As a child growing up in the middle-class neighborhood of Beverly Hills/Washington Heights in Chicago. A neighborhood that prides it self on community and property and who embraced their community. I am a 40 year old Black male from this neighborhood and I am grateful for all the Efforts that Rev. Wright and Rev. Dr. Johnnie Coleman gave to us. Rev. Wright was one of the first ministers to start the flight for us to visit Africa in an era from 1968 to present when our parents' were being able to enjoy the fight from the 1960's era. What Rev. Wright stated was taken out of content, just like the state Michelle Obama stated, too. Being an Black American and especially Chicago, we can relate to their statements when you have been beaten down and not given a fair chance in a language all our own. First and foremost, Mr. Obama.. a lot of us Black Chicagoans hadn't heard of him as well as he did some work with the Housing Project Groups in Altgeld garden Housing projects. Our Black forefathers, Mr. Wright and other Black Americans paved the way for Mr. Obama to be where he is now. Mr. Obama forefathers never shed Black Blood on this land..like our Black forefathers did and I believe Mr. Obama is more accepted because America doesn't feel threatened because his mother and grand parents' were directly traced to present White America genes. Mr. Obama should have stated (out of fairness), ” Rev. Wright is my spiritual advisor and people have a right to their own viewpoints.” Our community embraces Mr. Obama, a community that was already established before he entered Rev. Wright's Church, A community that migrated north “to the promised land” for better opportunity after years of being oppressed in the southern parts of the USA, a community that migrated via “Historic Pullman Porters”, rode the back of the greyhound bus from the south and was only able to sit up front once they crossed the Mason/Dixon line in Cairo, Illinois. A community that wanted better for their children and worked hard to keep their lawns manicured and prove the whites wrong in Chicago about panic selling and 30, 40, 50 years later the community is still manicured and beautiful. Rev. Wright stated the truth because this land was built on free slave labor of our forefathers..not Obama's..maybe Michelle's. My question is..will Mr. Obama really do anything for we Black Americans in America? And, this is the first time that I will not be voting because birth candidates I am not satisfied. The only reason I can vote is because my forefathers made it possible for me to have this choice not Mr. Obama's

As a child growing up in the middle-class neighborhood of Beverly Hills/Washington Heights in Chicago. A neighborhood that prides it self on community and property and who embraced their community. I am a 40 year old Black male from this neighborhood and I am grateful for all the Efforts that Rev. Wright and Rev. Dr. Johnnie Coleman gave to us. Rev. Wright was one of the first ministers to start the flight for us to visit Africa in an era from 1968 to present when our parents' were being able to enjoy the fight from the 1960's era. What Rev. Wright stated was taken out of content, just like the state Michelle Obama stated, too. Being an Black American and especially Chicago, we can relate to their statements when you have been beaten down and not given a fair chance in a language all our own. First and foremost, Mr. Obama.. a lot of us Black Chicagoans hadn't heard of him as well as he did some work with the Housing Project Groups in Altgeld garden Housing projects. Our Black forefathers, Mr. Wright and other Black Americans paved the way for Mr. Obama to be where he is now. Mr. Obama forefathers never shed Black Blood on this land..like our Black forefathers did and I believe Mr. Obama is more accepted because America doesn't feel threatened because his mother and grand parents' were directly traced to present White America genes. Mr. Obama should have stated (out of fairness), ” Rev. Wright is my spiritual advisor and people have a right to their own viewpoints.” Our community embraces Mr. Obama, a community that was already established before he entered Rev. Wright's Church, A community that migrated north “to the promised land” for better opportunity after years of being oppressed in the southern parts of the USA, a community that migrated via “Historic Pullman Porters”, rode the back of the greyhound bus from the south and was only able to sit up front once they crossed the Mason/Dixon line in Cairo, Illinois. A community that wanted better for their children and worked hard to keep their lawns manicured and prove the whites wrong in Chicago about panic selling and 30, 40, 50 years later the community is still manicured and beautiful. Rev. Wright stated the truth because this land was built on free slave labor of our forefathers..not Obama's..maybe Michelle's. My question is..will Mr. Obama really do anything for we Black Americans in America? And, this is the first time that I will not be voting because birth candidates I am not satisfied. The only reason I can vote is because my forefathers made it possible for me to have this choice not Mr. Obama's

He’s said a million times “you don’t change who you are because of where you are.” and “you knew who you were inviting when you invited me” so don’t get surprised when I come with it.

