As a former pastor who, on more than one occasion in moments of irrational exuberance, said things from the pulpit that got me into trouble, I have some sympathy for Reverend Jeremiah Wright and the mess his words have created. Words do matter and, once spoken, can never be retrieved. They often ricochet around and produce all sorts of unintended consequences. Especially is this true when they are spoken in anger and fierce critique. Jeremiah Wright and those associated with him, such as Barak Obama, will not be able to escape the fallout of his inflammatory rhetoric; certainly not when the words provide juicy fodder for partisan politics.
Barak Obama, who I'm sure would have preferred that no one had paid attention to Pastor Wright's controversial commentary, has been smoked out by the media as to where he stands on the seemingly anti-American views of his former pastor. I take Obama at his word that he does not agree with everything Pastor Wright said. After serving in the Illinois legislature and as a U. S. senator, which have put him in the public eye for several years, not to mention his year long run for the presidency, there has been zero evidence in his words and demeanor that he agrees with Jeremiah Wright. It would be as unfair to hold Obama responsible for Jeremiah Wright's bombast as it would to hold Mitt Romney responsible for the racist recent past of Mormonism. Or, to make John McCain responsible for every goofy thing his supporter, Pastor John Hagee has said. Although, it should be noted that the Obama campaign has repudiated and distanced itself from Jeremiah Wright while McCain recently accepted Hagee's endorsement with a hug in full view of the press. President Bush once said he had looked into the soul of former KGB agent Vladimir Putin and considered him to be a friend. Shall we run an endless loop on cable news of all the anti-American things Putin has said and use them to question Bush's patriotism?
If one rejects the Obama candidacy over political philosophy or political party affiliation that is fair. But, if one ignores 400 years of racial history in America and refuses to recognize the reasons behind Pastor Wright's angry rhetoric, and deliberately exploits the controversy for political reasons, that is mean spirited and racist.
