Placing Reverend Wright's Sermons In Context

Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a patriot and a man who loves his country.

Fox News has become nothing more than a propaganda arm of the right-wing. Host Sean Hannity is a friend of a known neo Nazi and unfortunately the "conservative agenda" is enmeshed with the "white supremacist" agenda.

Fox and Pat Buchanan have been attempting to smear Rev. Wright as some kind of crazy wild-eyed "Kill Whitey" Negro by cherry-picking the most extreme parts of the reverend's provocative but insightful sermons.

In his speech on race, Barack Obama talked about viewing our racial divide in context.

We need to give the Reverend Wright the same courtesy and view his sermons in context as well.

Here is the 9/11 sermon, where Wright's "chickens come home to roost" comment was an embellishment and paraphrasing former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Edward Peck in an interview on Fox. Wright calls 9/11 an "unthinkable" act and calls for nonviolence and an end to hatred.

Here's the 9/11 sermon in a larger context:

Here's a larger portion of the reverend's "God Damn America" sermon:

Why are we not shown these longer clips on the news media? Why is Rupert Murdoch, an Australian, setting the tone for our presidential race? Why aren't reporters digging deeper than soundbites provided to them by Fox News? Why are CNN and MSNBC offering us nothing better than regurgitated headlines from Fox?

Our media is in a terrible state when ordinary citizens doing a Google search can do a better job than some of the highest paid "journalists" in the country.

Comments

[billflannigan]

I would like Pat Buchanan and Sean Hannity to state that anyone who attends mass performed by Cardinal Mahony ( of Los Angeles) should walk out and never go back to that CATHOLIC CHURCH. After all, Mahony KNEW INTIMATE DETAILS ABOUT NUMEROUS PRIESTS WHO COMMITTED REAL CRIMES AGAINST THEIR MOST INNOCENT PARISHONERS- and then passed the priests from one parish on to another, where they could continue to molest innocent children! And yet he is still there, still followed by thousands even though we all know what HE DID, not just what he SAID. So, to the FOX hypocrites I say- clean up your own house before you condemn a man just for his words, words you manipulated to remove any real context or understanding.

[treetracker]

Listen to Rev Wrights complete 9/11 sermon, "The Day of Jerusalem's Fall: here: http://essence.typepad.com/news/2008/03/listen-to-rev-j.html

I am disgusted with the way the media has handled this, but considering how lousy a job they've done in the past 7 years, I guess I should expect it. What happened to telling both sides of a story in journalism? I am sickened when I think of the number of comments I've seen on various sites where Rev. Wright and Sen. Obama have been condemned. Should he lose this election, the media will be to blame for pushing this story without providing all the facts.

[MinnesotaDoc]

I agree. I took the time to watch the complete sermons and they are different in context then out of context. The media has done a terrible job of this.

[Brooklyn11205]

Thanks for this...except for the AIDS thing (and with Tuskeegee in our rear-view, how could some not believe it as a possibility), I thought Rev. Wright had some real solid points in the clips they've been running ad-nauseum on the news shows, and that there was definitely no need to pillory the man or Obama over them...all of this manufactured hysteria, but now...Jesus!!!

Not only has the leading candidate for the nomination had to deal with this crap for the last week or so, but Rev. Wright and Trinity have had to watch themselves be abused and assailed again and again.

Well, at least all of the white folks who were uncomfortable about feeling as though they might be leaning towards voting for a black guy have found their "get out of jail free card."

But it's just so disgusting that the media have not even had the decency or fairness to play these sermons more in-full.

[barriosbabe]

Why isn't this now in the MSM? Arianna? Bill Maher?? Why aren't you shouting THIS across the top headlines?

[ShugAvery]

As a member of Reverend Wrights Church I appreciate you being a voice of truth in the midst of these attacks.

Please visit http://truthabouttrinity.blogspot.com/
to find out more

The sermon Audacity of Hope is also available on YouTube

God Bless!

[beaglemom]

I'm so disgusted. Where are all the mainstream media on this one? This should be a top story everywhere, just like the "out of context" version was!

[thomdavis1]

thank you Lonnee---nice job! :)

[efranklin]

Fox News is a veritable appendage of the GOP. Do they still run under the insanely disingenuous banner of "fair and balanced". Please. It is the National Enquirer masquerading as CNN. Anyone who takes Fox News seriously needs their head examined.