What is unusual is Jeremiah’s speaking to the press. In all my years of being a member, the only political statements I heard him make were in the pulpit. He was not on TV, in the Tribune or Sun Times,etc.

Oh and Brazier supporter, Trinity doesn’t lock you in a room until you shout after you join the church. Brazier’s a hack…give it up.

Bishop Brazier would have never thrown you under the bus nor given you cause for concern politically.
Ironically, Bishop Brazier and Barack share a more similar world view than Rev. Wright.

As a WW2 veteran, Bishop is without question a patriot, as a member of the greatest generation. He never fails to mention, from the pulpit, despite all our governments failures, this is still the best country in the world. (Which is usually followed by a joke about how he would suit up again and go serve @ 85 if there was a CREDIBLE threat to our safety).

Besides that he would NEVER, EVER use such inflammatory language behind the pulpit or anywhere else.
His message is always about loving one another and forgiveness, no matter our differences or background. Respect is always shown.

And as a deeply moral person of conscious, he preached against the war in Iraq from jump. Making many of the same arguments as Barack regarding the invasion.

Such a shame – Bishop Brazier represents the best of the Black Church tradition a la MLK. Deeply spiritual, with a rational and historical analysis of scripture and how it can better our lives and sustain us. His is a message of unity along with Black self-development and our church does much of the same work in our community as Trinity.

As a member of ACOG who strives to walk the same path led by Bishop Brazier, I won’t judge Rev. Wright’s actions. I just wish we lived in a society where more Americans understood the word nuance. If they did this wouldn’t be the controversy that it is nor would Barack’s so called elitist comments about PA.

Sorry y’all if this comment is more in praise of my pastor above all else. With so many questionable preachers with agendas other than Christ behind the pulpit, I’m again reminded how fortunate we are at Apostolic.

A girl from Chicago -

IMO, Rev. Wright more than earned his right for an error. Obama has used up a lot of the extended credit he’s been given.

Almost everyday in this campaign he’s been charged by the media with having a political reason for the decisions he has made up to and including his speech on race in Philadelphia and now he acts all brand new when Rev. Wright says the same thing that’s taken for granted as acceptable discourse.

I believe there is a fault line where there is this fundamental disagreement between Obama and Rev. Wright, philosophically/ideologically but “vision of America” LIE gets put to rest here: Obama’s supposed issue was Wright’s outdated view of America. This is the same Rev. Wright who said “governments change.”

So Obama can’t seem to speak honestly about Rev. Wright in context and it’s about the easiest political pandering there is. It’s always open season on Black folk and no matter how Rev. Wright gave him the self-fulfilling prophecy and perfect opportunity to be that “crazy uncle” (remember that shit? talk about insults)… Obama has crossed over the line with me with his fundamental disrespect to Black folks humanity in the face of the age old “responsible Negro leader” test-game White America loves to play.

Rev. Wright could clown on his critics (and even, in the end, clown himself) because he was free to do so. Obama is a “bound” man. The problem is he’s bound to a sorry narrative that’s as played out as he willingly tried to frame the frustrations and anger of Rev. Wright and “the men and women of Rev. Wright’s generation.”

Yes! ..Moyers was probably trying to protect Wright from himself.

Wright is in love with his own voice and he simply doesn’t know when to shut up.

Is it me???? Anybody??? Anybody???
Read the posts from Anonymous on the recent blogs. Wolf in sheeps clothing.

