Listen to the man speak before you judge a few snippets of his words. You can take the out-of-context sound bites of anyone and it will offend someone. He is articulate, intelligent and above all passionate...which I suppose is what scares a lot of the xenophobic members of the radical right. Applaud the man for his beliefs and having the courage to speak up against what is wrong and unjust.

"God damn America" for what they have done to this man and for the ignorance of those who hate him on the call of the fear-mongering conservatives.

Sent by James Cutler | 7:36 AM ET | 04-28-2008

I think that the problem that some people are having with Rev. Wright is that he is confusing culture with race. His observations about culture are most insightful; his example, comparing the styles of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University marching bands to the styles of the Florida A&M and Grambling marching bands, is an apt one from a cultural perspective. His mistake comes when he says, "We just do it different." The problem lies in most peoples' interpretation of the implicit meaning of "We." Without taking too much of an assumptive leap, are we to understand that he means "black people?" If so, now he's talking about race, not culture. Herein lies the problem. The culture of the University of Michigan marching band is most definitely different from the culture of the Florida A&M marching band. I think however, that the many talented, young, african american members of the University of Michigan marching band might take umbrage with the notion that this difference is one dependent upon race! Cultures are transitional, race is not. This is the essence of what makes racism so divisive. Reverend Wright needs to take another small step forward and adopt the new paradigm that "race does not matter." He can then continue to advocate with validity, in his most inspiring, compelling, intelligent and articulate way, that we should learn to love and accept one another in spite of our cultural differences.

Sent by Jon Nason | 8:32 AM ET | 04-28-2008

Even the NPR blog shows "some" and I am positive therefore "selected" clips from the speeches (2) in Texas. How can a person know what they hear is good accurate, true and COMPLETE information?

It is at best very difficult. The speech is available in total but not on this blog.

So much info is truth having been bent, spun and fractured..so much more is simply put as BS.

If one wishes to critique or bash Rev. Wright, please educate oneself to know what is accurate and true first.

Charlie Gibson is the latest one to fall from grace with the faux debate on ABC. Maybe ABC stands for Against Black Congressionals now.

Charlie and little George became media whores publicly and so, what is new? What is news?

A bunch of crap.

This blogger may have the highest of motives but if the speech is edited, it is not worth watching.

Do better next time, please.

Better tomorrows to all.

Sent by Dave Rosen | 9:06 AM ET | 04-28-2008

Oh that poor kindly old gentlemen is being persecuted by "the man" again. He was as sweet as pie on Moyers. What a nice man.

LOL

Sent by deek | 9:14 AM ET | 04-28-2008

Let's end this Rev. Wright debate once and for all. Rev. Wright is not mainstream, but Black people as a whole are not mainstream never have been, were originally not intended to be (3/5 persons remember). Just because you have a few Black friends, neighbors, or co-workers doesn't make them mainstream. Martin Luther King, Jr., who everybody is comparing Rev. Wright to wasn't even mainstream. President Kennedy considered him an agitator, for Christ's sake the FBI considered him threat so much that they bugged his hotel rooms, tapped his phone conversations, and had round the clock surveillance on him. Bombingham and Bloody Sunday embarassed this Cold War country trying to position itself in the World as the free society as opposed to the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union into compromising with King's philosophy. America didn't fall lock step with King (it couldn't he wasn't mainstream), it compromised with him. Hence, 24.7% poverty rate for Black compared to 8.6% for Whites. Blacks are nearly twice as likely as whites to be without health insurance. The median household income for whites was $44,366 in 1999, compared with $27,910 for blacks. Fewer than three in 10 whites earn less than $25,000; nearly half of all blacks in 1999 earned less than that. The jobless rate
for blacks is 9.0% and 4.5% for whites. Look at the incarceration rates become as of June 30, 2006:
White males: 736 per 100,000
Latino males: 1,862 per 100,000
Black males: 4,789 per 100,000

We are not mainstream

Sent by mak | 9:23 AM ET | 04-28-2008

Mak,

The question is this; what do YOU want to be? Do you want to realize Dr. King's dream, that you will be judged on the content of your character rather than the color of your skin? If so, stop making observations and start taking positive action! Believe that America offer's it's opportunities to all people, regardless of race. Deny racism and it's insidious consequences, by failing to acknowledge it's existence and hence it's relevance, by adopting a personal philosophy that, RACE DOES NOT MATTER! This is Dr. King's vision. It starts with you and with me. We must be vigilant in our efforts to educate all Americans that whoever decides to differentiate based upon race, is a racist, and not worthy of the ideals set for in our Constitution.

