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"God Damn America"
- Filed under: Democrats '08, Presidential
- Date: Mar 13,2008
Barack Obama, you have a problem.
From our friends at ABC News: Sen. Barack Obama's pastor says blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but "God damn America."
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for the last 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism." The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," he said in a 2003 sermon. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
In addition to damning America, he told his congregation on the Sunday after Sept. 11, 2001 that the United States had brought on al Qaeda's attacks because of its own terrorism.
Then, in a lame response to the article, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said: "Sen. Obama has said repeatedly that personal attacks such as this have no place in this campaign or our politics, whether they're offered from a platform at a rally or the pulpit of a church." This "attack" is not personal. Democrats need to realize that every criticism is not a personal attack. That is always their response - they always say they are being personally attacked. Sometimes it is a policy difference. Sometimes people are just flat out offended.
I don't think most Americans will like this - even some left wing lunatics. I don't like it either. Obama can't force out Wright like what happened to Sammantha Power and Geraldine Ferraro because he isn't with the campaign. The fact that Obama is friendly with Wright and donates to this church indicates to me he is to the extreme far left of most Americans. I am not for guilt by association, but this is a 20 year relationship by Obama's choice. If he doesn't disassociate himself with some of these comments, one can only assume he believes them. If George W. Bush attended a Klan rally I wonder if he could get away with saying the speaker was "like an old uncle who says things I don't always agree with," which has been one of Obama's previous explanations for Wright. We know the answer to that.
He might wish those Muslim rumors were true right about now - it might be less of a headache. We deserve a better explanation than "I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial." Unless that is what Obama really thinks. Then he should let us know that once and for all.
Video at the Pain Dealer blog.
24 Responses for ""God Damn America""
Looks like Obama is trying to have his cake and eat it too re: race.
This is exactly what I was afraid was coming after the debate when Farrakhan came up and then the attention turned to Wright. It's very difficult to understand how someone could attend a church for that many years that supported that type of statement.
It was only a matter of time before the focus turned on some of the things Wright has stated. The reality is however, that there are many blacks in this country that would agree 100% with what Wright has stated. Some do feel it is solely the fault of the white race and the government that most of the problems in the black community exist. If Wright was saying these things from the pulpit that a majority of his congregation did not support? The Church would have replaced him or faded into oblivion.
The liberal movement spawned by the 60's was to work towards equality. All people are born equal and should have equal opportuntiy, rights and equal access. We never attained the goal but when did we revert back to one group can say or do what they want and are not to be questioned by others?
Don't kid yourself, this is serious stuff.
If the matter of Obama's twenty year association with the racist Rev. Wright is pursued, Obama may be forced to withdraw from the race.
I think there are many African Americans (and maybe Hispanics and other minority groups too) that would agree with the Rev. Wright. Does our past history as a white race deserve blame?? Absolutely. Have there been many laws passed to try to rectify these problems? Yes. Have we made great progress as a nation? Yes. Do we have to continue to strive for equality for all citizens? Yes. Do some minorities use past history as an excuse to avoid personal responsiblity?? Yes. All this is old news.
Obama should state exactly how he feels about this statement, not just a wishy washy platitude. And then please, let's examine some more pressing issues.
I agree Anne. While I don't think Obama is responsible for the things that Wright says, the perception is that his close relationship with Wright makes this more of an issue than if he was just a casual attender of services during the past two decades.
Wright's comments don't change my opinion of Senator Obama. I still do not care for him regardless of where he attendes services. Then again O.J. was innocent.
First time poster at this site - keep up the good work. A civil forum with opposing viewpoints is appreciated.
[...] quickly do you think the likes of Ben Keeler and his cohorts (so very caught up with Obama's pastors words) will mention this one: Senator [...]
looks like just about everyone has a "pastor problem" (if you believe in such things)
http://tinyurl.com/22ws3k
If Obama has a 20 yr history with this wack-job pastor and supports his church — then that clearly shows that he supports the pastor's rantings, as well.
You have such a wonderful way with words, Ben. Keep it up!
Yes, let's let all the whack jobs (on the left and right, as Eric points out) who speak for the "invisible man in the sky" dictate our political discourse.
H/T to the great one, George Carlin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o
Anne,
"Does our past history as a white race deserve blame?? Absolutely."
As a person of the white race, what crimes have you committed on behalf of your race? Burn any crosses? Deny minorities home loans? Vote for any Copperheads? Did you write legislation to restrict gun ownerships in the post-Reconstruction so that blacks were disarmed and subject to white lynch mobs?
I agree with the rest of your post, by the way. I think we know that Mrs. Obama would agree with the pastor in question.
Anyone who watched last night's Daily Show would agree that Rev. Wright is "not helping."
I've written this a few times, but feel strongly that the issue is one that we ALL face in different settings: we get attracted to something, find it inspiring, uplifting, resonates, we start following, we join, we agree, we support, but then it gets fanatical or starts to go in directions we don't support.
