http://www.myspace.com/thegitmos

Maybe it can add to or be a part of the same discussion.

When Wright said “God damn America,” he was criticizing American foreign policy. A foreign policy that has torn apart another nation based on lies and greed, a foreign policy that has resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, a foreign policy that has the US participating in rendition, a foreign policy that has the US torturing people… etc.

Now, admittedly, I am far from an expert on the teachings of Jesus Christ. I was Christened a Methodist and have since become an atheist. But from what I remember, torture, murder, etc - not big with Jesus. I don’t see how a follower of Christ could come up with any other conclusion than God damning America for its international behavior.

However, what Falwell and Robertson did was blame the deaths of thousands on American citizens.

I find a criticism of American foreign policy far more palatable than accusing innocent Americans of murder.

And really, if anyone owes the American public any explanations or apologies, I think it’s John McCain, who has embraced Catholic-hater John Hagee’s endorsement (as well as praising Falwell and Roberts).

Look, it’s nuanced. And people who tend to vote Republican tend not to understand nuance. And frankly, the people who are complaining about this the most are not people who would vote for a black man or a Democrat to be president anyway. And everyone knows it. The reason they are complaining is to give pause to white suburban Americans who might be somewhat uneasy about voting for a black. They are simply trying to give frightened whites yet another reason to not vote for him. In that regard, this very much serves the same purpose as the the constant references to Obama’s middle name and the lie about him being a Muslim educated in a madrassa. Even though most people know better, these all create little doubts that help people justify not doing what they know is the right thing (voting for Barack).

This guy has nutty ideas. How is he different from Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Farwell?

Politicians pay lip service to the extreme wings of their parties. Don’t believe that Obama believes all that rubish any more than Bush believed in the philosphy of Bob Jones University.

But hey, a half-white, Harvard-educated Hawaiian needed some street cred when he came to the South Side. That’s cool. Unfortunately, he can’t just come out and say that. So he has to hem and haw for now.

Secondly, the only things I would want to know about Wright is if his sermons are now getting more fired-up BECAUSE he is getting a national forum or was he that fired-up before? I mean if he sees this as a nationa platform to get people talking about race, class & poverty in a serious manner as part of the 2008 run to the White House—okay, great, but be aware it can take a turn off the rails at any minute thanks to the new playing field of the news corps/nets and the army of talking heads/spin masters ready to move it behind the latest celebirty scandal/foolishness and just become shouting heads and/or yesterdays news.

If, to also be fair, he instead sees his chance at a national radio show, the kind of coverage/news/attention that people like Al Sharpton are getting or even the kind of US Saint-hood applied to confidents of President’s past…like say a Mega-Rev. Billy Garham. Well, not that I want to impede on anyone’s career in the entertainment industry, but if that is his goal, I’d just as soon he be repudiated now like the sex worker he really is and we move on– before he derails a valuable argument of this election year, as mentioned before, or becomes another Presidental family in-joke…like Billy Carter and Roger Clinton before him and/or an albatroos around a candiates neck.

A discussion on race means something very different based on geography. An Indiana discussion would be much different that the New Orleans discussion. A Chicago discussion would be much different than a Southern California discussion.

I guess it seems obvious when we think about it but I don’t hear many people saying that. You might be tempted to think that with today’s mobile population that we would be more nationalized with our issues of trust and understanding, but media and politics keep these local discussions framed in very static ways

It needs to happen across the country. My support of Obama has been solidified by his willingness to just put it all right out there on the table.

That’s also why I love the First Amendment, now there is no ambiguity that there is a large section of the population so disenfranchised that they feel like there are two Americas. Also that there is a big segment of the media and political establishment that likes it that way.

He asked that the whole nation be condemned forever, to painful constant destruction, because it can’t ever be saved or redeemed.

I’m glad Obama rejected that sermon. Whatever my feelings on patriotism, I want elected officials who think they can use the job to make things better. If they think America is irredeemable, don’t run for the office. The biggest fault in the Bush administration is that they don’t think government can fix things, so they just use positions for political leverage and patronage jobs.

With their actions the conservatives said “God damn New Orleans.” That’s wrong. Go ahead and criticize the US and NO, but only for the sake of making them better.