What most in mainstream media (MSM) refuses to acknowledge is that this absurd pseudo-issue of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and his lengthy relationships (since there are many different types here) with Barack Obama, has exposed, (a) white-America’s hypocrisy, lies, denial and immaturity; and (b) black-America’s paranoia, fears, distrust and immaturity. And maybe that exposure was a good thing; maybe. So as a preface, let me clarify a few things in this column.

I am defending what seems to have gotten lost in all the MSM hoopla around this individual (Wright): the man’s right to expound his opinions. Admittedly, I find some of his rantings -and also some of his antics- to be personally offensive, somewhat; but as long as he doesn’t yell out for a non-existent fire in a crowded place, he has -like every other American citizen- freedom of speech rights, that are protected under our hallowed constitution. It looks as though many whites, blacks and citizens of other races, have conveniently forgotten this. And this deliberate and convenient form of amnesia is probably because Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a Negro; or as they say with another word (which is commonly accepted): “black”.

In my recollection, this is apparently the first time that a parishioner’s association with a pastor made it to cause-celebre status in a presidential election cycle. I wonder why? What is even more disconcerting is the fact that media person who pushed this like a vial of crack-cocaine, was none other than Sean Hannity- a man who fraternized with Nazis. What a friggin hypocrite!

Isn’t anyone appalled at the gumption of this college-dropout (Hannity)? His incessant railings against Obama (via the “Wright” issues) leave him open to many suspicions. His refusal to acknowledge that Obama is half-white, further heightens the suspicions that he is a closet racist. Beyond Nazis, Hannity has been friendly with white-supremacists and consorts with outright racists: he has yet to publicly denounce any one of these people. But he insists that Obama’s relationship with his pastor is enough grounds “to destroy (derail) his candidacy”. He is as shameless as Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton; they are all birds of a feather.

If you go to the video tape, you will see Hannity’s “anti-Obama agenda” being played out almost daily, since February of last year. Maybe his employers at Fox News Network are complicit. The intent seems to be: destroy Obama’s presidential bid (just like Hillary). On every occasion that something controversial surrounded Obama -whether it was Rev. Wright, or whether it was something he or his wife Michelle Obama said- Hannity’s penchant for attempting to derail Obama’s presidential aspirations, leaves no other explanation than: racism. Time will be the best judge of this. Hannity is like many many other whites who are totally conflicted by the possibility of a non-white male president. In purely human terms: this is sad. He is a sorry person. More so when you consider that Barack Obama is a mulatto.

So let’s parse some of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s sayings. The problem with his HIV/AIDS conspiracy theory is that he offered no supporting evidence of any kind, to supplement his assertions. And despite the fact that most blacks have heard this charge before, once there is nothing to support the thesis: it has no legs to stand on. Thus Barack was totally correct in denouncing these remarks. They are divisive.

Despite saying that, the question now becomes this: Is the US government capable of such a thing anyway? Well; what many whites refuse to accept is the fact that white doctors -in tandem with government officials- injected syphilis into healthy black men during the Tuskegee experiment. They also involuntarily sterilized many black women in the south, and likewise Hispanic women in Puerto Rico. Plus, only a few decades ago, government officials opened gas canisters in the New York subway underground system, in another round of experimentation (though not exclusive to blacks). There are many other atrocious experiments that can be laid at the doorstep of the US government-both here and abroad; so given all this, would you say that a man like Wright -who grew up under Jim Crow- is being irrational? No, you can’t. All you can say is that he is irresponsible in making this claim without a scintilla of evidence.

Wright’s problem here is akin to a larger problem that faces many major black figures: the love for hyperbole. Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton and others, have often succumbed to conspiratorial utterances without offering up an iota of proof. What they fail to recognize is that leadership brings with it, loads of responsibility. What is the difference between yelling fire in a crowded theatre (when there is none), and offering up a conspiracy theory without any supporting evidence? Insidious and divisive remarks should never be within the language of major leaders (black, white, Hispanic, Asian, native- American, other); and even if truthful: once there is potential for racial conflict, racial divide, racial animosity and the like, such remarks should be approached with sensitivity, honesty, wisdom, understanding and compassion. Leadership has its privileges and responsibilities.

