Obama Addresses Racial "Anger"

[ChristopherHall]

Originally Posted by Truly Blessed

How many have heard preachers make extreme statements that they found to be bigoted and offensive, yet did not leave their church or the organization they represented?

Me.

My first pastor was dead set against mixed marriages and would use the "N" word in private conversations on occasion. The second pastor who took over the church after the elder died would use terms like "f@66ot" or "F@g" on occasion. I was primarily offended at this because I don't want my son using any derogatory terms while growing up. Hard to tell him, "Don't use those words!", if the pastor uses them on occasion. There were plenty of other things too. Like one night we had a visitor who was a single mom with three kids who was receiving some assistance... and the pastor ranted against "welfare bums". I could go on and on. Eventually we left over other issues that developed. However, that was my church for 12 years. I didn't agree with a lot of things there but I thought God brought me to that church and placed those men of God in my life for a reason...even though I disagreed with them.

I still disagree with them...but I also still love them dearly. They are men who contributed a lot to who I am today. I didn't accept everything they taught, but I'm not going to curse or denounce them entirely.

[ChristopherHall]

Originally Posted by CC1

What you have said in this post is THE BOTTOM LINE.

It is insulting to Black Americans to somehow think they don't have the intellect to NOT say outrageous things like that.

I can agree. But it doesn't surprise me when I hear of a few who do.

[ChristopherHall]

Originally Posted by HeavenlyOne

Chris, it's funny that you will excuse Wright for being a product of his society, but you won't allow that woman cashier the same excuse. I mean, maybe she was an older woman who was brought up in the civil rights movement too, and was taught certain things about blacks that she continues holding on to. Why not give her an excuse for her prejudice??

The people I'm talking about were born in the 70's. But, please note, I don't think the cashier's actions are worse than Jeremiah Wright's words. He was far more over the top with his comments. My point was simply that there are little everyday things that black people deal with that we don't even realize. Again...you're missing my point, inflating my argument, trying to refute the argument you inflated, and...missing the point.

Not to minimize your story above, but if that's what discrimination is, then I, too, have been discriminated against.

Again, that wasn't my point. My point was just to illustrate that there are little everyday experiences that black people deal with that we don't even realize.

I can't tell you the countless times that I have been waited on by a black person, usually women, who look at me like I'm the dirt of the earth. I've had them totally ignore me, throw money at me, and be snide. Oh, I'm sure it had something to do with my being white because when the black people were in their line, they laughed and joked and....well, you get the picture.

I've been there too. I lived in Parkside and DeSoto Bass Courts, each black projects, for about 6 years. Most of my friends were black at the time and it was a black brother who got me back in church after my mother left and I stopped going. I was jumped several times. One time I was hit with something metallic while crossing the street and while on the ground a few black hoodlums were kicking me senseless. I knew I had to get up or I was going to die. I was terrified and afraid for my life. I decided that come what may I had to get up and RUN with everything I had. So I took a deep breath, scrambled to my feet, and took off running with all my might. I was shaking so badly I thought my ankles would give under my feet as I was running. I got home and my mom cleaned me up because I had blood from where I was hit in the head all over me. A few weeks later I was walking through the court after getting off the bus and about four or five young black guys were following me and cussing loud enough for me to hear them. I got scared and quickly walked into a store two buildings down from the corner of Germantown and Lakeview. This store was owned by a Muslim Palestinian family. I asked to use their phone but they wouldn't let me use it. Suddenly the group of black dudes walked into the store, so I start walking down the canned goods isle toward the back the store hoping they wouldn't start anything with me if I were deeper into the store. They split up and began to walk down each of the isles and I had one of the guys coming up behind me in the isle I was in. I got to the end of the isle where they all started to converge on me...then the store keeper, who was working the deli, stepped down from the raised deli platform and handed me a broom! At first I thought he wanted me to fight them with it. Suddenly he starts screaming, "All of you get out of here! How DARE you harrass my employees!!! I never want to see you here again! Go or I'll call the police!" He was walking toward them waving his hands like he was about to fight. Dude, these black guys turned white! They began to claim they weren't doing anything and left. He hollered at them and walked them all the way to the door. Before they all were out the door they screamed some profanity into the store and took off. I was left standing at the deli holding the broom he handed me. When he got back he looked at me and smiled. I offered him the broom back and he said, "Since I just hired you, please sweep the back porch." So I went out back where it was a total mess and cleaned the area for them. After I was done (maybe a little over an hour at most) I left and went home.

