How can the Rev. Wright be defended?

Wright can be defended easily....if you too are a racist like he.

DEAR JUSTUS4:

In case you didn't realize it, its 2008! Slavery ended some time ago, and your race isn't the only one with a history of poor treatment. Some advice, not that you'll take it...get over it!!!!

The sooner you stop blaming whites for all your problems, the sooner you'll start enjoying the real blessings of this nation you spew so much hatred for!

There were many injustices done in the past that many people today have nothing to do with, and many of our ancestors were not even in this country at the time. There are still prejiduces today unfortunately, but by and large the majority of the population is not that way. Many blacks I know do not harbor these feelings, they have cast aside the hate and have succeeded in their endeavors. Unfortunately some use the hate and the past injustices as a roadblock to a better future and then cast blame away from themselves and the circumstances that they find themselves. Hate and anger are a difficult cross to bear, and people cannot move ahead and succeed in life while carrying these on their shoulders. I am not saying to "get over it", but to lash out in anger does more to compound the problem than to solve it, or in the face of some ignorant people who are still prejiduce to this day, see they are who they are and overcome. Bill Cosby, Colin Powell, Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice, Jim Marshall (Viking player and now judge), the late Ron Brown, MLK, Rosa Parks, are but a few who did not have anger but still were educated successful people who overcame without hate and vile.

justus4, when someone in a building starts yelling fire, he doesn't mention any personal involvement. He doesn't list all of the potential damage that can occur. He doesn't even recommend anyone believe him or change location if they do. All he does is yell fire. Now, this isn't dangerous and if there really is a fire this isn't heroic. All he is doing is yelling. He is not responsible for any consequences that result from his yell.

Does my post come across as ignorant as yours?

Where is the outrage from the North American and South American Indians (who were also slaves), and the chinese who helped build the railroads. I guess who shouts the loudest wins.

I posted this yesterday, but it seems to be a topic that will not go away. Not trying to be racist at all, but just pointing out some facts: 1) blacks are a minority of the population, but are a majority in prison; 2) most welfare/entitlement/indigident care people are black; 3) most crimes (in this area at least) are committed by blacks; 4) 3 out of 4 black children are born to promiscuous women and no father; 5) only 25-33% of black youths are graduating h.s. in large inner city schools. Again, it's not racist to simply quote true statistics. It's just the facts. Given these and similar data, it would seem that the greatest enemy blacks face today is not white people nor the past; rather, blacks seem bent on self-destruction due to the breakdown of the black family unit and the lack of responsible black males. Maybe a little introspection of current conditions and attitudes would be more beneficial to healing this crisis than looking 50 or 200 years in the past and blaming the problems on whites? Like Bill Cosby says, get out of the hip-hop/violence/crime mentality and into education to better yourself. That would seem to be sound advice for everyone, black or white.

Why are there no comments about Pat Buchanon making similiar remarks against blacks just two months ago? This is a dead horse since yesterday's posts...I think I finally understand. Blacks should not be offended by nooses, unless their necks are in one. Blacks should not be offended for being called ni**ers or monkeys because we are not members of a circus. Bill Cosby is the spokesman for all blacks and their bad behavior despite himself admitting to three affairs that led to settlements with white women. Blacks that advocate younger generations to get jobs, get an education, and start having children after marriage are selling Black Liberation through the black churches. Public assistance throughout the country is fine, but for blacks it is a way of life/national give away program. The fed govt can spend millions saving fish in Colorado, saving the manatee in Florida, and polar bears in Alaska...The plan of action is to reduce spending at Gilbert Manor to carryout more meaningful expediatures. And who knew that Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, & Jeremiah Wright were all Communist just like Edgar Hoover proved to white folks MLK was in just before MLK stumbled & killed himself. Right?

Bizarro, the Indians are herded onto reservations in New Mexico. They can never own the land and as a consequence they can never own homes and participate in the American dream. These people are given free coal to warm their homes, no natural gas. They don't pay taxes because they don't own anything of value, except their mobile homes that are set up on our government's land. Stop selling blacks that the dream is truly for everyone. Cubans that make it to Miami beack are given political asylum, Haitians that make it to those same beaches are immediately sent back the next day. My point is that some complaints are legitimate.

