Rev. Jeremiah Wright has raised issues for America. He has used the system to make fortunes for himself. He has drawn large numbers in condemning a society that has allowed him to make this fortune while tugging on people's spiritual leanings. He has clearly condemned a race for things that have occurred and that there is many believe had nothing to do with policies of a nation. He has chosen to take the position of tearing down other people to reach a his perceived level of equality rather than building up the group who has been at a disadvantage.

Listening to Wright you would not realize how far race relations have improved in the last 50 years. Look at schools and the integration, the amount of integration in neighborhoods, the fact a man who is half black and half white is running for president and has a realistic chance to win and is running as a black man, not as a white man, the number of huge level government officials who are black and minority as opposed to the past and where we can eat and socialize together. It is not a color blind society yet as king dreamed (notice dream is associated with King and GD with Wright and the positive vs negative tone) but we have moved toward it. Many of not most people have friends who are a different race and have to stop and think they are a different race. Progress. Not perfection but we are trying to work toward it.

He clearly came to the forefront as an adviser to a major presidential candidate. Other people in the national eye, making comments that some felt may be negative have suffered in prestige and position. Obama has clearly run on a platform of racial equality, races working together and as a populist in many cases. Although he may choose to not follow the advice of his advisers, and it is important that he have a range of views in his advisers, it is also important that he not have advisers that he says directly influence him that have strong opinions that are against this country and groups of people. Although Obabma is clearly anti-iraq war, it would be helpful on that issue that he has some more moderates on that issue on his staff to consider the options along the way. Likewise McCain and Bush would be well served to have people on their staff that not only support the war strongly but also raise issues and questions on ways to pursue it and to keep options on table.

For a person to so strongly be against America Wright should consider what other country in the world would be better and if he truly believes this country is fully corrupt consider going there.

We are building immigration fences but consider these fences. You can build fences or walls for two reasons. One is to keep people or animals in and one is to keep people or animals out. some build fences around their houses to keep others out. some build fences to keep children or dogs in. There is a difference. The Soviet Union built the Berlin Wall just as North Korea has their barrier to keep their people in. The Chinese built the Great Wall to keep the barbarians out. The US is building a fence/wall with Mexico to keep people out, not to keep American citizens in. When I was in Douglas, Arizona (on the Mexican border) last week the flyers at the visitors center did not warn me not to leave the US or problems leaving but that I would need my passport or drivers license and birth certificate to get back in.

Rev. Wright is able to leave at any time to go to another country that would treat him and his followers better. I doubt however that he would find one that would have where he as a preacher would be able to get a million dollar home (10,000+ square feet) built for him. Due to the separation of church and government as practiced in the US he has been able to take his people's money and use in a way he wants, partly to benefit those in need around his church thru ministries but also to collect a large amount for himself and have very little over-site of the government on this moneys use. It appears he may be mixed on who and what he is serving.

Demanding that Obama remove Wright for differing opinions is not what is needed, but demanding that Obama show he truly is working for a non-racial nation and that he is not encouraging or having advisers that are taking a full 180 degree tilt is also important. Obama may consider Wright a strong spiritual adviser but he needs to show us it is only spiritual and that eh does not agree on the other items and that he truly supports our nation. Obama needs to clearly repudiate the claims Wright has made. Saying his white grandmother had made some racial comments is not making a fair comparison to Wright. Obama's grandmother still welcomed Obama and treated him as a loved child although half of his racial background is the race he says she cast a lower light on. Wright is still in the 21st century taking a very negative attitude against whites and not choosing the other ways to achieve equality that have made such progress hby building up but wants to tear down.

Comparing Wright to Hagee is not a fair comparison as Hagee only endorsed McCain but is not an adviser to McCain. Wright is a friend of Obama's, Obama's spiritual leader and Obama is using him as adviser in spiritual political advice. You choose your advisers but you do not choose who votes fro you or endorses you.

Obama should clearly separate himself from the extreme anti-American views and show what it was that has him so closely in Wright's corner. To be a leader for all people Obama needs to find a new adviser for his spiritual goals as a politician. Promoting a racial free country Obama may best choose to replace Wright with a white and a black spiritual leader as our religious worship is the area we are probably still separated by race although we have made many in-roads here with whites attending majority black churches and vice versa.

Dwight

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