Angry Black No-Nos
E. J. Dionne, Jr. on Another Angry Black Preacher:
Listen to what King said about the Vietnam War at his own Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Feb. 4, 1968: “God didn’t call America to engage in a senseless, unjust war. . . . And we are criminals in that war. We’ve committed more war crimes almost than any nation in the world, and I’m going to continue to say it. And we won’t stop it because of our pride and our arrogance as a nation. But God has a way of even putting nations in their place.” King then predicted this response from the Almighty: “And if you don’t stop your reckless course, I’ll rise up and break the backbone of your power.”
If today’s technology had existed then, I would imagine the media playing quotations of that sort over and over. Right-wing commentators would use the material to argue that King was anti-American and to discredit his call for racial and class justice. King certainly angered a lot of people at the time.
I cite King not to justify Wright’s damnation of America or his lunatic and pernicious theories but to suggest that Obama’s pastor and his church are not as far outside the African American mainstream as many would suggest. I would also ask my conservative friends who praise King so lavishly to search their consciences and wonder if they would have stood up for him in 1968.
The operative word is not ‘Black’ but ‘Angry’. After all, the world of national televangelism is full of White Preachers who damn America utilizing “lunatic and pernicious theories”. When they do so, they say it seriously, without a smile, sometimes with thundering righteousness that certainly sounds pretty angry (as well as just plain weird). The difference is that white preachers are permitted to display anger. When a Black man is angry, that’s considered threatening. (And were it a woman preacher, why that would be ‘coldhearted bitch’)
That’s the place we permit for each. How dare Reverend White and King violate their assigned space! Next thing you know, they’ll be sitting in the front row of the bus, scaring the bejesus out of the bus driver and the proper people. All of whom can respond with anger. It’s right there, in the rulebook.
David Neiwert puts the onus on the media, with white America nodding in assent.
March 21st, 2008 at 12:07 pm
That was beautiful.
And the media trying to get a race war is huge.
We can let the media run us over. Or we can fight. We can’t boycott them, but I hope everyone contacts them and tell them where to stick it.
Once Again. Major Bravo.
March 21st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
King certainly angered a lot of people at the time.
In fact, they shot him dead.
March 23rd, 2008 at 3:15 am
And Reverend Wright is angry, or hatful, or in the moment shows America what we need to talk about.
God Dam America, it only takes three seconds to say it, but says a lot. Honestly, when another person political or other, other than Obama, would say they have not heard such talk from their most regarded mentor openly or privately for twenty years sends a message. Then turns around in a speech as Obama did, openly, say he, Obama, did hear such suggestions from a mentor, as his Reverend Wright near and dear Uncle. Perhaps, now Obama says, Reverend Wright did not say such things so vulgar, or, not that often, or that harsh, but Obama is willing to admit all the while changing his mind openly in a public speech. Here the critics and far experienced political persons and analysis predict his speech as the greatest thing that could happen.
America don’t you see what happening here, and how this man is treating your mind with slogan management “ Change We Can Believe In “ of course and Obama himself can change his mind and you all should believe in him. Obnoxiously, very, theocratic. And a crowd in the trance that believes Obama should be able to change his mind and you should believe in him. Absolutely driving the Democratic Party into a physiological mess that the Republicans and Mainstream Media is handily doing now. There are worse mental analogies ahead that will divide the country and it was meant to do so.
That simple change is what we all are to believe in ? Even if Obama lie’s in change for his own benefit and his goal, it is something to believe in ? To the average American not realizing, Obama, has been given some powerful tools from his Harvard education, and is abusing them. Obama is seemingly assiduously skilled in the art of contextual streaming giving obnoxious flip flopping that looks so smooth one finally figures they have been swindled by a master swindler. You know many of the family of Osama Bin Laden, or Osama himself was educated at Harvard. Be sure these Arabs have a plan to last eternity.
Now do you feel the deep penetrating theocratic problem America is facing. And Mainstream Media is avoiding all the controversy till perhaps Obama is chosen by the Democrats as a nominee, which will likely turn the dream ticket into a night mare. America seemingly trains our enemy, worse we fund them through the Bush and Company Bin laden connection. Then America is convinced to spread freedom when in real time American life and money is spreading an Islamic dogma.
Reminds me of the ten year old in total denial then switches to realizing he would get caught in a lie. But, here we are doing this debate with armies of first line Mainstream Media Journalist that are shifting and supporting between each other with skills that are savored from the ancient sophists honed in the art of convincing you that left is right, or left is wrong, liberal is nuts, conservative is the best, all very confusing and meant to be. All influence by Arab Petro-Dollars and Jewish fear.
Fear not, vote Hillary 2008.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
[…] And this: How dare Reverend Wright and King violate their assigned space! Next thing you know, they’ll be sitting in the front row of the bus, scaring the bejesus out of the bus driver and the proper people. All of whom can respond with anger. It’s right there, in the rulebook. here […]