I read the transcript of Barack Obama’s speech on race. As I was reading it, I was struck that this speech while intended to address race relations, gave great incite as to how Obama would handle international relations, especially with countries like Iran.
In his speech , Barack Obama said about Jeremiah Wright’s abominable comments:
Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country — a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America, a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, Rev. Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems — two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all.
Further, he justifed staying involved with the church even though Wright’s perspective of American hate was well known by saying:
Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions — the good and the bad — of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.
Obama goes on to justify Wright’s comment and thought process by using a litany of historical grievances:
A lack of economic opportunity among black men, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one’s family, contributed to the erosion of black families — a problem that welfare policies for many years may have worsened.
And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods — parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pick-up and building code enforcement — all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.
This is the reality in which Rev. Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted.
So think about this….
Imagine Obama is President and an international crisis has been created by Iran threatening to use a nuclear weapon. I imagine Obama’s televised address to the American people to be something like this:
My fellow Americans:
Today, I was informed by President Ahmadinejad of Iran, that they have readied a launch of a nuclear weapon against Israel. I spoke with him at length and expressed our concerns about this provocative action. While I disagree with his action, I think it is important for us to understand how we got here.
During our conversation, President Ahmadinejad expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country — a view that sees Islamaphobia as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America, a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
As such, President Ahmadinejad comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; religiously charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems — two wars, a terrorist threat, the world’s falling economy, a world health care crisis in HIV infections and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither Islamic or Jew or Christian, but rather problems that confront us all.
Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat Americans with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions — the good and the bad — of the community that he has served diligently for so many years
A lack of economic opportunity among Iranians, and the shame and frustration that came from not being able to provide for one’s family, contributed to the erosion of Iranian families — a problem that supporting the Shah’s policies for many years may have worsened.
And the lack of an economy in so many Islamic countries – corruption, mistrust of the general population and reelection of egomaniacle leaders — all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continue to haunt us.
This is the reality in which President Ahmadinejad and other Iranians of his generation grew up. They came of age in a religion that told of the hate that the Christians thrust upon them in the crusades, the deceit the Jews have fed the world about the holocaust.
And so, my fellow Americans, while I disapprove of President Ahmadinejad’s actions, is like an old uncle who says things I don’t always agree with but whom I am unable to leave or correct his actions.
May God bless America!
Israel, you’re on your own! Just bend over and tuck your head between your legs!
Fact is, Obamamamama blew it with the speech.
What WAS a ‘race-less’ campaign is now openly and horribly racial.
Yup, the candidate who was “above race,” has now become the flag bearer for the race parade.