UN Agrees With Reverend Wright
I’m not sure why some folks send me things. I get plenty of crazy emails that convince me that Darwin was right. I also get some thoughtful emails like the following.
Why The United Nations Agrees with Obama’s Pastor, Jeremiah Wright
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, www.BoyceWatkins.com
Jeremiah Wright is the Pastor for Senator Barack Obama at The Trinity United Church of Christ. Pastor Wright was attacked for very strong comments he has made about race in America.
I am a huge fan of Pastor Jeremiah Wright and I consider Pastor Wright to be one of the great Americans of our country.
There, I said it. Now crucify me.
Just realize that by doing so, you will surely be on the wrong side of history. You will be on the same side as the founding fathers, who built a nation on the kind of racial bias that Pastor Jeremiah Wright and others are bold enough to honestly discuss in America. You will be on the same side as the generation before you, who swore that racism was a thing of the past and surely did not affect them. But when you look back at your grandparents’ generation, you can see their racism clearly. The problem is that your grand children will likely say the same thing about you.
I have been to Jeremiah Wright’s church, and I admire his spirit. He is truly a man who walks the walk of Jesus. Jesus would also not stand idly by and allow this blatant discrimination to exist. But like Jesus, Jeremiah Wright finds himself being held up for bloody attacks by the American public. As Dr. Martin Luther King showed us, America is good at persecuting its heroes, especially when it comes to race.
The logical reaction to individuals such as myself and Pastor Jeremiah Wright, educated black men who speak honestly on race, is to say that we are extremists or perhaps even insane. I can’t help but agree. We MUST be insane for having the audacity to point out the obvious. We are no different from anyone who was crazy enough to point out the holocaust during the Nazi era, or to speak honestly on liberty during the height of McCarthyism. The point that Pastor Wright makes is both correct and clear: AMERICA IS A RACIST COUNTRY. It has been in the past and continues to be to this day.
You think Jeremiah Wright is a lunatic? Let’s look for objective analysis, shall we?
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recently issued a scathing report about racism in America. In the report, the committee cited the following:
-The mass incarceration of black men in our prison systems. America has the largest prison population in history and half of those men are black. The problem is that black people are only 13% of the general population. To the rest of the world, it looks like America has found a way to continue its historical pattern of killing off black men.
-Inadequate legal defense for incarcerated individuals, leading to a higher likelihood of incarceration. The overworked public defender, as hard as he/she may try, does not represent justice for all.
-Longer prison sentences for the same crimes for black men and a disproportionate willingness of our government to kill these men when they are on trial for murder.
-Segregated school systems leading to far worse education for black children. Black boys are nearly five times more likley to be placed in special education (I was one of them and so was my brother) and inner city schools do not get the resources they need.
-The disenfranchisement of individuals with criminal records, denying them the right to vote, and significantly reducing their opportunities for employment for the length of their entire lives. There is no longer such a thing as paying your debt to society. The hands of fascism perpetually garnish your bank account of American freedom and civil rights.
You see, I am with Jeremiah Wright on this one. I applaud him for having the courage to speak the truth in support of people of color. Pastor Wright is a doctor, offering medicine to a country that is truly sick. We allow the Rush Limbaughs, Sean Hannitys and Bill O’Reillys to continuously attack people of color, while millions of blind Americans allow these uneducated monsters to continue the most horrific traditions of our nation.
Well, Jeremiah Wright and others like him are not going to sit by and let that happen. We’ve been taught to be honest and to fight back. I do it because it is what I am led to do. Jeremiah Wright does it because that is what Jesus would do. Either way, what we see is real and America needs to learn to deal with it. Silly terms like “reverse racism” are nothing more than ploys to alleviate our country of the guilt of what it has done to black families for the past 400 years. If you feel that someone is being racist for fighting against inequality, then this may imply that, deep down, you do not feel such individuals are worthy of the equality they seek.
Many have critiqued Pastor Wright’s assertation that AIDS was created by the US government to rid the world of black people. I have not seen evidence to support such an assertion. The problem is that Pastor Wright’s theory is NOT out of the question. Were we not the same country that injected black men with syphilis just to see what would happen? Did the CIA not play a role in allowing drugs into the black community before and during the Reagan era? Did the government not engage in illegal covert activities to undermine black leadership via CointelPro, in which Hoover said that the objective was to “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize” movements within the black community?
