black community. We don't hear about our Black ancestors in our schools, so the church is the ideal place to teach our children about our history. The Jews teach their children about their history. That is why they can tell the world that they are "God's chosen" people. They know their history and as far as they are concerned it is an undisputed fact. The New Testament in the Bible is all about the oppression of the disciples and the followers of Christ by the Roman Empire.
What makes this Rev. Wright incident so preposterous is that this is the first time in my life that I have heard whites calling a Black man racist!!!??? And what riles me the most is all the Black pundits on Fox news calling for Obama to disown Rev. Wright. After the story broke I was flipping through the channels and mistook Fox news for BET. Blacks need to get a backbone. And since we are always following behind white folks and trying to be like them, we should try to emulate their habit of sticking together for a greater cause. Self preservation. -
Posted By:
MDub at 03/27/2008 12:57:30 PM
Comment:
This is an entertaining ???shufflin?????? job by another media controlled talking robot designed to represent how good black folks should act. Mr. Hicks did you even listen to the whole sermon? You cite King as a model but ignore that King was spied on by the FBI and hated by America! What about King???s classic sermon at Riverside church denouncing the Vietnam War and America? It was attacked just like Dr. Wright???s sermon as hateful and too radical. It was one year prior to his assassination and this event marked the beginning of the irrelevant TV focused materialistic entertainment that masquerades as the Black church today. This seems to be the model you propose; those that practice cheap grace, capitulate to idolatry and fear prophetic preaching by dishonoring God and the lives and blood of our ancestors. Love allows you to criticize not idolize. Yes, you can advocate justice and hard work simultaneously. You claim to be some proud SCLC member but your group???s fire died with King so I guess that???s why we???re left with people like you. Continue to dance on for a few coins while those of us who hear God gird up our lions to live as real men and women. -
Posted By:
MDub at 03/27/2008 12:56:21 PM
Comment:
MDub: This is an entertaining ???shufflin?????? job by another media controlled talking robot designed to represent how good black folks should act. Mr. Hicks did you even listen to the whole sermon? You cite King as a model but ignore that King was spied on by the FBI and hated by America! What about King???s classic sermon at Riverside church denouncing the Vietnam War and America? It was attacked just like Dr. Wright???s sermon as hateful and too radical. It was one year prior to his assassination and this event marked the beginning of the irrelevant TV focused materialistic entertainment that masquerades as the Black church today. This seems to be the model he proposes; those that practice cheap grace, capitulate to idolatry and fear prophetic preaching by dishonoring God and the lives and blood of our ancestors. Love allows you to criticize not idolize. Yes, you can advocate justice and hard work simultaneously. You claim to be some proud SCLC member but your group???s fire died with King so I guess that???s why we???re left with people like you. Continue to dance on for a few coins while those of us who hear God gird up our lions to live as real men and women. -
Posted By:
4taz at 03/27/2008 12:13:17 PM
Comment:
If I go by this article, I would raise my children to believe that there isn't anything such as black on black crime, driving while black, etc. I would teach my children that they have nothing to watch out for, that people don't do things for just their own good and everything they will experience in life will be hunky-dory. History of racism, sexism, greed and other polluted thoughts are a thing of the past and is not being practiced in this day in age. Oh lest I forget, black churches do not talk about social injustices....that right, because there aren't any. I know many people who read/heard the entire sermons that those 60-second soundbites were lifted, who said: 'OH! THAT is what he was saying." If you didn't hear Rev. Wright defend underdog, regardless of race, the downtrodden, regardless of sex and the out and out disenfranchised.....all due to the 'establishment' consisting of irresponsible greedy people..........if you did not hear why and where Obama gets the unifying theme.......if you did not hear the overarching theme of doing what is right and expecting o endure the consequences of past, current and potential future sin as experienced by Israel in the bible..... well........ I have to use my favorite comment on this post regarding this article. Silly rabbit, Trix is for kids. -
Posted By:
jcocowens at 03/27/2008 11:17:04 AM
Comment:
My comment is for The Root in general. I am a 31 year old white man and I love The Root. This site has some the best writing anywhere. I found The Root through Slate, which I read daily. I recently told a black colleage of mine about The Root. In response to her question about The Root's content I stated, "it is black content, by black writers for everyone." Absolutley fabulous material.
Thank you.
Jerry Owens.