That was my first experience with Muslims. From that day forward I'd stop in and chat with them. They were really cool. I knew it was a safe place about half way to our apartment. I cannot express how grateful I am for their friendship.

Am I injured? No. Instead, I felt pity for those people. I felt pity that for whatever reason they decided to belittle me because I'm white.

I know what you mean.

Did I go out and get angry? No. Did I speak about it to my friends? No, with the exception of those who might have been with me, but even then, it wasn't a big deal.

I know what you mean.

I've gotten speeding tickets by black cops but let go with a warning by white cops. Did I make that into a racial issue? No. Could I have? Certainly, but that would be stupid, especially since I truly was speeding!!

LOL I hear ya.

Your friend shouldn't feel so much discriminated against as feeling pity for white people who refuse to let issues go.

Sis...his point wasn't that he was "discriminated against". His point was just how there are little things they see and realize that we would never even notice or consider unless it was pointed out to us.

[Ron]

Am I the only one getting dizzy on this "merry go round?"

[HeavenlyOne]

Originally Posted by ChristopherHall

Sis...his point wasn't that he was "discriminated against". His point was just how there are little things they see and realize that we would never even notice or consider unless it was pointed out to us.

Chris, it's clear that you aren't understanding that this pastor has 'preached' his hatred for over 20 years now! This isn't a one-time incident, or just a few times in several years, or just when he was speaking in private. This has went on and on and on and on to the point where there are even black folks in high society even that won't have anything to do with the man. I think that's telling.

You refuse to see it, instead citing small, private, or one-time incidents in comparison with what he's done.

There is no comparison to be made.

[ChristopherHall]

Originally Posted by HeavenlyOne

Chris, it's clear that you aren't understanding that this pastor has 'preached' his hatred for over 20 years now! This isn't a one-time incident, or just a few times in several years, or just when he was speaking in private. This has went on and on and on and on to the point where there are even black folks in high society even that won't have anything to do with the man. I think that's telling.

You refuse to see it, instead citing small, private, or one-time incidents in comparison with what he's done.

There is no comparison to be made.

HeavenlyOne, how did Rev. Jeremiah's sermon end?

[GodsBabyGirl]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Yes, 1399, but enough is enough. How many years and how much money do they need to move on? What would be enough? Nothing is ever going to be enough when it's dwelt on forever.

We dont say anything to the Jews who were tortured and killed in the Holocaust. As a matter of fact, this country goes out of its way to commemorate the historical atrocity. No one tells the Jews to get over it, move on, what's ya beef?

So why is it that when blacks commemorate what they went thru for centuries (the Holocaust was only a few years...), then it is addressed as racial anger????

Whats up with that?????

I say Obama shouldnt be punished for the words or opinions of his pastor. He prolly kept going because he is a good family man and agreed with other things Wright proclaimed.

Im sorry, I do NOT believe there is one Christian walking the face of this earth that agrees 150% with everything their pastor says.

That being the case, why does he now have to even address what another man thinks or says?

Why is the country trippin and trying to see if he agrees?

Im gonna be real, some of what Wright says is true, some of it is false.

But I wouldnt feel the need to defend or refute his statements if he was my pastor.

JMO

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by GodsBabyGirl

We dont say anything to the Jews who were tortured and killed in the Holocaust. As a matter of fact, this country goes out of its way to commemorate the historical atrocity. No one tells the Jews to get over it, move on, what's ya beef?