It’s not as if Pastor Wright, nor any other person of color, has good reason to trust the country that has made a market of exterminating black people. Sorry to break this to you, but those are just the facts. As I mentioned before, the United Nations agrees with us. Perhaps they are insane as well. By attacking people like us for speaking the truth, it is only perpetuating the global perception that The US is a self-righteous nation, quick to point out of the flaws of others, but unwilling to honestly assess its own areas for improvement.
On many other issues, Jeremiah Wright and I are in lockstep. America is a country that continues to allow racial inequality to fester and does nothing about it. We, for some ridiculous reason, have told our children that we can spend 400 years creating systemic inequality and then cure it overnight. Such a conclusion is not only nonsensical, but borders on the ridiculous.
Our government refuses to apologize for the atrocities of slavery, yet we are quick to condemn the Nazis for what they did to the Jews. What America did to black people was far worse, as the horror lasted over several centuries.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Jeremiah Wright and others are 100% correct when it comes to racism in America: many Americans just don’t get it and none of them want to understand how it works. But then again, that’s exactly how they were trained to think, so I am honestly not surprised.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of “What if George Bush were a Black Man?” For More Information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.
You know what is interesting is that Race problems are just whites against the blacks. People seem to think that. It is very clear in all parts of the country. I grew up in California, New York, Michigan, New Jersey, Arkansas. Louisiana and Utah. I spent the most time in Lousiana 13-1/2yrs and Utah 16 yrs. And after I was divorced I took my son out of the south to get him away from the racism. I did not grow up experiencing as strong as it was in the south. There are all levels of racism It is on ALL sides. It was black on white as well as white on black. In La it was deemed in apporpriate for having black friends as well as some of my black friends were heckled for being friends with me. My exhusband was turned down on finacial aide at school and was told you have to black in order to get it. Even though we qualified. They had a quota to fill. Same thing at his work. He was told nope you have to be black in order to get promoted because his boss was black and he said his friends would move up. It is in all classes of people.
I moved my son and myself to utah thinking I would get away from it. It is here but it is the islanders and the native americans that seem to be the racial tensions. Yes this counry is very racist not just black and white. That is a mistake.. but you have to see how a person lives their life before you call them a racist. Does Obama do anything other that listen to someone speak? What actions has he done that would make democrats turn on him? As far as listening there is nothing wrong with listening let actions speak. The experiments that were done on blacks are to be condemned yes but by the people who did them.. just like what the Nazi’s did to the Jews and anyone else that they didn’t like. But do you condem all germans? No. The government uses the soldiers to try out new vaccines. Vaccines that they cannot object to be subjected too without going to court. It is case study that is controlled. So were the downwinders in Utah from the nuclear tests. Government test subjects. The government also used the native americans for test cases. Racism is alive and well. But it is how someone lives their life that you should judge not by what someone they might go and listen to. It is the great freedom of this country. To have choices and speak your mind. But racism is not just white against black.
well dr. watkins you said an awful lot. i concur with your brief analysis and your reaction to the media attack upon dr.wright. we know what has happened to us here in america,and need not apologize for our reactions against it. patrice lumumba was killed for telling the belgian royals on independence day that they had been murderous rogues by their cruel treatment of the congolese people. whites do not handle criticism very well. as we can attest to the congo is yet destablized. the fact that mr.obama in 2008 still has to be concerned by the “jackie robinson factor” least he not get the white vote some sixty years after “jackie robinson” only verifys the correctness of rev.wrights assertions. white folks know that he is correct but who can acknowledge anything so inhuman as slavery, jim crow, and the massive discrimination and incarceration of african americans? it makes them feel guilty. we must take a lesson from the jews who flail the entire german nation whenever possible. they still hold germans unborn during world war two responsible for thier mamas suffering. they do this so that the germans will never forget what they did to them. blacks should do the same for white racist america. right on rev.wright!!!!!
Wright’s comments may be characterized as hysterical or even drama-for-the-sake-of-drama. But, Boyce Watkins has written a thoughtful, carefully conceived letter… Which makes it more appalling.
Watkins engages in clever syllogisms, but don’t be fooled. For example, Oscar says “Oranges are orange, Tiger Woods plays golf well, white people are satanic”. Watkins would respond: Hey don’t criticize Oscar… Tiger Woods is a great golf player.
