IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING POLITICS AT ALL, YOU ARE WELL AWARE OF THE RECENT OBAMA CONTROVERSY INVOLVING HIS FORMER REVEREND. HE HAS PUBLICLY DISAGREED WITH AND DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM THE REMARKS THIS MAN HAS MADE, BUT MANY STILL HAVE QUESTIONS. AND THE MAIN QUESTION IS WHY IN THE WORLD IS HE REFUSING TO DISAVOW HIM FROM HIS LIFE. THIS MAN WHO INTRODUCED HIM TO HIS FAITH, OFFICIATED HIS WEDDING AND BAPTISED HIS TWO DAUGHTERS. THIS MAN HE CONSIDERS TO BE A MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY. SO, I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS MYSELF. I DO HOPE YOU TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS POST, BECAUSE AS AN AMERICAN THIS IS SO VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
THIS VIDEO IS ALMOST 38 MINUTES LONG BUT I AM PLEADING WITH YOU TO TAKE THE TIME WHEN YOU HAVE THE TIME TO WATCH IT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO WATCH, TO LISTEN AND TO REALLY HEAR THE MESSAGE THIS MAN DELIVERS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR WHETHER YOU ARE REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, INDEPENDENT OR UNAFFILIATED. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR WHETHER YOU SUPPORT CLINTON OR OBAMA. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN THIS COUNTRY.
WHETHER THIS MAN WHO SPEAKS THE TRUTH WINS THE NOMINATION OR NOT THIS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A POLITICIAN WHO CHOOSES NOT TO TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT AND REFUSES TO SAY OR DO ANYTHING JUST TO GET ELECTED...
THIS SPEECH IS ALREADY BEING CALLED HISTORIC AND THE MOST IMPORTANT SPEECH ON RACE IN AMERICA SINCE DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH. AND IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IF BARACK OBAMA IS NAMED THE NOMINEE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT THE VERY NIGHT HE WILL GIVE HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH TO BE THE PARTY'S NOMINEE IS ON THE ACTUAL ANNIVERSARY OF DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH.
IN MY OPINION THE SPEECH BARACK OBAMA GAVE YESTERDAY GOES FAR AND BEYOND CONDEMNING THE INCENDIARY STATEMENTS MADE BY HIS FORMER PASTOR, JEREMIAH WRIGHT, TO SPEAKING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE STATE OF RACE IN AMERICA TODAY. THIS SPEECH IS A FIRST, IT IS HISTORIC, AND IT SHOWS ME WHY BARACK OBAMA'S LEADERSHIP, VISION, AND ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE DELICATE SOCIAL ISSUES THAT FACE AMERICA FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES MAKES HIM UNIQUELY SUITED TO BE OUR PRESIDENT AT THIS TIME... IN THIS MOMENT. RIGHT NOW.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL I ATTENDED GRADUATE SCHOOL IN SOCIAL WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE THAT I FIRST EXPERIENCED AN OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT RACE AND ITS PRESENCE AND EXISTENCE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES STILL TODAY. ONE THAT HAS BEEN SPOKEN ONLY IN THE PRIVACY OF ONE'S OWN HOME, OFFICES, OR JUST IN ONE'S OWN MIND. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE AND I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT IT WILL NOT ALWAYS BE THERE BUT REALISTICALLY THAT IS A LIE. I CAN HOPE THAT IS NOT THE CASE, JUST AS BARACK DOES, BUT THAT HOPE MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IF WE ARE NOT EVEN ABLE TO HAVE AN OPEN AND HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT RACE TO BEGIN WITH.
AND HONESTLY SPEAKING ABOUT PREJUDICES IN OUR COUNTRY AGAINST ANYTHING NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT IN OUR LIVES, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A PERSONAL STORY.
JUST THE OTHER DAY A VERY CLOSE MEMBER OF MY FAMILY TOLD ME HE WAS FIGHTING WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO COME OVER TO HIS HOUSE AND WAS WITH HER GAY MALE FRIEND AT THE TIME. HE SAID THAT HE TOLD HER NOT TO COME OVER SIMPLY BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT HER GAY MALE FRIEND IN HIS HOME. PERIOD. AND SHE GOT UPSET WITH HIM, JUST AS I WOULD HAVE. AND WHEN HE TOLD ME THIS STORY I WAS TAKEN ABACK, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH HE IS A CLOSE MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WITH WHOM I SPEAK TO DAILY HE HAD NEVER AT ANY TIME EXPRESSED SUCH STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS TO ME. IN TRUTH, I KNEW HE FELT PREJUDICE AGAINST THE GAY MALE POPULATION BUT I NEVER HAD ANY IDEA HE FELT SO HARSHLY ABOUT IT AND IT UPSET ME.
