I agree that we live in the United States of America where freedom is exercised in many forms. I agree that the school has a right to withdraw their offer/invitation if they choose and Rev Wright has the freedom to express HIS opinions. I think it is ridiculous that news has become nothing more than a glorified gossip column, as if everyone doubts the average American's ability to have a mature, intelligent discussion. I imagine our neighbors around the world (once again)must be looking on in sheer amazement and have pulled down and dusted off a much to familiar phrase "silly Americans". Enough already ... if we traveled back in the near and distant past and pulled up every relationship that presidential candidates, senators, congressmen, and others in public office find themselves engaged , at one time or another, we would not have enough space to print the juicy gossip. Say it with me everyone, can we please move onto something else...the horse is dead and he is tired of CPR!

Sent by Deb Allen | 7:48 PM ET | 05-01-2008

Wow! At this rate he's gonna have his AARP and SAM's Club memberships revoked before weeks end. United we stand, divided we fall...hard!

Sent by Bill M | 9:39 PM ET | 05-01-2008

Is the Criminal-Justice System Racist?
No: the high percentage of blacks behind bars reflects crime rates, not bigotry by Heather Mac Donald
http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_2_criminal_justice_system.html

Sent by dirtyblues | 10:56 PM ET | 05-01-2008

29 April 2008
Poisonous "Authenticity" by Heather Mac Donald

http://www.city-journal.org/2008/eon0429hm.html

Jeremiah Wright draws on a long line of Afrocentric charlatans. The list of Afrocentric "educators" whom Reverend Jeremiah Wright has invoked in his media escapades since this Sunday is a disturbing reminder that academia's follies can enter the public world in harmful ways. Now the pressing question is whether they have entered presidential candidate Barack Obama's worldview as well.

Some in Wright's crew of charlatans have already had their moments in the spotlight; others are less well known. They form part of the tragic academic project of justifying self-defeating underclass behavior as "authentically black." That their ideas have ended up in the pulpit of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ and in Detroit's Cobo Hall, where Wright spoke at the NAACP's Freedom Fund dinner on Sunday, reminds us that bad ideas must be fought at their origins--and at every moment thereafter.

Sent by dirtyblues | 12:05 AM ET | 05-02-2008

well, well dip a laddle into the wishing well and see if the water's reflection kisses your thirst to tell you the truth...it aint the depths of the water that drowns a man...it is the water plain and simple that does the trick...[that end is a little somethin' somethin' from moms mabley--look her up if ya dont know].

what do these degrees from primarily eurocentric institutions with eurocentric paradigms really mean to african peoples anyway except something in a dead language on dead parchment in a dead old anglo-saxon script to hang on the wall announcing that "we" as a peoples have mastered europa education slanted towards glorification of europa concepts and constructs to the negation of other constructs that are just important as well as necessary for more broad based global education experience. That would include African, Asian and Latin paradigms of education.

Use to be the message was getting a degree open doors to better career opportunities. Fact is a number of numb-nuts will squirrel out of school with BAs, MAs, PhDs and MBAs and that last group still on the majority know nothing after three years about cracking the code to entrepreneurial skills and innovation enough to create employment for many instead of looking for employment for one...sigh i am glad i put my parchment in a file cabinet somewhere and i hope the termites or silverfishes have eaten them away by now...at least something got fed from them...not to knock all your folks getting ready to take that walk here soon but you may realise you have taken what appeared to be five giant steps forwards in order to end by taking one baby step BLACK. only the sands of time shall tell...

and brother Wright... can say what he deems well appropriate... me..it would go a little something like--

take your honorary degree
i dont need it
nothing stays the same
anyway...

The truth you see
sets a man free
to a higher degree
that your honorary
aint ever considered
as primary education...

in fact, it is just remedial
egotistical fascination
poses itself as honouring
a tradition of educational achievement
or was it really appeasement

a vain attempt in mental anesthesisation
for the benefit of whose educational achievement?

who got played who got saved who got paid from your honorary degree today?

You see it aint easy being Wright
when so many around you are dead set on being wrong...but as you have seen i can be quite strong...
Because i got truth on side
and everything else is just shuck and jive...

take your degree
i dont need it...
we truth seekers have a hunger
that no appeasement can quell
in that house we are honoured to dwell.

Sent by K MJUMBE | 2:39 AM ET | 05-07-2008

Is this Fox News or NPR? Assuming that Dr. Wright has had a degree taken away from from him, which he hasn't, he would have one FEWER degree. As for Northwestern's decision, given their focus on celebration, they made the right choice. A degree should go to a Chicago Bears cheerleader instead.

Sent by Melvin Brooks | 4:31 AM ET | 06-02-2008