If one of these spiritual advisors was my minister for 20 years, married me, baptized my children, and I dedicated my autobiography to him, then you would be an idiot not to assume I shared their hateful values whether I repudiated them or not.
If one of these spiritual advisors was my minister for 20 years, married me, baptized my children, and I dedicated my autobiography to him, then you would be an idiot not to assume I shared their hateful values whether I repudiated them or not.
Knowing someone, regardless of the relationship, doesn't mean you adopt their values and viewpoints.
If you didn't have a chance to catch Obama's speech, you can check it out here, with a link to the full video.
It was an odd and refreshing feeling to have somebody in his position talk openly about race, explain to those unfamiliar why there are such strong divisions in this country, and offer a start to help us get to the bottom of the problems that have been ignored for too long. He gets into a lot of stuff about Pastor Wright, too, which should answer people's questions.
If you didn't have a chance to catch Obama's speech, you can check it out here, with a link to the full video.
It was an odd and refreshing feeling to have somebody in his position talk openly about race, explain to those unfamiliar why there are such strong divisions in this country, and offer a start to help us get to the bottom of the problems that have been ignored for too long.
Obama changed the game today.
I thought he did a good job......hope it came across that way to the folks who will decide on his future.
It was certainly a courageous and at times brilliant speech. I donated for the first time ever, after I watched it. I think this will energize his base but I do not think it will change the minds of the white folks that think Wright is "racist" and "anti-American". Not sure how many of those folks would've voted for Obama anyway though. He sure as hell did look presidential though.
If you didn't have a chance to catch Obama's speech, you can check it out here, with a link to the full video.
It was an odd and refreshing feeling to have somebody in his position talk openly about race, explain to those unfamiliar why there are such strong divisions in this country, and offer a start to help us get to the bottom of the problems that have been ignored for too long.
Obama changed the game today.
I thought he did a good job......hope it came across that way to the folks who will decide on his future.
Rock, how do you feel about the Wright situation after he spoke on it today?
I have a feeling that being forced to address race at this poing in the campaign could be an advantage to Obama. Nobody else in the bid for the presidency can even begin to speak on it.
Three hours later, Hillary was giving a "press conference" on CNN with Nutter posted up in the background, blowin' on about the economy and Iraq, saying she didn't even hear Barack's speech.
If you didn't have a chance to catch Obama's speech, you can check it out here, with a link to the full video.
It was an odd and refreshing feeling to have somebody in his position talk openly about race, explain to those unfamiliar why there are such strong divisions in this country, and offer a start to help us get to the bottom of the problems that have been ignored for too long.
Obama changed the game today.
I thought he did a good job......hope it came across that way to the folks who will decide on his future.
Rock, how do you feel about the Wright situation after he spoke on it today?
No different than what I posted yesterday.....and I think he pretty much addressed the issue in the way I suggested he would last night....there is a difference between having integrity and being a "slick politician"....I hope a majority of our country can figure that out.
I have a feeling that being forced to address race at this poing in the campaign could be an advantage to Obama. Nobody else in the bid for the presidency can even begin to speak on it.
Three hours later, Hillary was giving a "press conference" on CNN with Nutter posted up in the background, blowin' on about the economy and Iraq, saying she didn't even hear Barack's speech.
and wow did he speak on it. That speech is gonna go down in history if he makes it through. I mean seriously, the speech was riveting and like was already said, brilliant at times. His speech writers need to go pat themselves on the back right now. As long as he gets the nom and establishes himself as an historic figure, that speech is gonna be historical shit
He wrote it himself. Pretty amazing actually. He was putting the finishing touches on it just this morning before he stepped to the podium!
it was published before he spoke- but i don't doubt he played a major role in the speech, nor would i dismiss the idea that he wrote every word. the Audacity for Hope was a solo effort.
i also agree with others that it was a historical speech. he avoided the broad brush technique and spoke specifically about how racism is basically ingrained in our society. major props for not leaving his pastor under the bus (where he left him the past few days) and giving the american people enough credit to understand that you can respect someone without cosigning everything that he/she says.
i've criticized him in the past for avoiding this topic and now believe that if he talked about these issues months ago (with a speech like this), he'd have had a lot more Hillary turn-over. this was the fighting obama. its about time he gave this speech.
Yeah I was just pointing out that the speech wasn't finished until this morning - not that he was making anything up on the fly. Also I am sure he had help, but he was the principal writer.
Some of the comments on news sites are cringe-worthy.
If one of these spiritual advisors was my minister for 20 years, married me, baptized my children, and I dedicated my autobiography to him, then you would be an idiot not to assume I shared their hateful values whether I repudiated them or not.