DOES THAT MEAN I DISOWN HIM AS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY?? DOES IT MEAN I LOVE HIM ANY LESS?? DOES THAT EVEN MEAN THAT I DISTANCE MYSELF FROM HIM AND DISAVOW HIM FROM MY LIFE??
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
EVEN IF HE WOULD HAVE MADE THESE REMARKS PUBLICLY, IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE AND ON YOUTUBE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE AND HEAR, I WOULD NOT LOVE HIM LESS OR KICK HIM OUT OF LIFE FOR BELIEVING WHAT HE CHOOSES TO BELIEVE EVEN THOUGH I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH HIM.
HE IS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY AND I LOVE HIM REGARDLESS. HE IS ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION AS I AM ENTITLED TO MY OWN. OF COURSE I DISAGREE WITH HIM AND COMPLETELY DISTANCE MYSELF FROM HIS FEELINGS ON THIS!! BUT I REFUSE TO DISTANCE MYSELF FROM THIS PERSON NOT JUST BECAUSE HE IS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY, BUT BECAUSE HE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS OPINION HE HAS. HE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THE DIFFERENCES WE HAVE ABOUT THIS ISSUE OR ANY OTHER ONE FOR THAT MATTER. AND WHILE I WISH HE DIDN'T HAVE SUCH PREJUDICES AND HOPE HE WILL RECONCILE THEM SOMEDAY, HE IS SOMEONE THAT I LOVE WITH ALL OF MY HEART.
I SUSPECT WE ALL HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES WHO HAVE OPINIONS WITH WHICH WE STRONGLY DISAGREE. BUT I ALSO SUSPECT THAT WE STILL LOVE THEM ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WITH SOME OF THE OPINIONS THEY HAVE.
THAT IS THE FABRIC OF AMERICA. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN MEN THOUGHT WOMEN WERE NOT INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO VOTE, A TIME WHEN WHITE AMERICANS THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY TO DISPLACE NATIVE AMERICANS FROM THEIR LAND, AND A TIME WHEN BLACK AMERICANS FACED EXTREME INJUSTICES IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES ALL OF THE TIME. AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS FEELS. I CANNOT PRETEND TO KNOW WHAT ANY OF THIS FEELS LIKE. I AM NOT SO ARROGANT TO BELIEVE THAT IF I WAS A BLACK AMERICAN WHO LIVED THROUGH THE WAR ON CIVIL RIGHTS THAT I WOULD NOT STILL FEEL RAGE ABOUT SUCH INJUSTICES STILL TODAY.
THE REMARKS MADE BY REVEREND WRIGHT PALED IN COMPARISON TO THE REMARKS MADE BY REVEREND JERRY FALWELL FOLLOWING THE ATTACK ON AMERICA ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. HE SAID THAT AMERICA WAS AT FAULT FOR THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF THAT DAY BECAUSE OF HOMOSEXUALITY AND AIDS IN THIS COUNTRY. THAT IT WAS GOD'S WAY OF PAYING US BACK FOR ALLOWING HOMOSEXUALS TO LIVE IN AND AIDS TO OCCUR IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IT WAS A GROSS MIS-STATEMENT OF THE FACTS, AND COMPLETELY OFFENSIVE AND WRONG ON ALL LEVELS, TO SAY THE LEAST. AND REVEREND FALWELL IS CURRENTLY BEING EMBRACED BY THE McCAIN CAMPAIGN DUE TO HIS TIES TO HARD RIGHT CONSERVATISM.
ONE CANNOT THROW STONES AT GLASS HOUSES. IN AMERICA TODAY WE STILL FACE THE SAME DOMESTIC ISSUES THAT OUR GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT-GRANDPARENTS FACED. WE JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT IT. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S TIME FOR THE CANDIDATES TO SPEAK OPENLY AND HONESTLY ABOUT THESE ISSUES THEMSELVES AND NOT BE JUDGED BY THE WORDS THAT THEIR PASTORS MAY SPEAK ON SUNDAY, OR ON TELEVISION AS JERRY FALWELL DID DIRECTLY JUST A FEW YEARS AGO. IT'S NOT JUST TIME... IT'S OVERDUE. AND I AM SO THANKFUL THAT MY CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT UNDERSTANDS THAT.