So why is it that when blacks commemorate what they went thru for centuries (the Holocaust was only a few years...), then it is addressed as racial anger????

Whats up with that?????

I say Obama shouldnt be punished for the words or opinions of his pastor. He prolly kept going because he is a good family man and agreed with other things Wright proclaimed.

Im sorry, I do NOT believe there is one Christian walking the face of this earth that agrees 150% with everything their pastor says.

That being the case, why does he now have to even address what another man thinks or says?

Why is the country trippin and trying to see if he agrees?

Im gonna be real, some of what Wright says is true, some of it is false.

But I wouldnt feel the need to defend or refute his statements if he was my pastor.

JMO

Bill Cosby:

Our biggest barrier as black Americans is no longer the law, white Americans, or black leaders. It is ourselves. We must solve the problems in our own community. Seventy percent of black children born out of wedlock is unacceptable. Celebration of drugs and perverse sex in rap music must be rejected.

Cosby challenged poor blacks by charging, “The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids—$500 for sneakers for what? And won’t spend $200 for ‘Hooked on Phonics.’” He ridiculed the poor English of the black ghetto: “They’re standing on the corner and they can’t speak English. I can’t even talk the way these people talk: ‘Why you ain’t,’ ‘Where you is.’ . . . And I blamed the kids until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. . . . Everybody knows it’s important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . . You can’t be a doctor with that kind of **** coming out of your mouth!” He suggested that African American criminals were being incarcerated not because of racism but because of crimes: “These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake and then we run out and we are outraged, [saying] ‘The cops shouldn’t have shot him.’ What the **** was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?”

Mr. Cosby explains that his comments were intended to be a call to action, to “turn the mirror around on ourselves.” “I think that it is time for concerned African Americans to march, galvanize and raise the awareness about this epidemic to transform our helplessness, frustration and righteous indignation into a sense of shared responsibility and action.

“I travel the country and see these patterns in every community—stories of 12 year old children killed in the cross fire between knuckleheads selling drugs, the 14 year olds with a sealed envelope as their first step into the criminal justice system, the young males who become fathers and not held responsible, the young women having children and moving back in with their mothers and grandmothers, and the young people who choose not to learn standard English.

The criticism did not stop Cosby from voicing his charges. In October 2004, while visiting some public schools in Richmond, Va., with former Governor L. Douglas Wilder, who was then running for mayor, Cosby emphasized to the students the importance of their education: “Study. That’s all. It’s not tough. You’re not picking cotton. You’re not picking up the trash. You’re not washing windows. You sit down. You read. You develop your brain.” He commented on the problem of teenage pregnancy: “Everybody knows about sex. Not too many people know about algebra. Let’s think about love. Let’s think about where you can get it, but not sex. You’re too young for sex.” He spoke out against drugs and alcohol: “There are still old people who drink, do drugs—who will stop and take the time to tell you don’t be like them. Have you heard them? Pay attention to them.”

Cosby was clearly trying to connect with a message that black poverty would only end when and if black people themselves took responsibility for changing their lives. This was a very different message from the politics of guilt, where the message had been that white racism had placed barriers to African American progress, and these were the causes of racial injustice and inequality. Since the 1960s, many barriers had been removed; still the problem of black poverty persisted. Cosby argued that his intent was not to “blame the victims” but to encourage the victims to use their own moral resolve and determination to work themselves toward justice and equality now that the barriers of racial discrimination were substantially reduced. The message was one of self-help.

Enough said. Society is not the blame. There are role models that have gone on before them, they obviously don't want to follow, JMHO. I see it all the time, every day. It's getting ridiculous, especially in a tech society. PULEEZE!

[rgcraig]

I love Bill Cosby!

Of course, he's not real popular in the black community.

[Ron]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

I love Bill Cosby!

Renda, you deserve a younger man!!