Inspiration Versus Degradation

Sometimes our degraded press prefers the prediction to the event itself. I'm talking about Jeremiah Wright's interview with Bill Moyers. It aired last Friday night and to my mind was one of Bill's best interviews. Rev. Wright was talking to someone in his own metier. Moyers is also ordained, is a great speaker and cares deeply about social justice. So it was an equal interviewing an equal -- so seldom the case on television.

Bill Moyers nevertheless pushed Wright hard, raised all the questions Wright's out-of-context sound bites have aroused and played lengthy excerpts from his sermons. I was inspired. This is a pastor I'd listen to on a Sunday instead of namby-pamby Tim Russert or the various screaming clubs on network TV.

Wright seems utterly sincere to me. He strikes me as having a true spiritual calling. When he says, "America's chickens have come home to roost," I can't fault his logic. Haven't we been squandering hard earned taxpayer money on overseas adventures while we starve poor children? Haven't we been supporting dictators while prating of democracy? Haven't we been enriching profiteers at the expense of health care and education? You betcha.

A week ago I told my audience in Rome that in the last several years, I've been ashamed to be an American. A cheer went up from the amphitheater. It was such a relief, audience members later told me, to hear an American speak the truth for a change.

The Italians may have voted for Silvio Berlusconi, but they don't think George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have been good for America or the planet. Like most Americans, they would love to see them gone. So would Italians. Italians love American and feel pain when we slide away from the great ideals our Constitution and Bill of Rights have given the world.

Italians feel they have a stake in America. It's interesting to hear how thrilled they are by New York. When I say "sono New Yorkese" (I'm a New Yorker), they are delighted. And they also love LA and Chicago and Miami. Many Italians commute between New York and Rome, LA and Milan, Miami and Florence. They can't vote in the US but you'd never know that by how interested they are in American politics. They love our great 18th century traditions -- sometimes more than we.

So where's the discussion of Jeremiah Wright's real calling? You can't find it. Our idiotic press prefers to play orphaned excerpts and force Barack Obama to apologize for words he never spoke. What is this apology stuff? Everyone has to apologize for their pastors, their doctors, their mothers, their fathers, their churches, their social affiliations. Why? Apologies are cheap. Inspiration is hard to find.

Just because a man is inspired by his pastor doesn't mean he agrees with every word his pastor says. Duh. Even a moron knows that. But inspiration remains important. And you will never be inspired by running stuff out of context and playing gotcha.

Our press has become a sea of triviality, meanness and irrelevant chatter.

God knows inspiration is always welcome. Moyers and Wright gave us that on Friday night.

Comments

[Jaylee07]

Erica, those were not his words, he was quoting the Ambassador to Iraq. If anyone bothered to listen to the whole speech they would know that.

[bac]

Exactly! When you hear the full sermon you hear Wright repeatedly and specifically quoting this Ambassador, who was also identified as a white person, that America’s chickens have come home to roost. Independent of the validity of the statement, I wonder why no one mentions this, specially the MSM, and why there was no similar outrage when these words were first uttered by that US Ambassador. Of course I have no idea that this is true, but if it were true, then it should have at least been pointed out by someone in the media. The MSM has become an utter joke!

[sandtats]

It is true, those were the words of the former Ambassador Ed Peck whom the Rev. was quoting; clearly and emphatically attributing to, the "chickens coming home to roost" quote. And the irony of it all is that he (Peck) said it on Fox, on Hannity; the video is out there on YouTube. It's all so incomprehensible, what the agenda driven MSM has done, is capable of doing, to one individual, (make that two, Wright and Obama by association) by taking his words out of context and repeating them endlessly; brainwashing, that's what it is. God, I feel like I'm living out some Kafkaesque nightmare. Along with McShame's utterly revolting proclamation yesterday that Obama was the one who is insensitive to the poor...mind boggling. This is the privileged son and grandson of military "royalty," married to a beer heiress; a man who zips around in his wife's private jet, owns 8 homes; who waited dutifully on a tarmack in AZ for Bush to deliver to him his birthday cake, whilst Katrina victims were drowning in their bedrooms. Excuse me while I got vomit.

