I disagree with your Republica caller. I think that the beauty of Barack's speech is that he illuminated issues that we are all talking about in our kitchens and amongst friends, black and white, and forced us to confront them. I'm sure we all have a memory of our elders making racial comments that make us cringe, and many of us belong to a church that we don't agree with everything our pastor says. The problem with America is that anything that is said that illuminates that we are less than perfect is coined as "unpatriotic". Have we gone so far away from the Constitution and our forefathers who saw that the essential elements of a free society is the ability to express dissent and the ability to worship however and with whomever one pleases without suffering repercussion in the workplace or society at large? This fundamental straying from our very basic ideals concerns this listener more than Reverend Wright ever could.

Sent by Do we still live in America? | 1:21 PM ET | 03-20-2008

I was wondering if I tuned to Fox News or NPR on March 19th Tell me more.
I never thought of NPR interviewing only pro war and the advocators of Iraq war.
What do we expect from brain washed Myer and a town who never feel the pain and suffering of 1 million people who died for a criminal act.

Sent by Obaid Bactazh | 2:04 PM ET | 03-20-2008

Listening to the comentators this day speak about Senator Obamas speech on race I can only wonder. One heaps laurals upon someone who is courageous. One heaps laurals to one who is ahead of the curve. One heaps laurals on someone who has done a "great" thing

To make a great speech in response to the indiscressions of ones pastor is not courageous, it is just fire fighting. Fire fighting based on fear of guilt by association (a favored tribal glue). Hearing the speech 5 months ago would have been just fine with me

Certainly the analysis presented in the speech has great merit, profound perhaps. I doubt, however, if it is something that would be called innovative. It is something any competant university sociologist would readilly recognize.

What is sad is that many news commentators have not been previous exposed to such "radical" ideas.

What is sad is that the rhetoric of racism is so narrowly focused on how their tribe has been oppressed that they have forgotten that the tools of oppression are applied against all tribes

Sent by D Lightstone | 2:09 PM ET | 03-20-2008

We sit in churches, synagogues and mosques and listen to dialogues all the time, we may not agree with. A few statements from a spiritual leader, as he stated should not be upheld as the judgment of a candidate's opinion. No one challenges those Catholics whose priest performed illicit acts upon boys. Obama is courageous to face directly head-on those racial issues which has haunted this country since its beginnings. Unless you confront the stigmatic conditions of a sickness, how can you treat the disease?

Sent by Sakina | 2:33 PM ET | 03-20-2008

I'd like to know why Obama is raked over the coals for his pastor, but white politicians who have been endorsed by right-wing, ultra conservatives and/or who are "spiritually" led by them don't get the same treatment. I want a discussion of why Obama is held to a higher standard? Why is it a political problem for him and not McCain--who counts Rod Parsley as a guide? Why is the media obsessed with Wright--and not the others?
I would love to hear the panel--especially the Republican strategist-- explain why Parsley/Hagee aren't (and shouldn't be?) a problem for McCain. Or why Guiliani (when he was running) didn't get flack for counting a priest accused of child abuse as a friend?

Sent by Versai27 | 2:38 PM ET | 03-20-2008

I guess my biggest problem with the hysteria surrounding Obama and Rev. Wright is that the ancestors of the people who seem offended and hurt or worried were the same ones who when they let blacks attend church only wanted them to hear "slaves obey your masters". Those type of sermons that talked about staying in your place and God made you to do what we say. And sent a lynch mob if anything else was said, ask Denmark Vessey. Now whether I agree with Rev. Wright or not how is it 200 years later people still get upset if black people use the pulpit to advocate racial pride or uplifting despite your travails or, low and behold freedom? Where are you Nat Turner and John Brown? The lynch mob is back again!!!!

Sent by darren adkins | 2:58 PM ET | 03-20-2008

Thanks for the thoughtful program today and the even more thoughtful comments at the end of the show. First, I have to say that I thought Sen. Obama's speech was stunning for it's scope. But here's my question. Why is it that Obama has to account for his pastor? As far back as I can remember every Republican presidential candidate has been in bed with and courted organizations like the Family Research Council linked to racists like David Duke. Then there's Focus on the Family I could go on. In my view, much of the divisions played out on the domestic political front has come about from the support of politically active fundamentalist groups and yet Rev Wright's speeches are single out?

To paraphrase the Senator's question, will we choose change or will we be trapped running in place AGAIN while Rome burns?

Sent by raul | 9:43 PM ET | 03-20-2008

Michel, for the very first time I was surprised and disappointed by something you said today. I tend to think of you as the person I would most like to sound like, be like, think like. In short, you've got it going on. But today, you chimed in that Obama had not acknowledged Latinos in his speech on race. Very early in the speech he acknowledged that the experience of white Americans is similar to those of "immigrants." (Quote: "Their experience is the immigrant experience -- as far as they're concerned, no one handed them anything. They built it from scratch.") Not only did he bring in Latinos but all the other brown people not contained in the usual conversations about race. I was surprised that you didn't point this out.

Sent by Alicia L. Young | 11:58 PM ET | 03-20-2008

RE: Barber Shop 21 march 2008

All great stuff! I was particularly taken with one comment: (paraphrased) there are not enough couches (psychiatrists) in America to do deal with white people's issues around slavery and the oppression of Blacks.

This brings to mind President Lincoln's famous phrase, "while I would not be a slave, neither would I be a slave owner."

Unfortunately there is still a great distinction in American between being Black and being white. White children still are wittingly and unwittingly inculcated into a society which views being Black as undesirable. For many, many Black children being Black is to be excluded from the best education, opportunity and a designated and accepted seat at the table of prosperity.

I am one whitey who would like to see white America on the couch of introspection and deliverance from unacknowledged guilt.

Obama's brilliant and compassionate speech brings all this to the fore. His challenge to all is, let's talk openly and freely, but let's also acknowledge that the answer to the question (often asked by my therapist): is it getting better? ... is YES!

White Americans need to admit that society favors them and that Black culture is not just American culture, but the dominant American culture, and further still, a profound influential on world culture. (Music, fashion, literature, sport, language) This is anathema to many white Americans, who are blind both to their privilege and to their dependence on Black culture as part of their own identity as Americans. (This will all come out in therapy, don't worry)

Eventually, I think that the United States of America will officially acknowledge and apologize for the harm of slavery, harm certainly to slaves and their decadences, but also the harm it has done to us all and continues to do to us today... but it is getting better, and Barack Obama, like Abe Lincoln before him, is helping make it better.

Sent by john dann | 10:55 AM ET | 03-21-2008

The second half of the show interested me in many ways; but what struck me most was that none of the white speakers cited race as defining them. I believe that whether we like it or not race is an aspect of how we are defined in this country. White people have the luxury of being able to ignore that at times (as a white person I am aware of this). This does not mean, however that race does not play a large part in the everyday life of all Americans.

Sent by Elizabeth S-M | 12:17 PM ET | 03-21-2008