THIS VIDEO IS ALMOST 38 MINUTES LONG BUT I AM PLEADING WITH YOU TO TAKE THE TIME WHEN YOU HAVE THE TIME TO WATCH IT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO WATCH, TO LISTEN AND TO REALLY HEAR THE MESSAGE THIS MAN DELIVERS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR WHETHER YOU ARE REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, INDEPENDENT OR UNAFFILIATED. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR WHETHER YOU SUPPORT CLINTON OR OBAMA. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN THIS COUNTRY.
WHETHER THIS MAN WHO SPEAKS THE TRUTH WINS THE NOMINATION OR NOT THIS IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A POLITICIAN WHO CHOOSES NOT TO TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT AND REFUSES TO SAY OR DO ANYTHING JUST TO GET ELECTED...
THIS SPEECH IS ALREADY BEING CALLED HISTORIC AND THE MOST IMPORTANT SPEECH ON RACE IN AMERICA SINCE DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH. AND IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT IF BARACK OBAMA IS NAMED THE NOMINEE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT THE VERY NIGHT HE WILL GIVE HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH TO BE THE PARTY'S NOMINEE IS ON THE ACTUAL ANNIVERSARY OF DR. KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH.
IN MY OPINION THE SPEECH BARACK OBAMA GAVE YESTERDAY GOES FAR AND BEYOND CONDEMNING THE INCENDIARY STATEMENTS MADE BY HIS FORMER PASTOR, JEREMIAH WRIGHT, TO SPEAKING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE STATE OF RACE IN AMERICA TODAY. THIS SPEECH IS A FIRST, IT IS HISTORIC, AND IT SHOWS ME WHY BARACK OBAMA'S LEADERSHIP, VISION, AND ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE DELICATE SOCIAL ISSUES THAT FACE AMERICA FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES MAKES HIM UNIQUELY SUITED TO BE OUR PRESIDENT AT THIS TIME... IN THIS MOMENT. RIGHT NOW.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL I ATTENDED GRADUATE SCHOOL IN SOCIAL WORK AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE THAT I FIRST EXPERIENCED AN OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT RACE AND ITS PRESENCE AND EXISTENCE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES STILL TODAY. ONE THAT HAS BEEN SPOKEN ONLY IN THE PRIVACY OF ONE'S OWN HOME, OFFICES, OR JUST IN ONE'S OWN MIND. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE AND I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT IT WILL NOT ALWAYS BE THERE BUT REALISTICALLY THAT IS A LIE. I CAN HOPE THAT IS NOT THE CASE, JUST AS BARACK DOES, BUT THAT HOPE MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IF WE ARE NOT EVEN ABLE TO HAVE AN OPEN AND HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT RACE TO BEGIN WITH.
AND HONESTLY SPEAKING ABOUT PREJUDICES IN OUR COUNTRY AGAINST ANYTHING NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT IN OUR LIVES, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A PERSONAL STORY.
JUST THE OTHER DAY A VERY CLOSE MEMBER OF MY FAMILY TOLD ME HE WAS FIGHTING WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO COME OVER TO HIS HOUSE AND WAS WITH HER GAY MALE FRIEND AT THE TIME. HE SAID THAT HE TOLD HER NOT TO COME OVER SIMPLY BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT HER GAY MALE FRIEND IN HIS HOME. PERIOD. AND SHE GOT UPSET WITH HIM, JUST AS I WOULD HAVE. AND WHEN HE TOLD ME THIS STORY I WAS TAKEN ABACK, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH HE IS A CLOSE MEMBER OF MY FAMILY WITH WHOM I SPEAK TO DAILY HE HAD NEVER AT ANY TIME EXPRESSED SUCH STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS TO ME. IN TRUTH, I KNEW HE FELT PREJUDICE AGAINST THE GAY MALE POPULATION BUT I NEVER HAD ANY IDEA HE FELT SO HARSHLY ABOUT IT AND IT UPSET ME.