[bobo209]

Compare him to that ZIONIST CHRISTIAN FRAUDSTER HAGEE??HE IS A SAINT AND SPEAKS THE TRUTH..

24 iraqi family memebers were killed over a year ago,the 14 year old girl was raped and burnt by the MARINES US MARINES THE REST OF THE FAMILY WAS KILLED TO HIDE THE HORROR..
Now you people tell me about reverend RIGHT..HE IS RIGHT.

[LittleSanityLeft]

Do not get it twisted. Truth, honesty, empathy and the willingness to search out such noble causes--because they are causes, especially now--do not get good ratings. Does anyone believe the travesty of the ABC debate wasn't directly fueled by the news rooms horrific ratings?

"The medium is the message"
--Marshall McLuhan

TV, in this case, is built upon images and such images are done in sound bites. The Jeremiah Wright sound bites fed the medium and contributed to the negativity message that gets ratings for the networks. Outrage was what fed the ratings, so a real discussion about the legitimacy of saying "GOD Damn America" as it relates to scripture isn't discussed. It is that sort of honest discussion that helps America, but isn't going to help ratings. Which do you think the MSM care about more, ratings or America? Truth people.

If there's one thing that I could inject into the American conscience it's humility. You'd think after 8 years of Bush and what he has done to the world and America's worth in it, that America would have learned a little humility, a central theme in Christianity and scripture. I wouldn't say I hold any hope that America will get past the differences and reach for unity and understanding, but I will pray for it.

[Zyzzygowski]

I saw the Moyers interview and was struck by what was new and had been absent from what the media had shown to this point. Rev Wright's statement about 'the chickens coming home to roost' was actually a quote from the NY Times. Rev Wright has a point about being taken out of context.

What concerns me, and remains an unexplored question, is that we took Revs Falwell and Robertson to task over their September 11th comments almost immediately some six years ago, and we are only now taking Rev Wright to task for his comments. Why? What is the difference between Rev Wright and the Revs Falwell and Robertson?

Yes, there is the double standard and it cuts both ways. We valued the words, and shot them down, when spoken by the Revs Falwell and Robertson, but we did not value the words of Rev Wright enough when he said them to shoot them down at that time.

By the way, our foreign policy does comeback on us. In fact, the best representation of this fact is the Statue of Liberty given to us by France. France gave it to us because of what we stand for and believe.

[IndependentPAVoter]

I was with you for a second there but you killed that saying what Wright said is somehow equal to the ignorance of Falwell's comments.

"If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being". - Jerry Falwell

'And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say', "You helped this happen."
-Jerry Falwell on 9/11

Rev. Wright questioned the actions of our government for 9/11 Falwell basically said God did it because of Gays, abortion, etc.... How can that even be considered in the same ballpark.

[brodon]

I came to fully understand black racism after the O.J. trial. But I'm still baffled by wihie liberals who support it.

Spewing this stuff in a free speech society is legal, but how you folks can tolerate it from a pulpit is beyond me.

If your Really want to comprehend the racial state of the union, do a web search on Black on White crime, and a second search on the effort to surpress it.

[Sandy972]

It also amazes me , "brodon", that after seeing someone like Wright you are still so ignorant or backward to what he said. I am listening to Rev. Wright right now on CNN (live) and he is so superior to most people who even dare to speak about him and I am a white, 60 year old woman, teacher, mother of 5 who is not particularly religious. But I am open to listeneing to someone else who might have many different views than mine, and this man is not hateful. He is funny, inspiring, and absolutely right about what he has said regarding many things about America. Our government for the last 8 years is totally corrupt, but most Americans can't or won't handle the truth.