[Rule Of Law]

I'm a Democrat. So, as they say, I don't belong to an organized party. But one thing that the leadership of the Democrats--and I'm talking Bill Clinton here--and the Republicans have in common, is an economic agenda that concentrates wealth at the very top 1%, by deregulating industries like the Financial Co's that have given us this recession, and removing the barriers to ownership of cross-platform media, so that one company can own multiple papers in the same market along with TV and Radio. This has led to a consolidation of media power in the hands of just 7 international corporations--Murdoch's being just one. The more they control what we see and hear, the easier it is to continue the transference of, not just wealth, but of real Power!

If those who control the money in a country, like the so-called Federal Reserve and the international banks that own it, also control the policy making of the government, then those who control our Information, ultimately control the Reality of the public mind set! We see what they want us to see. We hear what they want us to hear. And like amoebae given the proper stimulus, we react accordingly. The days of a free and open internet are nearly over. This place is the last bastion of open discourse in our society. When ATT and Verizon take control and net neutrality is dead, then so will free speech be in America. And we will see one clip of the Rev. Wright over and over and over again; one version of the "Romantic" 100 years war called Iraq; and a shiny new version of the Constitution written by Bush/Cheney available on a pay for play basis on the New Murdoch-Net!

[NoDrama]

Those who suggest Senator Obama should disassociate himself from his church are espousing a very un-Christian point of view. We all make mistakes, as Reverend Wright has, but that doesn't' mean Obama can't see past them to the man himself. Who does it serve to force a man to abandon his faith?

Should ever Catholic abandon the church over the scandals involving priests, or even over a disagreement with the Pope himself regarding contraception? Who does it serve to force a person to abandon their faith?

The notion that Fox is fair and balanced has already been shown to be ludicrous. The spin and bias is obvious to all. The fact they choose this particular way to attack Barack Obama only serves to validate my support for his candidacy.

[union79]

YIKES ~ what a difference context makes. The message is 180 degrees different from the one Fox would have us believe.

The upsetting part is that our television and radio have been non stop response to this clip and as a result just intensifies and inflames the divisions in our society ~ and in the process drags Obama through the mud of ridicule and judgement.

Is there no bottom to FOX's hate pit? Is there nothing society can do to stop this? If nothing else, Wright should sue them for defamation of character!

[shamba]

Exactly, union79, the media is shamelessly intensifying and inflaming racial divisions -- because perhaps it sells.

[silverball]

....joe "scar" scarborough has been like a rabid dog on this....worse than faux news and more disectted than any other cable show..."relentless joe" (a highly acidic blend....)...and he has a clever approach..."loves the speech".....wait for it.....BUT, (then the less than accurate portrail of the) still got a lot of "splainin' to do" about wright...wonder if he's ever watched the more complete videos???......

[Klingon]

It'll be interesting to see how the media will spin this now.

[Gogetter]

Unfortunately the much of the media won't give this any play. Like I read in another blogger's post, the media thives on conflict. When it comes to Obama, that means they're willing to let Fox News lead them around by the nose.

[JillJ]

You've identified a major problem with our "news" organizations. Rather than fully presenting facts and all sides of a story, they rely on the most inflammatory bits, pieces and sound bites to enrage their audience. Newspaper articles regurgitate press releases. Investigative journalism is in serious danger of becoming extinct.
These biased, out-of-context stories should be classified as fiction rather than news. I am saddened by our society's willingness to accept such reports. I am constantly amazed at the many intelligent people I meet who are completely taken in by these stories without question. Thankfully the internet has given the rest of us access to other venues whereby we become journalists ourselves to suss out a more accurate and complete story.

[scottymac11]

The whole text alters the perspective greatly doesn't it? Two pretty thoughtful and compassionate pleas for a better government that follows a more richious path. I fear relatively few people will see the whole text. I think most people will prefer to believe the worst in pastor wright.
I have a brother. We care deeply for each other and wish each other the best. If my brother thought I was harming myself ,my family, or anyone else through imprudent behavior. He would be telling me 'Goddam Scottymac11'. 'Do the right thing'. That of course would be coming from love and concern for my well being and those around me.