Let’s parse further. Wright’s remark, “God-damn America”, is another one of those unnecessary condemnations that I find personally offensive. But many white ministers have said exactly the same thing. Many others have expressed similar sentiments using different words and phrases. Many of these said white ministers got invitations to the White House, Congress, and to events that are high up on the social and institutional calendars of this country’s elites. Republicans have perpetually played footsie with white pastors who condemn homosexuality and abortions in vile, incendiary and murderous ways (terms). Some of these pastors now support John McCain; talk about double-standard. But then too many whites usually deny what is so obvious to non-whites: that in this society, white-skin carries many privileges.

“Chickens coming home to roost” (referring to 9-11), is another controversial remark that Rev. Wright made, and when he sprinkled snippets of truth within these remarks, many went up in arms. But here Wright is making a brilliant observation: the USA is the only nation on this earth that has used the atomic bomb on another nation (albeit it was during war). Plus, what many whites don’t want to acknowledge is the fact that the USA has dropped more bombs on more nations, than any other single country in the recorded history of humans. This is some feat to achieve, given the lengthy history of England, France, Spain, Japan, Germany, Russia and others- whose history of war and violence is far far longer than ours. There is this increasing tendency among us in this country to treat the obvious (and objective) truth(s) with xenophobia.

Didn’t Wright warn Obama, that the very day he is sworn in as president of the USA, he (Wright) will come after him, just as he comes after any president who oversees a foreign policy that kills other people? Isn’t that not proof in itself that Wright and Obama are not on the same political page? Plus, remember this: the only time that Americans bombed other Americans (besides during the civil war) was in 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Back there, whites attacked blacks, and murdered hundreds over a lie (just like in Rosewood, Florida). Do you really think Wright doesn’t know his history? Isn’t it possible to understand his paranoia and distrust of the US government? I could never condone his warped views, but I surely understand how they incubated themselves over a lifetime of dealing with white-racism (nearly always in denial). For whites to understand why most blacks have refused to condemn Wright (despite frustration with his inopportune show-boating), is for them to understand the different reactions to the O.J. Simpson verdict (from blacks and whites) fourteen years ago. Too often: white people are arrogantly stuck in stupid. That’s why they are often genuinely surprised when racial shit happens. It’s that insidious denial that clouds their critical- thinking skills sometimes.

But alas and unfortunately, there is a flip side: too often blacks are also stuck in stupid. This is painfully observed when they adamantly refuse to recognize the colossal sacrifices, of the many decent white folks, who at times risked everything in fighting for the abolition forces; in fighting against Jim Crow; in fighting with Dr. Martin Luther King and others, for civil and human rights for people of all races, colors and creeds. This stupidity is also obvious, when too many blacks refuse to acknowledge that reverse racism towards white, is as insidious as historical and institutional racism towards them. Look, I suspect that as it relates to race: we are all stuck in stupid.

A few years ago the Supreme Court upheld flag-burning as a viable method of social/ civil/ political protest against the government. At first I couldn’t understand the decision. I thought the American flag was sacred; I saw it akin to the Holy Grail. And yet Justice Scalia summed it up best when he suggested it to be the zenith of true democracy (my words), allowing for the ultimate expression of disenchantment with the government: the burning of its very symbol. It took me years to realize it was all about freedoms- including free speech. Freedom to assemble, freedom to practice the religion of your choice, freedom of association, freedom to live where and when you choose (once it’s within legal strictures), freedom of movement, and freedom to express your point of view no matter how insane; these are all civil rights enshrined in the constitution. Wright’s right to these freedoms have been undermined by MSM’s deliberate lack of contextualization of his words (even the most incendiary). Are you surprised that the man experienced a rash of death threats?

When you take less than one per cent of a man’s preachings and teachings over 30–odd years or so, and roll them into sound-bites which you selectively distribute over the airwaves-playing them repeatedly without full contextualization- you have done him a disservice which white pastors are seemingly exempt from. It is inherently unfair unless you take all his other works in context. For example the building up of a ministry that did wonderful deeds; like job training, job preparedness and job placement. An institution that worked with HIV/AIDS patients, ex-offenders in anti-recidivism programs, and also provided other social services and such, to members of the community at large. There are many good things that Rev.Wright and his followers did; it brought the church local, regional, national and international acclaim. It wasn’t just about Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama. They may have been the most notorious members: but it wasn’t just about them.

Okay; so it is easy to detest his political associates like Louis Farrakhan and Khadaffy of Libya; that’s easy to do. Yet, Wright is entitled to his political associates: it is called freedom of association. Sean Hannity should be the last one to even scream about this; in my humble opinion, either Farrakhan or Khadaffy is better than any Nazi.

Stay tuned-in folks; I am not finished with this.

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