Watkins, people are not upset with Wright because he suggest that America is/was a racist country. People are upset with Wright because he said 1) 9/11 was devine retribution . 2) God should damn all white people. So Mr. Wright, unless you are willing to defend those points - not the irrelevant ones that we all agree with - why waste internet bandwidth?
OK, we have to look at what the UN is, before we start acting like they give a crap about anyone.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8683417149337063720
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4124349935377240605
You have took look at the origins of an organization.
Keith -
The UN isn’t perfect but they are trying. That’s all that a reasonable man can say. Anything more isn’t correct and would be neocon blather.
No matter how many videos you ask us to look at there is no thing that we know. The UN is exactly what the USSR and US wanted. It is an organization that can issues documents and study things but can’t enforce squat.
(BTW, you have really swallowed this one world concept hook-line-and-sinker haven’t you. Do you have any real evidence? Not conspiracy videos but real evidence. Documents of meetings, agendas? Anything?)
Thanks for your comments.
O -
Bandwidth is here to waste. We aren’t in the old days of Compuserve!!!
thanks,
Did you even watch the video links I posted?
The reason I post video links, is because in these videos, evidence is presented, documents are presented, but if you do not watch the video, you will not know that…think of it as a condensed format.
Tell you what Eric, I will just observe your blog/forum from now on, instead instead of commenting, OK?
Thanks for putting up the news, and video downloads.
In response to Oscar, J. Wright said, “God damn America”. He did not say God damn all white people. After 911 in newspapers and talk shows the conversation centered on why are we so hated. Remember? Wright’s comments reflected what the government has been doing in the name of the United States of America. That is why many countries (our allies included) say they like Americans but not our government.
Just to add some background info to the discussion about Dr. Wright’s assertion that the AIDS virus was man-made, here are three links to articles that make or quote others making the same assertion. The Washinton Post article is particularly noteworthy for its in-depth analysis of the AIDS crisis from an African perspective.
http://www.whale.to/v/nile.html
http://www.freedomfiles.org/aidsforafrica.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/09/AR2006060901326_5.htmlP
The UN lost its credibility way long ago when it constantly condemned Israel but turned blind eyes to behaviours of terrorist groups that surround Israel. No wonder it backed Wright’s rhetoric (which includes plenty of antisemitism thrown in there).
Oscar is correct on all counts why people are furious with Wright. Cut from the same cloth- anti-American and anti-Israel.
Wright does indeed appeal to people’s anger and hate against “rich white” people (it is sin for him to hold hate in his heart for others based on their color, and he compounded his sin by encouraging others to do the same). His words emphasized that, when he speaks of the death of Jesus in particular. He spoke of Jesus being killed as a black man by “rich white” Romans. He turned a text about redemption into both class and racial struggle between black and white- a despicable attempt to twist Scriptures to play on hatred of others based on their color and having money, much like white supremacists twist Scriptures to try to paint blacks as inferior.
Let’s assume for the sake of the argument that he got the colors of Jesus and the Romans correctly (don’t know if he is wrong on color of those groups or not, but it is irrelevent to what the Bible teaches, no matter how the irrelevent Wright wished it otherwise).
That would mean by that logic, Jews in Jesus’ time were blacks since Jesus was a Jew.
And if that’s the case, in this case of Jewish authorities who called for Jesus to be crucified by the Romans, the pastor has just proved black on black crime.
I am sure he did not intend for that.
But if he wants so much to play on the theme that the Bible was talking about Jesus’ death being about over color, to make whites out to be some evil people, then he would also have to go after those of his own color.
Therein lies his selective use of argumentation which he falsely claimed to be from the Bible.
Let’s examine other thing he said.
He made the claim of Romans being rich white people based on the claim that they were Italians.
Another ignorant statement by him.
Italians today come from certain Germanic tribes, that overran the Italian peninsula, such as the Vandals and the Visigoths (the latter also took over what is modern-day Spain, so there is a whole lot of truth to the statement Italians and Spanish are cousins).
Those who lived in Italy in the Roman days were Latins mixed in with Estrucans.
So Wright did not even have his facts correct about history of groups of people to even make the argument Jesus was a black man killed by “rich white people.”
Nor does he care about fidelity to biblical truth, or otherwise he would have notice that Romans and Jews alike both have roles, and his logic would dictate Jews were blacks then, thus blacks would have been involved in the death of Jesus, too.
More, Wright emphasized not just the racial aspects he claimed existed as reason for the death of Jesus, but also the supposed contrast between poor Jesus and the RICH guys who crucified Him.