"In his 1999 campaign autobiography A Charge to Keep, George W. Bush describes a soul-searching conversation with the Rev. Billy Graham that prompted him to re-evaluate his life, accept Jesus, and give up drinking. In the summer of 1985, as Bush tells it, his father, the vice president, invited the famous evangelist to Kennebunkport for a weekend visit. Graham spent an evening taking questions from members of the family about faith. The next day, Graham took a walk along the beach with Bush's eldest son and asked if he was "right with God." Bush said he wasn't, but that he'd like to be.
"Something was missing in my life, and Billy Graham stimulated my heart???I would like to say planted the mustard seed which grew, and started me on a journey, a walk, to recommit myself to Jesus Christ," was how George W. put it in one interview during the 2000 campaign. The terms "heart," "walk," and "mustard seed" occur in every telling. The mustard seed is a parable from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus tells his disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like the tiny mustard seed that grows into a huge plant. According to Bush's story, the conversation with Graham took a year or more to germinate. But it was this conversation that prompted his change of heart, which in an evangelical Christian context means accepting Jesus as his personal savior. This born-again experience led him to begin "walking," or leading a righteous life. Finding God enabled him to quit drinking, gave his life meaning and direction, and made possible the successful political career that followed."
It's okay though, Graham just thinks Jews are destroying America. He doesn't hate the U.S.
Listened to a replay of the entire speech on NPR on the drive home.
That was incredible. That is the person I want running this country.
Nothing more to say. If you didn't hear it, do yourself a favor, and get familiar. That was a big moment not in this campaign, but in American politics and history.
Some of the comments on news sites are cringe-worthy.
You're not kidding. Really, though - they're the same comments that people were making about him before the speech. 95% of the complaints about the man and his former pastor were DIRECTLY answered in this stirring talk, which must go down as one of this century's most stirring and salient oratories from a major politician regarding race. I know Dolo is a faker, but I'd like to know what Saba and Vitamin honestly, and I mean honestly, have to say about this speech.
But like I've said a millions times before: if you really want to get depressed about the state of America, READ YouTube ??? don't watch it.
Actually - now that I'm looking it up on YouTube, I've got to say that this is the probably the best response section (+ replies) I've ever seen. I wonder if this is the result of a filter. Either way, holy shit.
I'm only dismayed that not enough folks seem to grasp the gravity of this speech.
Some of the comments on news sites are cringe-worthy.
But like I've said a millions times before: if you really want to get depressed about the state of America, READ YouTube ??? don't watch it.
I really like this quote, i feel reading youtube comments are like the scrawlings on a washroom door, its what people really feel when they don't have accountability(because of an online presence).
The speech...wow...i read some comments on it here and there and i didn't really expect much. i mean politics is politics, i anticipated him disassociating himself with the pastor and making some comments on race.
i can't articulate it, but i guess i'd say, he said stuff "he didn't have to say."(my quotation marks) that's what impressed the hell out of me. it was real as hell. here's a man who know's he has to tread very carefully, he can't segregate the blacks from the whites (oh and he did a good job of being inclusive of those outside blacks and whites as well) and he was profound and realistic at the same time.
he did the thing i feel nervous about talking to with white people sometimes(or even posting on this board...or especially posting on this board!!!), its like convincing them without feeling guilty themselves that racism thrives and is alive as hell, so don't feel guilty just because we're having a discussion on race relations. there's a perspective i have that you may never be able to appreciate first hand, and i'm not mad at you for it, im just explaining it to you aka "godamn america" in some people's eyes.
at the same time, he commented on middle white america, and their struggles and that side is real as well. as well as reverse racism. it would piss me off if i was white and people blamed me on the actions of my ancestors and did not judge me on my own merits.
also, i was very impressed about him explaining the rationale of his "former pastor", giving it a context and at the same time disapproving the message itself. he could have easily done a clean cut dissasociation of the pastor, but there are positives and negatives in things and he went about explaining that. strategic-wise i would have thought that would go against him, but i guess u can see it another way.
another important issue was him mentioning that he has a black AND white part of him. now we know it can be construed as strategic to commment on that, but for mixed people i imagine is must bug them to ONLY be considered black when they're mixed, i think even tiger woods mentioned something about that. it was very important to state that perspective, i mean while my parents may be from somewhere else, and im born in north america, i got many parts to me. and im glad dude expressed that.
my only negative comment personally is the mention of religion so much. but i understand its america and you guys have "in god we trust" on your money. i just think religion should be totally left out(well, the speech did revolved around the pastor so im contradicting myself here..)but i really dont care for people's creed, as long as the creed of the progression of humanity is in their core.
anyway, i'm canadian, and i gave a shit about this speech this much. i have a youtube attention span and i watched the whole thing totally engaged. and i think i felt what it was like when i hear older people say what it was like to listen to the greats of the past. articulation is one thing, but i really feel the substance in the dudes words. i would hope that even if obama is not elected prez (reality outweighs hope and i'm thinking he won't be) he is definitely a leader and i hope he helps inspire the rebuilding of your country. he may not end up in the whitehouse, so i think he should just build a greyhouse and kick it from there.
