Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Chronicle Tries To Soften The Blow

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5631320.html
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The Houston Chronicle did a nice little puff piece about support for Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's racist pastor. All last week we've heard all sorts of garbage coming out of this man's mouth. We've heard this and this. Apparently, this has hurt Obama's public image. In general, society doesn't like racists regardless of color.
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Now, the chronicle, for some reason came out with a piece finding people who feel the same way as "Pastor" Wright (could someone please explain just how this man is a pastor. I thought pastors preached the word of God and salvation, not racism and intolerance) does. That's a shocker. I'm sure I could go find someone who agrees with Fred Phelps and write a chronicle style puff piece on him. Let me pick apart this article;
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"Listen to the average black revival or Sunday service," said the Rev. William Lawson, pastor emeritus at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. "You'll hear that we have a good God, but we have a nation that has been unfair to the little people. That's not a new thing."
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I see. To me, it sounds like what Larry Elder and Bill Cosby have been talking about for years. The problem isn't racism. The problem is nobody wants to take any responsibility for their own actions. Bill Cosby has been saying that many black fathers are absent, leaving many black children with no role models. These kids wind up in trouble and in prison. Yet these "leaders" say it isn't their fault, it's society's fault. I've also said that these so-called "leaders" enjoy their "success" by telling people that nothing is their fault, it is racism and a corrupt system that "keeps them down." They have to divide people along racial lines and of course, there are those who swallow the bait, hook, and sinker.
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"He (Wright) comes from the standpoint of black liberation. But he's not a separatist. His message is one of black empowerment...."
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Really. Go back to my first point. Why not preach responsibility? Why not preach being positive role models? Why not preach the evils and perils of gangs, crime, etc.? If you want people to be masters of their own destiny, then I challenge Wright to tell his congregation to quit blaming society, quite listening to him, and go out and make their own ways. That will never happen.
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"They've known about Wright for 40 years," Lawson said. "They suddenly decided they had to slow Obama down. "
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It's also about something else about our society. Listen to Larry Elder (in my opinion one of the smartest men in the country) talk about this. Listen to the first segment. Once again, Larry hits it on the head.

2 comments:

anonymous c said...

Jason, right ON!

Excellent post! Could not POSSIBLY agree more!

In fact, I've dedicated my life to teaching people to be "masters of their own destiny" and to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.

Black leaders (with some notable exceptions, of course) do seem to derive their power from ensuring that the “victim mentality” thrives.

It reminds me of when I was teaching 6th grade English at Dowling Middle School. We were all called down to an assembly during Black History month and the performance was by the teachers. They were all up there re-enacting slavery (with faces painted white and all) and my students were looking back at me, complaining that they were bored and wanting to go back to our classroom.

I looked at their little, eleven-year-old faces and realized that they were just children…wanting to live, love, succeed and play in this big, ol’ world chockfull of possibilities for them.

It was the adults around them that were DESPERATE to remind them about how they must be angry and resentful and blame “The Man”. Don’t forget about slavery, y’all! Remember to be pissed, okay?

When will people wake up and smell what’s really cookin’?

Extremely well-said…on every, single level, Jason.

Lainey said...

Kudos to you Jason...As always, you hit the nail on the head!