No cparker, blacks SHOULD be offended by racism of any kind, but to let that be a reason for their circumstances is the issue. Many many blacks have succeeded in life, have become educated responsible functioning members of society. What is different between them and those that commit crimes, live on welfare, or raise children with no fathers? They did not let hate and bigotry overcome them, they overcame those obstacles to better themselves. Bill Cosby and others have said that blacks should take responsibility and stop making excuses, using bigotry as a reason for their circumstances. Instead of trying to find the reasons why things are the way they are, and what to do to overcome, you seem to have the same anger that justus has and blame others.

Boy , they sure love Rev Wright, a good man who is being trashed and distorted. Look at the shape this country is in and some want to discuss Rev Wright. They are not offended about the mess in Iraq or gas prices, oh no what gets them steamed is Rev Wright. What a joke.

Justus is a prime example of why racism is still alive today. Hold on to the past and forget the future. It doesn't matter if they are black or white, it comes from both sides. I am currently working with a group of teenagers and I am proud to see the way they act and behave. If my generation will leave them alone, they might just be the answer to a colorblind society. It is the anger and unresolved issues of my generation and the past generations that keep racism alive. Its time we stop. Watch small children playing and you don't see them care about what race the other child is, to them it is just another person like them and someone to play with. They learn about the differences from their parents and the other adults in thier lives. So to the children of today I say respect your elders and the wisdom that they may have but when they try to teach you about how to be a racist, follow your heart.

Justus4 you cannot possibly believe you have been treated anywhere near like your ancestors anymore than I am being treated like mine. Give it a rest....If you are still in separate lines from whites for anything nowadays just yell loudly other than that get over it. Why are you and others so willing to sing the same sad sad song of the bad ole' days when our country has been and continues to be attacked from without as well as within. If you have a problem with being American then deal with it. You are, as far as I know, free black and American make your choices. America is still a place where freedom's still ring true but will only remain so if all people remember they are Americans first and all else comes in second.

He can't be defended---by either blacks, whites, yellows, or greens: He can only be defended by people of the same racist ilk who have a deep disdain for this country and what she stands for!

Why pay any attention to people with attitudes like justus4 or anyone like him. Write them off, go about your life and treat all like you want to be treated. Some will always have hate and spew the " I was trampled on attitude". Just read cparkers posts. She is a prime example. What went on so long ago is not my problem and I cannot let it worry me, Neither should you.

yea right charles, get out of here

How can you truly help a people group that seems hell-bent on self-destruction? You can hold up successful AA role models (and there are MANY), but then kids like Johnneee come on here and deride them as being nothing more than "Uncle Toms". You can offer free public education to help break the cycle of poverty/crime, but only 2-3 black kids out of 10 will actually graduate h.s. in big cities. You even offer Affirmative Action programs to help boost minority opportunities, but as discussed these don't seem to be working either. So, what can you do? Isn't the first step in solving a problem admitting that YOU have a problem? Yet when AA people speak to this problem and suggest that blacks avail themselves of the opportunities, these spokespersons are lamblasted as being "too white". I would think that a good first step in forging a future would be to stop seeing yourself as nothing more than victims of the past. Sure, remember the struggles of the past and be proud that those have been overcome. But for goodness sakes, stop dwelling on past problems and focus on bettering your current situation. The opportunites are there, if you want to take advantage of them. Break the cycle.

owensjef, how do you defend Mr. Wright.