He actually turned out to be an asset not a liability. Great speech last night at NAACP and today at the Press Club.

[SpoxLogic]

Brodon, brodon, brodon...there is no such thing as Black racism in THIS country. Discrimination, yes. (Which in my view is so stupid, it defies logic) In order to be racist, you have to have the power to enforce that discrimination. Blacks have no such power in the U.S. If you were in Mozambique, as a white, and were discriminated against based soley on your skin color, then THOSE Blacks would be racist. Get it right, man.
Supress Black on white crime...? No such thing. They roll out the complete calvary when ever a white is attacked by a black.

[daddigrace]

This negative perception of Reverend Wright is being promoted by interests who desperately want to establish a racist "equivalency" in order to counter the political determination of those minority groups, especially Blacks, which they wrongly believe encroaches upon the liberties of everyday White Americans.

Why should racist White voters ever have to confront their own racism now that they have a false sense of vindication in the form of a black boogeyman in Reverend Jeremiah Wright?

The bottom line is this: the typical bigoted white voter remain free to continue to feel completley justified in 1.) maintaining their bigoted views, 2.)voting against their own political interest, 3.) not having to bring themselves to vote for a black man.

[nellpost]

In my opinion, it's reverse racism. And white liberals need to stop making fools of themselves by pandering to whatever seems chic.

[nerakami]

Many Americans still cannot handle the truth. The truth is this country has some very dark and disgraceful periods in its history. The truth is the Europeans settlers occupied the land at the disastrous and cruel expense of the Native Americans. The truth is, this nation became wealthy at the expense of black Americans through its application of a brutal and dehumanizing policy of slavery. The truth is we have made many horrible mistakes but the truth also is, we can learn and grow towards strength and integrity, if we can reconcile our past by coming to terms with it. Those who choose to remain narrow minded and one dimensional are holding us back. We have evolved into a nation of diverse cultures, races and religions and when we accept that our beauty and strength come from our diversity... then finally, we will be.... united Americans.

[mingjia]

I haven't heard much of Wright's message--but I'm sure there's an strong element of heaping guilt on the white man for slavery and racism and attributing the problems of the large black underclass to those episodes from Åmerica's past. It's the same old song. Black "leaders" have used slavery and racism as an excuse for African American troubles for 30 years. Get off that jag--what's the point of railing past "injustices" day after day, year after year? The opportunities are out there, racism is waning in America. African Americans need to do more themselves--stop blaming your woes on America's past. I'm not proud of the fact that there was slavery--but it's history. Move on. Anybody can get ahead in America if the go to school, work hard, act responsibly, make smart decisions. Too many people don't--black AND white. I'm tired of hearing about 15-year-old black kids (raised by poor mothers, no father, high-school drop-outnatch) killing people during robberies--it is SHOCKING how far removed from mainstream culture a lot of African American kids are. African Americans don't want to hear it, but look at Asians in America. They haven't been treated swell either, but they don't run around crying about bias all the time. They go to school, study hard and work their tails off. Result: they get ahead. Black leaders should be teaching the same VALUES and stop blaming the past and the white man for everything---it's counterproductive.

[RoloTomassi]

You should know--not guess--at the subject matter before you attempt to discuss it. You've made gross assumptions about content anc context that only listening to his sermons [or reading transcipts] can correct.

[Ohg]

Rev. Wright, like many others, allows his anger to control his behavior - justified or not, the anger serves to fulfill his prophecy..­..........­........
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/03/20/rev-wrights-self-fulfilling-prophecy/

[Stevie57]

I watched, riveted, to CNN last night as Rev. Wright spoke. I had seen the Bill Moyers interview earlier which defined Jeremiah Wright, The Man, as reasoned, articulate and full of a moral and Christian certitude, that I can only envy.
Last night I saw Rev. Wright the Pastor. Intellectual, brilliant, impassioned, inclusive … all the best things one wants in a spiritual leader, wrapped in the soaring cadence of the Black Church.