Big_Stacks"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
Hey,
Indeed, Sen. Barack Obama delivered an incredible speech. I especially enjoyed the point he stressed, one in which my wife and I often discuss, about how the plight of people of color affects Whites too (and vice-versa). Any less than a perfect society for ALL PEOPLE hurts ALL THE PEOPLE. Beyond Dr. Martin Luther King, I have never heard such a "common fate" ideology in approaching race relations expressed so eloquently by a public figure, let alone a presidential hopeful. It was beautiful and I am so proud for a Black man to represent so wonderfully. He is the embodiment of the hope for which my ancestors were beaten, raped, tortured, excluded, and humiliated; the reason they fought fervently to ensure that Sen. Obama could ever imagine such an platform from which to speak. It's awe-inspiring and it's a moment about which America should be proud.
I'm superbly annoyed at how so many news outlets are making the speech about his pastor and not about Obama tackling RACISM IN AMERICA.
Personally, I need to listen to the speech rather than just reading it off the page but it's clear it was only partially about his pastor and really has so much more to say beyond that.
I'm only dismayed that not enough folks seem to grasp the gravity of this speech.
True, but its not really a new message.
Inasmuch as hate and love and good and evil are not new concepts, then... no. But if this is not THE defining "State of the Union/State of Race" for our generation, then grits ain't groceries, eggs ain't poultry, and Mona Lisa was a man.
Comments
Knowing someone, regardless of the relationship, doesn't mean you adopt their values and viewpoints.
It was an odd and refreshing feeling to have somebody in his position talk openly about race, explain to those unfamiliar why there are such strong divisions in this country, and offer a start to help us get to the bottom of the problems that have been ignored for too long. He gets into a lot of stuff about Pastor Wright, too, which should answer people's questions.
Obama changed the game today.
I thought he did a good job......hope it came across that way to the folks who will decide on his future.
Rock, how do you feel about the Wright situation after he spoke on it today?
Three hours later, Hillary was giving a "press conference" on CNN with Nutter posted up in the background, blowin' on about the economy and Iraq, saying she didn't even hear Barack's speech.
No different than what I posted yesterday.....and I think he pretty much addressed the issue in the way I suggested he would last night....there is a difference between having integrity and being a "slick politician"....I hope a majority of our country can figure that out.
and wow did he speak on it. That speech is gonna go down in history if he makes it through. I mean seriously, the speech was riveting and like was already said, brilliant at times. His speech writers need to go pat themselves on the back right now. As long as he gets the nom and establishes himself as an historic figure, that speech is gonna be historical shit
He wrote it himself. Pretty amazing actually. He was putting the finishing touches on it just this morning before he stepped to the podium!
no shit? wow...dude is becoming monumental.
it was published before he spoke- but i don't doubt he played a major role in the speech, nor would i dismiss the idea that he wrote every word. the Audacity for Hope was a solo effort.
i also agree with others that it was a historical speech. he avoided the broad brush technique and spoke specifically about how racism is basically ingrained in our society. major props for not leaving his pastor under the bus (where he left him the past few days) and giving the american people enough credit to understand that you can respect someone without cosigning everything that he/she says.
i've criticized him in the past for avoiding this topic and now believe that if he talked about these issues months ago (with a speech like this), he'd have had a lot more Hillary turn-over. this was the fighting obama. its about time he gave this speech.
Some of the comments on news sites are cringe-worthy.
"In his 1999 campaign autobiography A Charge to Keep, George W. Bush describes a soul-searching conversation with the Rev. Billy Graham that prompted him to re-evaluate his life, accept Jesus, and give up drinking. In the summer of 1985, as Bush tells it, his father, the vice president, invited the famous evangelist to Kennebunkport for a weekend visit. Graham spent an evening taking questions from members of the family about faith. The next day, Graham took a walk along the beach with Bush's eldest son and asked if he was "right with God." Bush said he wasn't, but that he'd like to be.
"Something was missing in my life, and Billy Graham stimulated my heart???I would like to say planted the mustard seed which grew, and started me on a journey, a walk, to recommit myself to Jesus Christ," was how George W. put it in one interview during the 2000 campaign. The terms "heart," "walk," and "mustard seed" occur in every telling. The mustard seed is a parable from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus tells his disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like the tiny mustard seed that grows into a huge plant. According to Bush's story, the conversation with Graham took a year or more to germinate. But it was this conversation that prompted his change of heart, which in an evangelical Christian context means accepting Jesus as his personal savior. This born-again experience led him to begin "walking," or leading a righteous life. Finding God enabled him to quit drinking, gave his life meaning and direction, and made possible the successful political career that followed."
