Jack & Jill Politics

Just a slight correction.


MLK, Jr didn't originate 'the arc of the moral universe...', Theodore Parker, a bold preacher, did.



Excerpt



Both ministers were defiant of the laws of the day. Rev. Parker actively sheltered runaway slaves in his Boston home and routed them to Canada, in violation of the federal Fugitive Slave Act. When he preached, he laid a pistol on the pulpit in case any slave catchers should try to apprehend fugitive slaves in the congregation. Dr. King advocated open, non-violent resistance to the Jim Crow laws restricting the rights of African Americans and was jailed on numerous occasions.



Here's the link.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/11/1118/

Barack Obama, spoke yesterday in Fort Wayne, where Bobby Kennedy broke the news of Martin Luther King's assassination in April 1968 and arguably saved many lives by quelling the riots that were sure to begin that night --


Instead of going to Memphis like Hillary Clinton and John McCain to pander and make good on poor past choices -- Barack Obama was in Indiana.



Some of what he said:

"We have a poltics that is too small for the challenges we face"

"We have to stop feeding the forces of division and distraction and stop us from solving our problems"

"While we each have a different past - we all hope we have the same future.

We have common hopes:

modest dreams: and

a search for human diginty"



As MLK Jr said:

"The arc of the moral univesre is long but it bends toward justice"



Obama took that mantle today and continued:

"But it cannot bend on its own - we need to bend it:

to organize:

to mobilize:

to march:

to vote:

to be active

and

to care:

to do our part to bend that arc

toward justice,

toward opportunity,

toward prosperity



and do it together"



To keep faith with Dr King but make real the word of Amos - "let justice roll down like water,

and righteousnes as a mightly stream"

---

and so we come to today.

And Rev Wright and what is attempted to be a "lynching" by association of Sen Barack Obama.



As I have sadly watched Juan Williams, who has an article in the WSJ today, and many like him, go from someone who understood and appreciated Sen Obama's candidacy to an Obama basher - it begs the question why?



And that is not answered in the false conclusions drawn in that article, which Wiliiams asked "what would Jesus do?"

and Williams concludes, "Jesus would have walked out of the church".



As a student of history surely Juan Williams knows that MLK Jr made some very incendiary speeches in his day - even calling the United States the worst war profiteer in the world - and much more Had YouTube existed in 1968 and MLK Jr's worst words been played on an "endless loop" on a then non-exitent internet, we, as a nation, may not have been celebrating the pride and dignity of this great man.



People are flawed - no one agrees -out of context - to the inflammatory remarks we keep seeing from Rev Wright



Personally, as a white, jewish, over 50 woman voter who likes to get educated about who I am voting for; I have learned that Rev Wright gave up his student deferment and enlisted in the army during Viet Nam and was a Marine. If that type of personal sacrifice doesn't make a man a patriot - what does?



Did Mr Juan Williams serve in the military?



For the Juan Williams' of the world, who arguably owe at least some of their success to the legacy of Dr. King - to draw the argument "what would Jesus do" and come to the conclusion as stated here is laughable



Let me suggest: Mr Williams and others; stop watching Fox News, and look at other sermons Rev Wright gave in their entireity which are readily available on the web and then go back and reread Dr King's words especially in his early, brave opposition to the Viet Nam way -- Rev Wright - who I am not defending - clearly through non violence, in his own way, tried and by all accounts, Rev. Wright right succeeded, in getting young black men to strive for a better life, for black families to stay together and generally was devoted to improving the quality of like for his parishioners.



Maybe Juan Williams can use his connections at FOX and through the various newspapers to study and learn more about Rev Wright - get over his false "horror" at five or six stupid sentences - and do what Jesus would likely do



That would be to look at the total of the man and see clearly the good of the sum total of the life of the man far outweighing the bad -- and look beyond a few offensive sentences to the sum total of a life dedicated to helping others.



You can disagree with the method - but you cannot disagree with the results. And on the 40th anniversary of MLK Jr's death - a dark day for this nation -we should all be grateful that in the 1960's when the civil rights movement did and said what they had to to make progress , against much hatred and opposition in the country - that there was no Fox News, no You Tube and no Internet



Arguably - we may not be where we are today and celebrating the life of this great man - if there had been



Let's not lose our chance to move forward and develop a new and living history; which I strongly believe Sen Barack Obama will inspire and lead.

You're awesome, Jack. I wish I could be out there with you. I can just donate.


Have a blessed time out there.

Did you all read Juan Williams article in the Wall Street Journal today? He’s nauseating as far as I’m concerned.


Frankly, talk about pandering! I think Juan has spent too much time on Fox News.



I’m not black so no one can accuse me of taking sides in that area. I found Juan’s last sentence about Jesus very offensive.



Where was Juan when Senator Obama decided to risk his life and his family’s life to run for the presidency? Where is Juan when I hear Obama speak about the very issues Juan doesn’t hear Obama discuss. Does Juan Williams have selective hearing?



When I was still in the work force, I used to have to write memorandums justifying a certain position. That memo would be passed onto various other groups who would have to sign on.



We didn’t mind the critique, we welcomed all that was valid, but, every so often someone would go over the top. Our reaction was, “where were you when the page was blank?”



That is my reaction to Juan Williams......where was he in trying to help Senator Obama navigate the land mines that are out there for him?



No, it’s a done deal for Juan Williams! He - who thinks he knows what Jesus would do.



I wonder....Juan.....I truly wonder.

You're doing a great job Jack. Go get 'em !


Greg Jones

Blacks4Barack.org