His tone was didactic and vigorous, exhorting his mostly black audience, to move towards acceptance, tolerance, upliftment and make a commitment to interacting positively among themselves and with others. He addressed some hard issues; no, not racial ones, much more sticky ones, like the homophobia still existing within much of the African American community. His speech combined the best of the gospel resonance with careful and thorough research and rational argument. It was full of some trenchant analysis of his community (Black male/female relationships), saved from sermonizing by touches of his wonderful singing voice and outrageous humour.

He was relevant, courageous, pithy, insightful and utterly brilliant!



This will, unfortunately, have absolutely no effect on the “don’t bother me with facts” bigots, but for the rest of the more lucid folk who may have had some questions as to why Sen. Obama was in that church, the Reverend answered last night.
Heck, as a long standing member of a rather bland Anglican/E­piscopalia­n congregation, I’d join in a heart beat.
He is inspiration personified !

[sufi66]

He could cost Obama the election.

[procrustes]

sufi--consider the possibility that your prognosis is convoluted. If Obama is nominated and loses the election with Rev. Wright cited as the cause, wouldn't the real cause be American ignorance--our inability or willingness to hear/learn the facts--and not Rev. Wright's sermons?

[sufi66]

I don't admire people in the God business, sincerity aside. This man could cost Obama the election and that would mean the end of the Supreme Court as well as other horrors.

He likes attention and obviously has a huge ego. The Republicans will feature him in every ad, making Willie Horton look like a choir boy. The Democrats will be in trouble and so will anyone else who cares about the country.

[apduncan1]

Afraid of hearing the truth, aren't we?

[sufi66]

Truth has nothing to do with it. The Republicans will exploit what he has to say.
If the Democrats lose in November, we could have 9 Scalias on the Supreme Court for the next two generations. This truth is more important to me than any truth a pathetic pastor might utter.

[katzooks]

Americans have long feared intelligent, outspoken black men. We dismiss them with words like "uppity." We silence them with vilifications. Anything to avoid acknowledging old fears -- the fears that keep keep us from opening our minds, to dismanteling old ignorance. This is one reason why many in this country would never vote for Barack Obama. This is also the reason why many will continue to vilify the Rev.Jeremiah Wright. Not because his words are wrong or untruthful, or that his message is anything but vital, but because his words resurrect deep-rooted fears, planted long-ago by the very people who enslaved and oppressed African Americans.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright is not so much an albatross to the Obama campaign as he is a surrogate and conduit for already-existing racial hatred. The Rev. Wright speaks important truths. What a shame that our national ignorance suppresses his positive message. I am grateful, as much as it appears to be pearls before swine, that the Rev. Wright lends his powerful voice to the cause of change. A lesser man would have been intimidated to silence, to political correctness, which has everything to do with maintaining the status quo, and nothing to do with addressing the wrongs of this world.

As a southern, middle-aged white woman who grew up in the desegration era, I embrace the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's voice. Those of us who seek change should add our voices to his.

[crisdel]

Well said! I couldn't agree more.

[JanetE]

Racial hatred? Where do you live? I live in the Northeast -- here racial divides are so yesterday. Today we live together, go to school together and black children have as much chance to go to college, become lawyers, doctors, businesspeople, etc. as anyone else does. Poor children have less chance whether they are black or white.

I think it's important to have a wider world view of this. The way Wright describes black-white relations is perhaps true in some parts of the country but certainly not all parts. His views are very strange to me. They don't jive with real life as it is today. How much longer do we need to feel guilty about slavery?

And I totally disagree that the Wright criticisms were directed at the black church or at his "Grandmama". Come on!!! Such spin! Again, the media should feel guilty? Uh uh.

[RoloTomassi]

You should wake up to the fact that your niche reality isn't comprehensive for black in the US, not by a longshot. The fact that his views are strange to you does not define his strangeness, but your tunnel vision.

