Rev. Wright at the NPC

Here is Rev. Jeremiah Wright at the National Press Club on Monday. This is the hour-long appearance of Rev. Wright that caused Barack Obama to speak out Tuesday, and completely separate himself from his pastor.

What upsets me, is that Barack Obama is responding to the same sound-byte topics that the media plays, and in turn, the general public is exposed to...which for the purpose of votes, is what he has to respond to. He knows that voters know nothing about the actual Rev. Wright. So once again, no one actually watches the full speech and Q&A session. Listening to Barack Obama, I can only wonder if he watched the same thing that I did. Like the Bill Moyers interview (have you watched it yet?), the NPC appearance exposes the fallacy of the Jeremiah Wright that the media wants to portray.

However, it must be said that the "real" Rev. Wright is still not mainstream, and will still be a polarizing figure...as much of America has no idea what it means to be a Christian. While the American flag represents the freedom that allows Rev. Wright to speak out, waving it also represents historical (and current) war, violence, and oppression of people of all races. And these actions of the state are in direct opposition to Christian doctrine. Most Americans, and most of you, will think that what I have said is hogwash. That is part of the gig, and why you would look at Rev. Wright with the same disdain.

It is obvious that the thing that upset Barack Obama the most, is when Rev. Wright says that he is a politician and has to respond to headlines in a political way. Barack Obama is trying to run as something other than a politician, but he is still a politician. And the honesty in Rev. Wright saying so matter-of-factly that Obama is a politician...Obama clearly took offense to (even though he is).

So here is the NPC appearance...





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Part 5

Judas Obama? Rev. Wright is Right

The following is a response to an e-mail forward that included highly agitating, negative comments on Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I can often ignore some junk e-mail forwards. But I read some that are so bad, I have to respond to every other person it was sent to. This is one of them.
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This is simply ignorant. If you like to get your information from reputable sources...that is, instead of e-mail forwards filled with half-truths and lies, and instead of sound-bytes played over and over again in the corporate media...

Rev. Wright was on "Bill Moyers' Journal" last night (one of the best shows on the tele) for an hour-long interview. Hmmm...why didn't everyone know about a televised interview with one of the most polarizing figures of 2008?

You can watch it here:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04252008/watch.html

I am curious as to how many of you that agree with this junk-mail will actually watch the interview. Or choose to not watch it, continuing to get your information from fast-food media sources and YouTube clips...and spreading such un-researched, reactionary opinions like a virus.

Also, it is tempting for me to lambast these opinions and question the general public's understanding of history and Christianity. But I think he does a well enough job doing it in this interview, and he is far more educated (and eloquent) on the topics than you and me. So you have been spared.

Feel free to forward this on to your family and friends.

Watch the video and think for yourself.
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The main reason I am blogging this is to share the Bill Moyers interview. I urge you to watch it, because Rev. Wright is back in the news and being completely smeared by the secular media...

The media, America (the "General Republic"), and Washington will never understand, or embrace, the fact that Christianity is a religion of the oppressed, of non-violence, of humbleness, meekness, and completely antithetical to the state and profit-based economics.

That is pretty much opposite of everything America stands for. So if someone says that God doesn't bless America, that is common knowledge to every Christian outside of this country...as well as a percentage of Jesus-following Americans, including myself. It is not controversial at all. Would God not damn slavery, the genocide of the American Indian, every act of war fought to expand territories and gain political control, or WWII Japanese concentration camps, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and every other act that Rev. Wright mentioned in his sermon? Would God not damn America for those actions? Or do we just want to play nice and say "God disapproves"...because then we are just getting into sissy-semantics and you should just kill your television (God-approved violence).

Everything that Rev. Wright has said completely fits into this Christian tradition...including theology from the black perspective. If you have a problem with an afro-centric Christianity...then can you explain how the slaveholder and the slave can hold the same theology? Can the Christianity of the oppressed be the same as the Christianity of the oppressor? I can give you books, current and before Rev. Wright was born, on this topic. The abolitionists led by William Lloyd Garrison did not participate in any form of government. No elected office, no voting, because America propagated war and slavery...and voting would be taking part in that process. Radical!

And now Barack Obama is "disowning" his pastor? Is Rev. Wright becoming too abrasive to the status quo, which would cost Obama votes? Looks like Barack had to turn into an asshole on this one. Funny, I was starting to like Barack Obama...but this is selling out your pastor for the Q.U.O. Judas Iscariot, indeed.

Really though, Barack Obama did what he had to do to get elected. But right now the media is hating on BOTH of them. So it seems someone got what they wanted by pushing this garbage. Lesson learned: There is no money in hope and change, and it will never happen in Washington. That is why Martin Luther King never ran for office, he knew he had to change the hearts of the people to get things done.

Like I said, think for yourself, damn it.

(And don't bring up Romans 13 to me. I will just refer you here:
http://www.jesusforpresident.org/download/Web_Appendix_3.pdf )

"Instead of Watching Entertainment Tonight"...

...says my man JJ. Or is it Access Hollywood? TMZ? Or are you a Wheel Watcher?

Either way, he posted this amazing video in the bulletin board and I had to spread it. It actually takes less time than watching those other shows....and will do you far more good.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

The only thing that makes me pout, is that most people that watch a gem like this already understand and act on its' contents...and are simply reinforcing their own beliefs.

While those that don't care, and need to hear it the most, continue reinforcing their own beliefs by not reading, watching, and listening to this kind of information...and often choosing to ingest media that contradicts it. That is the biggest challenge.

So just watch it.

So THAT’S why there hasn’t been an album since 2000!!

[In honor of Del's so-so new album on Def Jux, I thought I would renew this, too!]

+Best Del interview ever! Not for the faint of heart.

Part 1

http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/video/detail.asp?ID=726

Part 2
http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/video/detail.asp?ID=727

Part 3
http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/video/detail.asp?ID=728

An Uncommon Story for Thanksgiving

{I posted this on Thanksgiving Day 2007 over on my MySpace blog. In transferring them over, I thought I would "renew" it.}

I saw this segment a few days ago on a Nature "Best Of" special. It was so good that I wanted to share it with everyone, but an online video was nowhere to be found. So I uploaded it myself.

This is the story of Shirley, an elephant who is now 59 years old and living out her days at The Elephant Sanctuary in rural Tennessee. I give thanks for people like Solomon, who took care of Shirley for over 20 years. It is obvious that this role is important in his life as well. It makes me feel warm to know that people like him are out there. The world is a better place when more people know about Solomon...and Shirley.

Part 1

Part 2