Valdosta, GA. -
Posted By:
sixgrands at 03/27/2008 10:33:43 AM
Comment:
Wright's comment was picked out and used like people often pick out Bible passages to use for their own benefit..I often tell people that " we have no control of what comes out of others mouth but we do have control of what comes out of ours"...lets gage Obama for his comments and not Wrights'. -
Posted By:
gms1913 at 03/27/2008 10:32:37 AM
Comment:
Mr. Hick,s
I am saddened that you too have taken the media's portrayal of TUCC's Sr. Pastor Jeremiah Wright and swallowed the propogandized portrayal of our congregation without taking the time to familiarize yourself with the TUCC's dynamic ministry In no way has Pastor Wright or his ministry peddled disempowering messages to the congregation. Quite the contrary, Pastor Wright's words are largely uplifting and inspriing. He consistently lifts up the liberating words of Jesus and the stories of the disenfranchised and colonized people of Israel to inspire and encourage our community.
Furthermore, you like the rest of mainstream media have chosen to lift Reverend King's non-threatening, passivitsts words to feed to the masses while ignoring their impassioned anit-government and revolutionary statements. Dr. King and Dr. Wright are often on the same page in their critique of the delibitating policies of U.S. government and their ill effects on the poor and people of color.
I suggest you take the time to examine Dr. Wright's sermons in their entirety and not rely upon the soundbites and incoherrent babble of the mainstream media to arrive at an informed opinoin as to whether Pastor Wright is Wrong- not one based on half-truths and poltical media spin. -
Posted By:
ANEWDAY at 03/26/2008 11:20:16 PM
Comment:
I do not think that Rev Wright is wrong or was wrong for the majority of his statements because we have to look at what transpired before his sermon Sept 11 his sermon was'nt directed at white people it was directed at the the government and the way it treats people yes we do bomb innocent women and children and we can't be unconscious of these facts calling out the government is not wrong and the fact that racism is not dead it needs to be adressed so maybe we wan't have nooses to remind us POWER TO THE STRUGGLE -
Posted By:
gizmo99 at 03/26/2008 10:42:24 PM
Comment:
Mr. Hicks your a joke and have little to no cred in the Black community. Which is why you work for KKKFI. -
Posted By:
gizmo99 at 03/26/2008 10:41:08 PM
Comment:
Your a joke,,,,just like your opinions. You lost any cred in the Black community years ago, which is why you work for right-wing, racist radio station, KKKFI. -
Posted By:
nfamous at 03/26/2008 5:51:04 PM
Comment:
This article made me want to vomit. Not all black churches are alike. Black people cover the gamut of political and ideological belief as well. White people created the black monolith with slavery but now that many blacks have opportunity we are divided. The Black monolith is dead until it is resurrected by things like the Jena 6 and the aftermath of Katrina. Blacks should all be united for one cause of black liberation but some people already feel liberated so who am I to tell them they are not? Blacks are individuals and not accountable to each other as a whole anymore. We can do as we please and it has created a generation of sellouts. These are black people that want to prove to white people how worthy they are to receive and share in their bountiful lifestyle all while the majority languishes. That is wrong but it's not against the law. People are free to be good or evil within the confines of the law and even outside if you're rich enough or white.
Kids in church should be told the truth and the truth is that they are at a severe disadvantage. The truth is a cop might pull you over for no reason other than you're black and driving a nice car. The truth is you might not get the job because of your hairstyle. There's no point in painting a PollyAnna picture of a world of white supremacy because black people are going to find out the truth eventually anyway. By doing so you've pulled the wool over their eyes, dis-empowered them by hiding the truth and made it more arduous for them to adjust to reality once they awaken to it. -
Posted By:
DeepBlue2 at 03/26/2008 4:29:22 PM
Comment:
"Ignorant rants"? While you may or may not agree with Wright's oratory style the salients points of his sermon are unfortunately true. Less than 15% of the U.S. population controls over 80% of its material (liquid and paper ) wealth. The U.S. did in fact employ thermonuclear weapons against a beaten foe ( and is at present the ONLY nation to do so) White men hold over 90 % percent of all executive posts in public and private industry as well as government. Now while I'm not saying that our destiny is at the complete behest of some omnipotent white men it would be foolish and self deluding to say that currently the reigns of financial and political power aren't gripped by white males. And where in this speech did Wright say anything about "black supremacy" It seems to me he want a cohesive grouping along class lines, not so much race. The U.S. is right now engaged in an illegal imperialist war that has cost trillions and is threating to plunge the dollar into an economic abyss. Calling Joe hicks, have you been to the grocery store lately or to the gas pump? Instead of sugar coating today's reality and applying tactics that worked in past decades, we must engage in a real debate and look toward new means of developing a more equitable future. This article sounds like more palliative drivel to cater to the current power structure and to keep the teeming hungry masses firmly in check. How sad. -
Posted By:
DeepBlue2 at 03/26/2008 4:17:08 PM
Comment:
"Ignorant rants"? While you may or may not agree with Wright's oratory style the salients points of his sermon are unfortunately true. Less than 15% of the U.S. population controls over 80% of its material (liquid and paper ) wealth. The U.S. did in fact employ thermonuclear weapons against a beaten foe ( and is at present the ONLY nation to do so) White men hold over 90 % percent of all executive posts in public and private industry as well as government. Now while I'm not saying that our destiny is at the complete behest of some omnipotent white men it would be foolish and self deluding to say that currently the reigns of financial and political power are gripped by white males. And where in this speech did Wright say anything about "black supremacy" It seems to me he want a cohesive grouping along class lines, not so much race. The U.S. is right now engaged in an illegal imperialist war that has cost trillions and is threating to plunge the dollar into an economic abyss. Calling Joe hicks, have you been to the grocery store lately or to the gas pump? Instead of sugar coating today's reality and applying tactics that worked in past decades, we must engage in a real debate and look toward new means of developing a more equitable future. This article sounds like more palliative drivel to cater to the current power structure and to keep the teeming hungry masses firmly in check. How sad. -
Posted By:
growth12 at 03/26/2008 3:56:15 PM
Comment:
Here's the thing--why do you feel the need to interpret the black church for an audience that "gets" the nuances of black culture/religion (it's as if you're writing it for an altogether different audience, one you feel you must placate and assuage)? Also, Mr. Hicks, many aspirational and wealthy blacks despised Reverend King's message, especially toward the end of his short life. It is dangerous when we, as "race representatives," reinterpret the past to fit our own agendas. This has been proven time and time again. Finally, the majority (including the "made it" blacks who have Ivy League degrees, like me--and many of us are losing status thanks to the anti-affirmative action vibe out there today) of black people are facing life in a nation that continues to see us as problems and troublemakers--and creates actual legislation and enforces racial codes that prevent us from moving forward. That is not racial paranoia--it is fact. I understand that you choose to live with blinders on. You're not doing anyone a favor--least of all yourself. These are hard times for everyone, white, black, and other. It would be wonderful if we could all come together and start talking about where this country is going. I think that this is what Obama is talking about. We've pointed fingers at poor blacks (without creating jobs, education, or spiritual nourishment for people who have been treated like animals for generations) and "radical" black agitators--since Reconstruction. The problems in the black community are much larger than the *** on the corner selling dope or the fired-up preacher who gets carried away in a sermon. Think about all the vitriol passed off in the white churches that folks like Bush and Hillary Clinton support--the hypocrisy is ridiculous. I'm personally meh about "the church," so this is not an endorsement of Wright (anyone else see the photo of him with Clinton during the last administration? Guess his message was OK back when Bill was greasing up black folk for the vote). Your whole conversation is old--it's really time for a new song. -
Posted By:
Kevin at 03/26/2008 2:26:24 PM
Comment:
Everthing he said is TRUE!!! -
Posted By:
Kevin at 03/26/2008 2:24:10 PM
Comment:
Rev. Wright is RIGHT!!!! Why not remind us of this sin sick place we are living in.
We need God like never before. -
Posted By:
arabella at 03/26/2008 1:44:03 PM
Comment:
Sorry buddy. Before you write anything along these lines you should do us all a favor and do your homework first. On any given sunday, Wright was completely right and if you botheres to listen to more than the spoon fed Hannity and crowd compilation, you would realize how baseless your article is. -
Posted By:
arabella at 03/26/2008 1:42:20 PM
Comment:
Sorry Joe. Until you listen to more than the sound bites you have been fed by Hannity, your essay is nothing more than bunk. Please do your homework. -
Posted By:
bklynbro at 03/26/2008 10:37:07 AM
Comment:
Wow. How can someone witness so many black sermons a month across this country to actually write what's being preached on any given Sunday? The Chritstian God must have told him. By its very nature Christianity is about fear and "victimhood." -
Posted By:
Independent Brother at 03/26/2008 9:40:51 AM
Comment:
You are wrong, Mr. Hicks. It is very common to hear sermons similar to Rev. Wright's in black churches in Alabama and other places throughout the South. Not to say I agree with the message. -
Posted By:
12roses at 03/26/2008 9:36:06 AM
Comment:
You know i can't understand why you people continue to say Rev. Wright was preaching hate? Excuse me I know why, you (the media) don't know when the truth is being told. The truth hurts don't it! -
Posted By:
Kinsmankid at 03/26/2008 8:37:32 AM
Comment:
I get the impression that the writer has not heard any of the sermons that Faux News stole quotes from in their entirety. I think the quotes were taken out of context. The particular sermon I heard regarding 911, Wright urged that Americans consider how our foreign policy might have led to the attack. He quoted similar comments made by Admiral Peck. Yes, Martin Luther King preached peace and love for our white brothers and sisters. He also spoke out stongly against racism and he was very aggressive in his opposition to the Viet Nam War, the same way Wright speaks out about racism in our country and the Iraq War.
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