Rev. Jeremiah Wright: Revelations

I've been puzzled by Rev. Wright and his relationship with Sen. Obama but think that I may have an explanation for the controversy. Of course, it has been blown up all out of proportion by TV “talking heads” who are mandated to talk, 24/7, about something -- anything. However, not until Rev. Wright was interviewed by Bill Moyers did I begin to 'see the light'!


The Rev. Wright is not one of the ubiquitous Bible thumping preachers of hellfire and damnation, but rather a man who knows American history and has concerns for his poor, mostly black congregation (including Oprah Winfrey?). I recognized this when he mentioned Crispus Attucks in the interview - an interesting patriot but a man little known by most Americans despite being mentioned in most 5th grade textbooks.


Those of us who are students of American history are well aware that we are very far from being a perfect people despite having an eloquent declaration of independence and revolutionary constitution to say nothing of many inspirational speeches such as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address or even Obama's keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 entitled “The Audacity of Hope” (and title of his 2nd book, BTW).


Our national warts go all the way back to Colonial days when King Philip, an Indian chief, fought a bloody war with the New England colonists over loss of hunting grounds. Then during the French and Indian wars because of mistreatment by the English colonists, the Indians sided with the French who paid bounty on English scalps – and were defeated. During the Revolutionary War, the Indians decided the English had treated them much better than the colonists and again rose up against Americans – and lost yet again. Aside from a short battle with the egomaniac Custer, American tribes have never won against their invaders.


Of course, we all know our nation, including our founding fathers, based our economy upon slave labor despite the fact that slavery had been abolished in England and most of Europe by the 1780's – before the Revolutionary War ended! It is interesting to note that widowed, Thomas Jefferson, who probably fathered several children by his slave mistress, Sally Hemings, took her (and her brother) with him to France in 1784 where they lived for the next five years. While in France, Sally and her brother could have chosen freedom in France since slavery had been outlawed. But they chose to return and live at Monticello with Jefferson – obviously a great man whose slaves had volunteered their servitude!


Nor have we Americans been kind to any of our 'melting pot' immigrants. Our treatment of the Irish, Italians, Jews, Chinese, Japanese, and now Mexicans, has been deplorable – yet they all have persisted and been assimilated, despite our hatreds and bigotry. In fact, many of them with short memories have become -- us.


This history, I think, is what Rev. Wright was reminding his congregation about since most of them live in a defunct industrial area, deserted by corporate America and left to rot and starve along with other workers throughout most of the 'rust belt' -- just as the orange glow from Pittsburgh's blast furnaces no longer light up the nighttime skies I remember many years ago.


But this doesn't explain Wrights timing and media-prompted embarrassment to Senator Obama.
First, I think we have to note that despite the fact that Obama appears to be black, it is not American blacks who have elected him to the position he enjoys in the U.S. Senate nor will he be elected President of the United States by anyone other than whites! Despite his appearance, he is at least as white, as black. In fact, although he was well received at last year' NAACP convention, many there questioned whether he was “black enough”!


And indeed, white's constitute three quarters of the American population while blacks are less than one in eight. One should consider also that of the two more or less equally populous groups, blacks and hispanics, there are more black people who prefer Sen. Clinton than there are Hispanics who prefer Obama! Thus, obviously, Obama's bread is buttered by white people, not any other ethnic group.


As a postscript -- after listening to Rev. Wright's speech tonight to the Michigan NAACP on CNN.... and after having already written my op-ed, above. Let me add it was a wonderful sermon on the subject of 'Difference is not Deficiency' -- certainly something that Barack Obama, would embrace – as do I.


It will be interesting what the spinsters put on – and invent about this. I understand that the Republicans are now promoting Hillery Clinton because they're scared to death of the phenomenon of Obama! Stay tuned!