DOES THAT MEAN I DISOWN HIM AS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY?? DOES IT MEAN I LOVE HIM ANY LESS?? DOES THAT EVEN MEAN THAT I DISTANCE MYSELF FROM HIM AND DISAVOW HIM FROM MY LIFE??
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
EVEN IF HE WOULD HAVE MADE THESE REMARKS PUBLICLY, IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE AND ON YOUTUBE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE AND HEAR, I WOULD NOT LOVE HIM LESS OR KICK HIM OUT OF LIFE FOR BELIEVING WHAT HE CHOOSES TO BELIEVE EVEN THOUGH I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH HIM.
HE IS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY AND I LOVE HIM REGARDLESS. HE IS ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION AS I AM ENTITLED TO MY OWN. OF COURSE I DISAGREE WITH HIM AND COMPLETELY DISTANCE MYSELF FROM HIS FEELINGS ON THIS!! BUT I REFUSE TO DISTANCE MYSELF FROM THIS PERSON NOT JUST BECAUSE HE IS A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY, BUT BECAUSE HE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS OPINION HE HAS. HE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THE DIFFERENCES WE HAVE ABOUT THIS ISSUE OR ANY OTHER ONE FOR THAT MATTER. AND WHILE I WISH HE DIDN'T HAVE SUCH PREJUDICES AND HOPE HE WILL RECONCILE THEM SOMEDAY, HE IS SOMEONE THAT I LOVE WITH ALL OF MY HEART.
I SUSPECT WE ALL HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES WHO HAVE OPINIONS WITH WHICH WE STRONGLY DISAGREE. BUT I ALSO SUSPECT THAT WE STILL LOVE THEM ALTHOUGH WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WITH SOME OF THE OPINIONS THEY HAVE.
THAT IS THE FABRIC OF AMERICA. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN MEN THOUGHT WOMEN WERE NOT INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO VOTE, A TIME WHEN WHITE AMERICANS THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY TO DISPLACE NATIVE AMERICANS FROM THEIR LAND, AND A TIME WHEN BLACK AMERICANS FACED EXTREME INJUSTICES IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES ALL OF THE TIME. AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS FEELS. I CANNOT PRETEND TO KNOW WHAT ANY OF THIS FEELS LIKE. I AM NOT SO ARROGANT TO BELIEVE THAT IF I WAS A BLACK AMERICAN WHO LIVED THROUGH THE WAR ON CIVIL RIGHTS THAT I WOULD NOT STILL FEEL RAGE ABOUT SUCH INJUSTICES STILL TODAY.
THE REMARKS MADE BY REVEREND WRIGHT PALED IN COMPARISON TO THE REMARKS MADE BY REVEREND JERRY FALWELL FOLLOWING THE ATTACK ON AMERICA ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. HE SAID THAT AMERICA WAS AT FAULT FOR THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF THAT DAY BECAUSE OF HOMOSEXUALITY AND AIDS IN THIS COUNTRY. THAT IT WAS GOD'S WAY OF PAYING US BACK FOR ALLOWING HOMOSEXUALS TO LIVE IN AND AIDS TO OCCUR IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IT WAS A GROSS MIS-STATEMENT OF THE FACTS, AND COMPLETELY OFFENSIVE AND WRONG ON ALL LEVELS, TO SAY THE LEAST. AND REVEREND FALWELL IS CURRENTLY BEING EMBRACED BY THE McCAIN CAMPAIGN DUE TO HIS TIES TO HARD RIGHT CONSERVATISM.
ONE CANNOT THROW STONES AT GLASS HOUSES. IN AMERICA TODAY WE STILL FACE THE SAME DOMESTIC ISSUES THAT OUR GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT-GRANDPARENTS FACED. WE JUST DON'T TALK ABOUT IT. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S TIME FOR THE CANDIDATES TO SPEAK OPENLY AND HONESTLY ABOUT THESE ISSUES THEMSELVES AND NOT BE JUDGED BY THE WORDS THAT THEIR PASTORS MAY SPEAK ON SUNDAY, OR ON TELEVISION AS JERRY FALWELL DID DIRECTLY JUST A FEW YEARS AGO. IT'S NOT JUST TIME... IT'S OVERDUE. AND I AM SO THANKFUL THAT MY CHOICE FOR PRESIDENT UNDERSTANDS THAT.
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