Basically, Wright is on dangerous grounds, not just for the racism garbage he is throwing out against whites and Jews. He is preaching to people to get them to envy and have anger at those who are rich. He is basically breaking the commandment not to covet and asking his entire to congregation to share in his wickedness there.
Deborah,
What part of America did he asked God to damn? Black America? All of America, including blacks?
Doubtful on either count.
His own words imply “white America.”
I saw his rhetoric. He used the argument “rich white men” as to blame for every wrongs, be it drugs, AIDs, even the death of Jesuz. And what did with Scriptures and history is play fast and loose with the facts. A prophet, if people want to defend his message as being the language of a prophet, does not resort to untruths. So if people want to use the prophecy excuse for him,be my guess. It proves then he is a false prophet.
And the saddest part is he didn’t even have to resort to play the blame the rich white men card by making things up, that he has no way of proving.
America has enough ugly past for him to get riled up about- slavery, segregation, poll tax laws, lynchings, etc., etc. Alot of crimes against humanity has been committed against blacks.
He lost alot of credibility with me railing against Jews, and associating himself with antisemitic groups, especially since Jews of all people would be the ones he should be able to relate to, since they suffered much throughout history, too, and even for centuries then blacks suffered.
He went over the line. No question about.
As preacher he is called to preach reconciliation, not continual animosity between people.
I personally have no problems with him saying God will and can judge America for its sins (like certain unequalities may exist in society today where blacks are at disadvantages). I do have a big problem with him being gleeful about when he said it judged for its sins with 9/11, as if he can read God’s mind (I feel the same revulsion hy the way for Pat Robertson or others on religious right for making the same idiotic claims, as if they can read God’s mind, when disaster hits us, and I consider myself religious rightist).
A prophet does not take joy when his country is judged.
And a prophet also seek out those who are sinning to warn them, to repent, not rail against them from afar where only those who shared in his perpetual victimhood can clap and cheer.
And let’s get same facts straight- what Islamic terrorists did on 9/11 they are doing because they are taught to hate anything Western or Jewish or anything that contrary to Islam.
Terrorists exist from those types of extremists in countries that are not exactly friendly to either Israel or America. See recent terrorist acts in Russia and Spain.
“Cut from the same cloth- anti-American and anti-Israel.”
I was referring to both Wright and the UN.
Let me just add that had I lived through what Wright lived through (like watch his folks and relatives and friends suffered for the color of their skin), I might have that kind of hatred in my heart, too. And I do think some form of racial inequalities still exist. I am a big sports fanatic, and it comes to mind immediately that while most players in basketball and football are black, hardly any black coaches exist. Alot of progress has been made since the civil rights era, but some things still has got to change.
None of that, however, excuse the type of rhetoric he chose to use on the pulpit. I just wanted to say I do agree with what Huckabee said though about Wright. As a Christian, I can still have sympathy for what Wright might have went through, but I still can’t condone his sin, no matter how much it was the product of what he went through.
Ordained ministers are held to a higher standard to preach from God’s word, not add to or take away from God’s word.
Wright needs to look at the example of the early Christians who were persecuted minority. How did Paul dealt with authorities who persecuted him?
And also look at what Christ taught on the subject of dealing with enemies.
Truth -
How many of Rev. Wright’s sermons have you listened to? How many services have you sat in on?
If your answer is none then I’m not sure that you have a leg to stand on. What God said was that we were not to judge. He was the judge. Maybe you missed that part in the Bible.
I’m not judging you for what I consider poorly thought out right wing crap.
“How many of Rev. Wright’s sermons have you listened to? How many services have you sat in on?”
None. Irrelevent.
If a white preacher was to say that nonsense about other races, you would not even be using this an argument.
Certain things said regardless of context are wrong. Period.
And you sure don’t deny the evidences provides of ties to terrorist groups that are racist and genoicidal in mindset as one can get. Telling.
“If your answer is none then I’m not sure that you have a leg to stand on. What God said was that we were not to judge. He was the judge. Maybe you missed that part in the Bible.”
I could judge white supremacist websites as evil and anti-Christian to the core, since I am bound by the left-wing reasoning that Jesus say we can’t judge at all. I could judge hate crimes against blacks and those who committed them as wicked and engaging in wicked behaviour.