I agree cparker. What a contradiction to allow illegal mexicans or cubans, but haitians haven't set foot on the soil in decades due to the coast guard protecting our borders. You offer valid reasonable arguments and justus could pick up on that talent. I also agree the american indians have been treated worst than blacks. Some complaints are legitimate, and I think we are and have moved to address many grievances. I think an analogy with palestine is applicable-palestine has legitimate grievances also but teaching the youth to hate jews (or blacks intentionally or unintentionally breeding white hatred) will do little to solve the problems. Like I said yesterday, our country needs a big dose of humility and empathy to address grievances.

howcanweknow, I agree with you that we have a lot to do with our own prosperity. Blacks do engage in hazardous conduct that leads to their detriment. That is a different subject that I feel many people are right to point out and I have offended many of my friends for making the same point that you are making. Much of our circumstances can be changed by simply imroving our self worth to employers through education and omitting destructive elements like criminal records, drugs, & work experiences. I can not fight you on that because I feel exactly the same way. The point I am trying to make today is that to many whites underestimate race discrimination in the US. They dismiss this as an issue of the past and its not. Laws against race discrimination happened because white Christians in the past stood against it. They did not say the nooses can't hurt anyone, or calling blacks ni**er was a joke. Listen, slavery is passed. Kind, compassionate whites must stop pretending these complaints are just a hoax. Blacks are right to be angry because this undermines their pain. Try to convince a Jew the Holocaust was hoax to get the point of the seriousness.

Strange how the blacks that yell the loudest and complain the most, are the ones that also want to be called african-american. Have these people forgotten that the blacks in africa were the ones that made many of their ancestors slaves and brought them to this country to be slaves. They continue to use the name but blame the whites of this country for all problems, they perceive, with their lives. Only in America.

Oh, I agree. Discrimination is not a hoax at all. It was alive and well (and, unfortunately, is not completely dead yet in some circles). Hopefully, the further we get away from the past, the more those dark days will become only a distant memory. I just wish we could find out how to really address this situation today. I'm at a loss. I don't think more gov't programs are the answer. Seems to be a culture that we're fighting against, and it's so hard to crack. I don't think harmful rhetoric -- from either side-- benefits anyone. It just deepens the divide. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Denali123, I don't have a trampled on mentality. Please don't present me that way because I am trying to elevate your thinking so that we as a community can make things work. I agree that blacks can do much better. Part of the healing has to be that we all admit that racism exist and it is wrong! You say this is a past problem, but time doesn't heal all wounds. Especially, when racist hide among decent people and say we didn't own slaves, we didn't lynch anyone. You said just last week that you didn't want these people living anywhere near you. I know you were talking about the plan to disburst the homeless, but the people right before your posts were charging this to blacks. That's when all the Section 8 and give away talk got started. Racially charged emotions are a huge problem right here, today, in Augusta, Georgia. Just last night on the news a State Trooper was beating black man calling him a ni**er. Racism is not a hoax, and we would do good to simply acknowledge it and work against it.

cparker, a very well expressed point and thought provoking for those who do not walk in your shoes.

convertedsoutherner, blacks have work to do to help themselves. I am a successful black man. Blacks are not offended for being called blacks, we are just not comfortable being called Ni**er or monkeys. I know people that blame whites for everything just like I know whites that give blacks credit absolutely nothing! Point made yet?

Now cparker if the same policeman were black yelling out racial names at the white it would be perceived as "in the heat of the moment" because there could in no way be possible for the black man to have a racist bone in his whole body. Please get off the "junk" and live.....Most people do, just want to live I mean, without having the same ole stuff shoved down our throats forever, without end, forever. Take your crying, moaning and groaning and get to work cleaning up your own community, blame no one but yourselves and see if some progress can be achieved.

howcanweknow, I worship at a mixed race congregation. Race does not dominate our spiritual development. Invite a black to church with you and you both will break barriers without thinking about it. My pastor is white, but some of the elders are black. They work very well together, and everyone in my neighborhood don't think it strange when white kids come over. As a matter of fact, some of the white kids proved that white men can jump.

I too worship in a mixed congregation (although, it is predominately white). I see no "races" at all. We're all Christians coming together -- blacks, whites, and hispanics (I'm even trying to learn Spanish). There are absolutely no barriers at all, and we tend to be one big family. All that being said, maybe the church is our best hope for a future? What a novel idea that is !!

By the way.... I tried jumping once. Didn't work. They named the movie after me!