It's okay though, Graham just thinks Jews are destroying America. He doesn't hate the U.S.
That was incredible. That is the person I want running this country.
Nothing more to say. If you didn't hear it, do yourself a favor, and get familiar. That was a big moment not in this campaign, but in American politics and history.
You're not kidding. Really, though - they're the same comments that people were making about him before the speech. 95% of the complaints about the man and his former pastor were DIRECTLY answered in this stirring talk, which must go down as one of this century's most stirring and salient oratories from a major politician regarding race. I know Dolo is a faker, but I'd like to know what Saba and Vitamin honestly, and I mean honestly, have to say about this speech.
But like I've said a millions times before: if you really want to get depressed about the state of America, READ YouTube ??? don't watch it.
I read the text this morning, but only now had a chance to watch him deliver it.
Without a doubt, the most important speech by a presidential candidate--or president--of my lifetime.
I'm only dismayed that not enough folks seem to grasp the gravity of this speech.
True, but its not really a new message.
I really like this quote, i feel reading youtube comments are like the scrawlings on a washroom door, its what people really feel when they don't have accountability(because of an online presence).
The speech...wow...i read some comments on it here and there and i didn't really expect much. i mean politics is politics, i anticipated him disassociating himself with the pastor and making some comments on race.
i can't articulate it, but i guess i'd say, he said stuff "he didn't have to say."(my quotation marks) that's what impressed the hell out of me. it was real as hell. here's a man who know's he has to tread very carefully, he can't segregate the blacks from the whites (oh and he did a good job of being inclusive of those outside blacks and whites as well) and he was profound and realistic at the same time.
he did the thing i feel nervous about talking to with white people sometimes(or even posting on this board...or especially posting on this board!!!), its like convincing them without feeling guilty themselves that racism thrives and is alive as hell, so don't feel guilty just because we're having a discussion on race relations. there's a perspective i have that you may never be able to appreciate first hand, and i'm not mad at you for it, im just explaining it to you aka "godamn america" in some people's eyes.
at the same time, he commented on middle white america, and their struggles and that side is real as well. as well as reverse racism. it would piss me off if i was white and people blamed me on the actions of my ancestors and did not judge me on my own merits.
also, i was very impressed about him explaining the rationale of his "former pastor", giving it a context and at the same time disapproving the message itself. he could have easily done a clean cut dissasociation of the pastor, but there are positives and negatives in things and he went about explaining that. strategic-wise i would have thought that would go against him, but i guess u can see it another way.
another important issue was him mentioning that he has a black AND white part of him. now we know it can be construed as strategic to commment on that, but for mixed people i imagine is must bug them to ONLY be considered black when they're mixed, i think even tiger woods mentioned something about that. it was very important to state that perspective, i mean while my parents may be from somewhere else, and im born in north america, i got many parts to me. and im glad dude expressed that.
my only negative comment personally is the mention of religion so much. but i understand its america and you guys have "in god we trust" on your money. i just think religion should be totally left out(well, the speech did revolved around the pastor so im contradicting myself here..)but i really dont care for people's creed, as long as the creed of the progression of humanity is in their core.
anyway, i'm canadian, and i gave a shit about this speech this much. i have a youtube attention span and i watched the whole thing totally engaged. and i think i felt what it was like when i hear older people say what it was like to listen to the greats of the past. articulation is one thing, but i really feel the substance in the dudes words. i would hope that even if obama is not elected prez (reality outweighs hope and i'm thinking he won't be) he is definitely a leader and i hope he helps inspire the rebuilding of your country. he may not end up in the whitehouse, so i think he should just build a greyhouse and kick it from there.
Indeed, Sen. Barack Obama delivered an incredible speech. I especially enjoyed the point he stressed, one in which my wife and I often discuss, about how the plight of people of color affects Whites too (and vice-versa). Any less than a perfect society for ALL PEOPLE hurts ALL THE PEOPLE. Beyond Dr. Martin Luther King, I have never heard such a "common fate" ideology in approaching race relations expressed so eloquently by a public figure, let alone a presidential hopeful. It was beautiful and I am so proud for a Black man to represent so wonderfully. He is the embodiment of the hope for which my ancestors were beaten, raped, tortured, excluded, and humiliated; the reason they fought fervently to ensure that Sen. Obama could ever imagine such an platform from which to speak. It's awe-inspiring and it's a moment about which America should be proud.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Personally, I need to listen to the speech rather than just reading it off the page but it's clear it was only partially about his pastor and really has so much more to say beyond that.
Inasmuch as hate and love and good and evil are not new concepts, then... no. But if this is not THE defining "State of the Union/State of Race" for our generation, then grits ain't groceries, eggs ain't poultry, and Mona Lisa was a man.
No, but what's completely new is that it's coming from somebody with a serious chance of being this country's next president.