I could judge the stupidity of Pat Robertson for knowing God judged us for our sins with Katrina, when he has no way of knowing that is true or not. I could judge Jerry Falwell for saying some hateful things against Democrats or against some celebrity like Ellen (I don’t approve of their views or lifestyles, but Falwell was out of bounds many times).
Can you judge anyone or their views at all now that you claimed the Bible say to absolutely not judge? I can consistently. You can’t do so without being inconsistent with your own claim about not judging there.
No, I didnt missed that part of the Bible.
Since you want to talk about context so much, let’s look at what Jesus meant. He was talking about not judging hypocritically. He didn’t say not to judge at all. He said do not judge under different standards. Like same measure used on another will be used on you.
And the other part of the Bible does have Paul saying Christians are to judge one another. To discern what is true to Scriptures.
And Christ warned Christians to watch out for false prophets and wolves in sheep’s clothing. By your logic, Christ would be telling Christians to disobey His command not to judge absolutely. But Christ never told Christ not to judge absolutely, just not to judge hypocritically.
“I’m not judging you for what I consider poorly thought out right wing crap.”
By your own logic, you would be.
In other words, you are telling to do what you say, not do what you do. Basically breaking Jesus’ own commands not to use different weights and measures.
What you deemed poorly thought out right wing crap also happens to be biblical.
In some ways, I happen to agree with Wright. There is UNEQUAL sentencings when it comes to drug sentencings. I could judge that as wicked and our country needs to repent of that and change its ways. Can you judge without breaking your saying not to judge ever?
I consider Robertson now the same way I consider Wright, not on the race issue, but on the issue of presuming to know the reason for disasters and reading mind of God on judgment.
You are the one with the poorly thought out left wing crap that the Bible tells us not to judge, as your excuse that we can’t judge what another say, yet you do it with me.
Now, I have no problem with you judging what I say, even though you are wrong.
What I do LOL at is the left-wing mantra one can’t judge yet left-wingers like you judge all the time writings and words of others you don’t like. Judging by yourself of what I or anyone else say is not wrong in itself, as long as it is accurate.
But don’t give me the nonsense you are not judging, because that is precisely what you are doing, while saying as if you believe Jesus tell us not to judge, so we can’t judge what anyone say.
I guess like I said, you miss the part of the Bible, where it says Christians to judge one another (Paul said it when he told the Corinthians to expel the immoral believer), where it says to test every spirit to see if it aligns with the truth, etc.
By your own logic, Wright would be wrong to judge anyone, whites, Jews, or whoever, at all, for deeds, real or imaginary!
In other words, I have problems with BOTH left-wing preachers AND right-wing preachers who abused the pulpit to malign another race or presume to speak for God when disaster strikes America.
And btw, I saw the original statements of Wright’s church in terms of mission statements. If not for his statements I heard on youtube, or the ties to certain groups, I actually have not much real problem with mission statements (outside the fact it does not make a statement of faith who that God is that they worshipped).
I do see right-wing pundits stretch themselves out like pretzels claiming support for black values or for Africa to be racist. So I see their comments about what Wright preached as seen publically, but they are reading too much into the church statements of faith.
I don’t see it that way in of itself (if not for the other stuff). Supporting people one feels ties and kinship (by blood or whatever, even for those from different continent) to is NOT racist. Desiring one’s own race not be anti-intellectuals but to get education is NOT racism in of itself.
The only part I do thing is off based is opposing to middle class mentality. That does come off as Marxist to me.
But the original statements of the church can be read anyway. It does not have to be read as with racist intent or black seperatist intent, as some right wing pundits have claimed. In fact it can be read by right wingers as much to be ADMIRED.
I will agree on one thing with you- maybe what Wright said as caught on youtube and tv makes up like 1 percent of what he said.
Is it ring-wing crap to point out today’s Italians are NOT the Romans from the past? No, it’s not. It is pointing out historical facts where Wright got wrong.
Is it right-wing crap to point out color of skin had ZERO to do with why Christ was crucified? No, it is pointing out Wright got the point of the death of Christ wrong.
Is it right-wing crap to point out that if Christ was black, those who were blacks would have a hand in His death, since Christ was a Jew, and thus that would by that logic, mean Jews were blacks then? No, it is pointing out Wright missed the logical implication of what he is saying.
It does not take a right winger to even point these things out. It takes someone who actually cares about either historical and biblical accuracy to do so.
Nope. Not irrelevant but I appreciate your long-winded passion. Some of what you have said in your treatise is thoughtful.
thanks for your passion.