[nickyhartzell]

Reverend Wright's analyses of American policy judged against the message of the Bible were well explained by Wright and mostly true. The only point I still wrestle with (because I can't ask him personally and Moyers didn't ask) was the AIDS comment. We know about the syphilis experiments, but I wonder where his AIDS argument is coming from. Does anyone know? He's a historian, and everything in his Moyers interview was factually based, so where's the background to that accusation?

[Horst]

The Black church like Black political leadership has been co-opted by hustlers with big egos. It is sad that someone like Al Sharpton is now the voice of the "civil rights movement." What a contrast with King, Abernathy,Young, etc. Wright with his idiotic comments about HIV/AIDs is just the latest in this trend. In fact his oversized ego is doing irreparable harm to Obama's campaign.

[Jaylee07]

Both comments above show that you should do your research better. Before you make comments about someone have all the information first. You both have computers find the full sermons and watch for youselves. If Barack isn't elected that's too bad for us. If in 2008 we cannot find the truth and then make a judgement we, the people in this country, deserve everything we get from our government.

[SkipHarv]

It is called "CIRCLE LOGIC". The SAME thing is what causes people to believe that Sen. Obama has the same views as his Pastor. You have to remember that AIDS first hit not too long after the 40-50 year Tuskegee Experiment on Blacks was revealed to the masses. So, as Black people if right after learning your GOVERMENT was doing the things that entailed the TE logically you coulod make a case for this "NEW" virus was either A: a continuation of the TE or B: a result of the findings about the immune system as a result of the TE. You must recall that when AIDS first hit the US it was called G(ay)AIDS then it hit the minority community. It wasn't until Ronnie and Nancy's friend Rock Hudson got GAIDS did it become AIDS and the US started funding research into the disease. As long as Gays and Minorities were the only ones affected it didn't merit ANY goverment research dollars. So it was and is not that far of a stretch to believe the US Government had a hand and it's creation.

[sufi66]

He's an ignorant man, period. Maybe he'll get a book deal and Sunday morning TV show out of all the attention. He'll get rich by becoming the Falwell of the Left.

[Teadye]

I would guess it's the same reason Hillary Clinton assumed a Great Right Wing Conspiracy when BJ-Gate hit. He generalized known elements of another situation into a different one without hard evidence, or even bothering to dig for some facts.

[WorldGriot]

The press has an obligation to a free society to research deeply before characterizing comments. When people talk about HIV/AIDS, there are still some really tough questions that have not been (and apparently cannot be) answered because the question CANNOT BE ASKED, what is the true cause of AIDS?
During the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commissions testimony, it was revealed that GEN. Wouter Bossan, aka Dr. Death, acknowledged looking for a disease that would kill Black Africans but not Whites. 60 minutes did a piece on an American Doctor who died mysteriously in California who was associated with Dr. Death and when he died was discovered to have all kinds of deadly diseases in his refrigerator at home (Ebola, Anthrax, etc). He was a right winger who was working on a "cure for AIDS in Africa" with Dr. Death. Curious yet? look at this link and tell me again why we are wrong to ask the question about racial collusion and AIDS? and then tell me why isn't everybody asking the question? http://www.geocities.com/project_coast/ . Before dismissing questions as "crank", "crazy" or "conspiracy theories", the media has a responsibility to research them. why are not these questions being asked? You are more ignorant if you don't at least ask.

[sytgrl]

As a former HIV/AIDS counselor, you are so right on with this post. Thanks for spreading the word!

[lacitepq]

I can't say I am ashamed to be an American, but I am dismayed by what the Bush Administration has done to our country. The reckless adventure in Iraq and its devastating consequences will be a reminder for decades to come of the poor leadership we received under Bush. I am also dismayed at the gullibility of the American public who elected such an intellectual lightweight and nonthinker to be our President. I only hope we have learned our lesson and will take the repsonsibility of citizen and voter much more seriously in the next election. We need to be willing to do a little homework on our Presidential candidates instead of letting the MSM define them for us and just swallowing it as truth.