The question is: at what point do we diverge so much that we no longer can support it? Who gets to decide that? And what are the consequences of continuing to follow or breaking with what had previously attracted us?
Obama is no different than the rest of us - and so in that sense, I would like to hear him talk about this situation in that light. I think he's pretty much told us already though: Wright meant a lot to him, means less now in a concrete way but more as someone who, in the past, had a significant impact.
What Obama needs to do is universilize this - and not with the crazy uncle comparison. Frankly, I thought that was the wrong analogy when I first heard it come out just a very short time after he met with Jewish leaders in NEOhio a couple of weeks ago.
jeremiah wright is a disgusting racist
Please tell me how Wright can resign from the campaign when he isnt a real part of it…………………..
WANDER HOW HE COULD BELONG TO THIS CHURCH FOR 20YEARS AND NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS.WANT GET MY VOTE.
Ben says….
"I am not for guilt by association, but this is a 20 year relationship by Obama's choice."
Should we disassociate ourselves from a guy who lies in such an obvious way. Should we reject AND denounce Ben here for lying?
Of course, Ben is FOR guilt by association. That's Ben's reason for posting this stuff.
Obama also has relationships with extremist-nuts at his job. Extremists who pit Jews and Christians against Muslims. Should he denounce AND reject some of his fellow senators? Should he resign from the senate rather than be associated with the hateful extremism and lies voiced there by neo-con nuts?
Should Obama reject AND denounce fellow senator John McCain because McCain is endorsed heartily by Islam exterminator Rod Parsley?
Briefly, Obama is NOT responsible for what his preacher…..or his mailman, or his grocer, or his dry cleaner, or his babysitter…..says or believes, just because he is in a "relationship" with these people by getting his mail, buying groceries, picking up dry cleaning or having his children watched.
The logic here would be like blaming the subscriber and reader of a magazine for a wild-eyed article within one of it's issues. Hey, if he subscribed to it, he must agree with what's in it. Will you now, reader and subscriber, denounce and reject this magazine and cancel your subscription, disassociating yourself from any extremism found within it's pages…or will you remain tainted by the article by continuing to subscribe to the magazine?
Illogical, anti-American, totalitarian thinking. Thinking prevalent in authoritarian dictatorships.
Falwell, Robertson and the usual nut suspects endorsed Bush, yet they had views of 9-11 similar to Wright's. No double standard there though, is there? Same with McCain and his double nut endorsements by Hagee (talk about a crazed individual) and Parsley.
Truth is this: Obama is such a threat to establishment power….nothing will be off limits in the current frenzy to defeat him. Media whores and wingnuts alike have joined forces to discredit Obama. 527's this summer and fall will lift the lid on the cesspool of power and lunacy that operates the Mighty Wurlitzer.
It will get lots uglier.
But Ben isn't for "guilt by association".
Falwell and Robertson were blasted for what they said. No one made excuses for them.
Yeah, I'm not for guilt by association when it is an incident here or there. A 20 year relationship is different.
I am torn with this situation. I do not believe in guilt by association. But to have attended a church where this type of rhetoric must have occurred on more than the few occasions that we have seen on TV in the 20 years he attended the church makes it troublesome to me. I want to hear more from him on this issue and not in the context of his crazy uncle. I think he should have an open and honest dialog about this. I saw on tv this weekend two guests on a news program say that this type of thing is said often in black churches and that we, as white people, just cannot understand it. I completely reject that line of reasoning.
I love how the Rev talks about logic and then turns around and compares someone's drycleaner to someone's pastor of 20 years and spiritual advisor. I had a dry cleaner who messed my shirts up once. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. After the second time, I went somewhere else.
Also I was wandering how long it was going to take to bring up Faldwell, Robertson and even Bob Jones University. Ben is correct in that these fellas are constantly scrutinized and demonized by the media when they make inflamatory remarks. What you left out was that none of these individuals where Bush's or McCain's pastor. Keep drinking the Passion Punch Kool-aid Rev and grabbing for straws. If you throw enough out there, we may be able to extract something that resembles logic.
Ben agrees with me by stating that he is, after all, FOR guilt by association.
"Yeah, I'm not for guilt by association when it is an incident here or there. A 20 year relationship is different."
What other conclusion could I come to?
And if you Ben, or I, had a 20 year working relationship with someone who turned out to be an extortionist or a drug dealer, and we didn't know about it…would we also be guilty of extortion or drug dealing? Or would we only be guilty, as Dave inplies, of not terminating our working relationship before the co-worker was busted?
Dave also, incorrectly, agrees with Ben's statement that the religio-wingers catch heck from media and therefore, there's no double standard. Is McCain being asked to "have an open an honest dialog" about Hagee or Parsley, as Jason suggests Obama should have about Wright? Is he? If not, why not?
revered stop making excuses, Obama had to be aware of these type of statemnts, Wright is a racist who spreads the gospel of hate & "blame whitey" Guess the change-ocrat isn't so different after all.
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