Sent by Jon | 10:29 AM ET | 04-28-2008

Jon you are absolutely correct.

However there is a LOT of money tied into the victimology racket. There is a LOT of people who stand to lose their livelyhood if we all suddenly realized how simple it really is; college professors, whole college departments, diversity trainers, social workers, textbook writers, journalists, etc.

The victimology infrastructure runs very deep and it will fight to keep itself intact.

Sent by deek | 11:51 AM ET | 04-28-2008

Jon: Maybe you should check this out

http://www.newsnet14.com/2007/01/24/black-doll-white-doll-same-study-different-generation-same-results/print/

Sent by Liza | 12:11 PM ET | 04-28-2008

Liza,

Thanks for the great message, I am familiar with this study. I feel you may have misinterpreted my comments and no doubt, this is my fault. I do not mean to imply that America has not been in the past, nor is it today, rife with racism. Racism exists in our county... period. The point I'm attempting to make is, how do we get beyond it. The most effective way I can think of, is for each of us from this day forward to deny it's existence, and again therefore, it's relevance. Race does not matter. To believe otherwise, that indeed race alone is significant, lends validity to racism. Observations about the past and present, even though they are true, do nothing to help us achieve what we all want for the future, a country devoid of racist beliefs and actions. Do this for just one day, think of every person you encounter as simply an American, with no more or less rights than any other American, regardless of the color of their skin. Consider that this person is subject to the same responsibilities under the law and the same Constitutionally guaranteed protections that you are. But most importantly, that they are a human being, deserving of your love and compassion. This is a liberating notion... for all of us to embrace.

Sent by Jon | 1:02 PM ET | 04-28-2008

Well said Jon

Sent by Liza | 1:57 PM ET | 04-28-2008

We would rather not talk about it.

Recently, a famous American scholar of constitutional law - and perhaps the most widely known around the world today - reminded us that it is a truism widely whispered that the most segregated hour in America (where racism is institutionalized) is on Sunday morning.

The scholar: Professor Barrack Obama.

"Bold Deceit and Bizarre Logic" / Hillary '08, WRONG for America

Sent by chokora | 4:01 AM ET | 04-29-2008

The only people who are defending Rev J. Wright's comments are old religious fanatics if I may say. People don't understand what is happening here. Wright is from a era when the things he speaks of were widely accepted by the African American people who were "being oppressed and dealing with racism" at a much higher level than we experience today. He may have experienced things that I as a black man may not be able to imagine or deal with.

With that said I do feel that Reverend Wright needs to keep his mouth closed. With his recent speech I agree that he may be trying to do damage to Obama purposefully out of spite. If he really expects Obama to defend him when he expresses view that divide the country he has to be out of his mind. I would have done the same thing as Obama, and I wish he had done it sooner.

Everyone on this blog knows a person who has stronger racial views than they. In the event that you are able to make progression in your life such as becoming the "President of The United States" you have to transcend all of these views of racism, and sometimes these people such as Rev. Wright. Racism is taught and the Rev teaches racism. Obama is a sure ticket and Rev. Wright will not ruin that. Obama's worst enemy should not be another African American man.

Sent by KH | 9:55 AM ET | 04-30-2008

The statement that it is race instead of culture is idiotic. Both coincide. Cultures are from different races and origins and there are different cultures within races. Some cultures are adopted by other races.But the origin usually is of one specific races or demographic. He said we are different. But also equal and no better than another. Most people pull clips of this man preaching. I think he actually qieut briliant in the analysis of his observations. Now the tone is that of a black preacher from a black city. Because of his soulful full tone is some how seen as agressive or militant. some of these so-called conspiracies against the government are true. Not someone consiring. More liek having the wisdom to decypher and research the inhumanities that have happened in this control or abroad. it is not about hating America. It's more like scolding a child who has done a a bad thing. You love them with all your heart. But if things are not corrected the will turn out to be a bad seed. People say he teaches racism. Well that's a opinion and a very closed mineded one. or views are just that views and opinions. It's been said plainly and I repeat. We are just different. But not better than one another. We leave that type of thinking to the elitist.

Sent by Dee Helms | 3:34 PM ET | 04-30-2008