[frenchynyc]

Dear Ms. Jong,

Excellent Post! I saw the interview and couldn't have said it better!

Wake up America!!! Watch the interview and start questioning the press and the lies they are ramming down our throats!!!

Apologies not accepted..­...explana­tions demanded from all sides!!!

best regards,

frenchy

[sandtats]

Once again you have my attention, Erica. Thank you, and thank you Bill Moyers and PBS. There are in fact, a few journalists still standing who have not yet entirely, sold their souls to the devil. I fear however it may all be a lost cause; a case of too little too late.

[adavis08]

Erica Jong is right. Bill Moyers interview should finally put to rest all of the nonsense regarding Reverend Wright. It brought tears to my eyes when he told how he and his family had received death threats and some lunatics had threatened to bomb the church. Hopwever there are some in the MSM that refuse to let this inane story die. Tucker Carlson this am on MSNBC was denegrating Reverend Wright...for telling the truth.

[AguynamedWayne]

When he preaches that AIDS was created by evil White men in the US Government as a weapon to murder the Black race, do you praise him for that as well? He is using the death and suffering of millions from HIV/AIDS to justify his warped racist hatred. Do you find that appealing? I find his racist lies shameful, and even worse, dangerous.

[itsme23]

Do your homework and find out about the way the UNITED STATES GOV'T DID SUCH A THING IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY BEFORE...LOOK UP THE TUSKEEGEE EXPRMTS....THIS HAPPENED IN HIS LIFE TIME!!! Please spare the drama...if you took the time to actually see THE ENTIRE SERMONS.....then you would see he takes up for ALL disenfranchised peoples...of all shades and religeons.....so you should probably know what you are saying before you say it...otherwise you just look SILLY and ALARMIST!!!

[katzooks]

Fact is, our government has a long history of using diseases to either maim or experiment on "inferior" populations, including African Americans (via the Tuskegee Study), Native Americans (via smallpox germ warfare) , mentally handicapped children (via the MIT & Quaker Oats Company's "Science Club" program), and, more recently, Hispanics (via the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study in Florida). This is but a small sampling of a very, very long list of such "studies" conducted by our government. One does not have to wear a tin-foil hat to reasonably suspect that our government could manufacture the AIDS virus.

Rather than dismiss the Rev. Wright's theory on the laboratory creation of HIV / AIDS, how about reading the history of the AIDS virus. Begin with Dr. McArthur's 1969 testimony before the Ninety-First Congress, and work your way to the laboratories at Plum Island and Fort Dietrich (the latter laboratory being the very source of the strain of anthrax used in the post 9-11 "terrorist" scares). Educate yourself about bio-warfare and our government's work in this area.


Then decide for yourself. Even if you disagree with the idea that our government is capable of such a thing, at least you'll be an informed dissenter.

[realtalk]

In all of us there are things that we believe that are happen to be true, and there are times that we also believe things that are happen to be false.
It's like my best friend who will tell you with a straight face because she believes it to be true, that there is nothing wrong with smoking cigarettes, and that it does not lead to cancer, and she will quickly point out that her own grandfather who lived until he was 93, smoked since he was 15 years old. Now my friend's "thinking" on this subject of cigarettes is FALSE, but it does not mean that when she also tells me that our trade policy with China over the years, our willingness to take their cheap goods, without concern of why they are able to produce them so cheaply, show that we are willing to be hypocrites about human rights, to ignore the fact that there are workers in China working 16 hour days, and earning pennies for their hard labour, that we are willing to ignore the fact that the government of China has zero respect for their workers rights, has been part of the cause of the lack of change in human rights policies in China. In my opinion my friend is RIGHT here!!!

So what I am saying is that a person can believe both things that are TRUE, and things that ARE false, we are human being, no one knows everything, we are all flawed!!