Here’s something I just wrote in response to this turn of events:

—

“And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. “
…
“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
“And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
“But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”
– Genesis 19:17, 24-26 (KJV)

If the Obama campaign entails a fairy tale, then my own bit of magical thinking involves the conviction that if we could only collectively suspend our disbelief for just long enough, if we can just have faith that something new can transcend what was, then we can cross the chasm that divides our nation. But like all magical thinking, there’s also a catch: to walk on thin air we must, all of us, believe it together. Open our eyes, and the magic breaks. The hopes that buoy us halfway across proves more fatal than staying exactly where we are.

Rationally, of course, I don’t quite believe this story. All politics are in the system, and all our politicians merely players. But I also believe in mankind’s occasional capacity to transcend itself and its own institutions. I’ve always considered JFK a rather bad President by the merits, and yet his overall power to inspire was clearly greater than the sum of his policies and actions.

Presented with the opportunity to move forward and leave behind our place of damnation, how many of us would nonetheless do as Lot’s wife did — whether out of fear, doubt, perhaps even mere nostalgia? How many would look back?

This Presidential campaign isn’t a battle between black and white: it is, as Obama himself observed, about the past versus the future. And the forces of the past — whether in the guise of Hillary Clinton or Jeremiah Wright — keep shouting, “Look back! Look back! You are doomed by the weight of the heavy hand of history.”

Perhaps we are. But I will keep walking this chasm, my wide-open eyes firmly forward.

In no way was this about bringing a country together- to explore our differences. Rev Wright for is not a politician and right about now he seems like an apathetic citizen as well. He has hurt the American’s public to understand Obama’s position -on anything- because of Wright’s narcissistic antics on the stage. He could have said his peace and let it go, but he didn’t.

He made light of the seriousness of the issues by throwing up Q symbols and being dismissive of the reporter’s questions. Some of them were stupid, so in that he allowed himself to be unprofessional.

I really wonder how the history books will speak of the fall of a great campaign. Obama should have distanced himself from Wright and I’m glad he did. I only wish added to a CONSTRUCTIVE discussion on the Black Church’s social gospel.

For me that silence on the real danger their bigoted religious zealotry represents deserves more attention than this crap.

Hey everybody how about we turn this around to something that will actually be useful.

Instead of ranting about Wright and Obama we start a real campaign to hold the media and the right accountable for their support of the religious nuts who have destroyed this country.

AMERICANS DON’T WANT TO HEAR NEGROES WINE ABOUT THEIR ISSUES!! THEY HAVE NO TOLERANCE FOR IT AND WE ARE IGNORANT FOR EVEN BEING UPSET THAT FOLK DON’T CARE!!

Negroes in this country TRULY OVERESTIMATE the importance of their “story” to the Majority of Americans–of all colors. No body wants to hear it, yet we want everyone to think that its the most important thing in the world.

Frankly, Pat Buchanon should have got up during the Jeremiah Wright questions and said N##%GA you and your people only make up 12% of this population… Your opinion REALLY ISN’T THAT RELEVANT. It would make more sense for us to be worried about latinos than you people…AND ON SHEER CYNICAL POLITICS HE WOULD BE WRIGHT.

Negroes overestimate their importance, get furious when they find out the world doesn’t care and don’t realizie that trying to MAKE THEM VALUE US IS NOT THE GOAL..THE GOAL FOR US TO LEARN HOW TO VALUE OURSELVES!!!

Obama is a politician NOT JESUS CHRIST!!!

Rikyrah: JEREMIAH WRIGHT DID NOT DAMAGE BLACK AMERICA BY GOING AFTER OBAMA!! OBAMA IS NOT THE EMBODYMENT OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY!!

HE SHOWED US ALL TODAY AS I’VE ALWAYS KNOWN: He’s just a POLITICIAN. A good one…which makes him the BEST SCUMBAG IN TOWN… Since we know. ALL POLITICIANS ARE SCUMBAGS!!

Now people are gonna be like… No but he’s different….BULLSHIT!!