Jeremiah Wright On Bill Moyers Journal Tonight
see below for my thoughts on the Jeremiah Wright interview
I'm planning on watching Bill Moyers Journal tonight to hear what Jeremiah Wright has to say about his "god damn America" sermon that has gotten Obama in so much trouble. Well, while I was walking back from the gym this evening, it ocurred to me that getting up in arms about this sermon is silly. As I was walking, a thought popped into my head, "it's just as silly to say 'god damn America' as it is to say 'god bless America'". Both have zero meaning.
How ridiculous is it to say "god bless America" after two planes were used as missiles in New York and the Pentagon? Seems an odd thing to think that god has just blessed America after two buildings and thousand of lives have been destroyed.
If you believe in the whole 'blessing' thing, isn't it more accurate to say god damned America on 9/11? Logically, as much as logic can be brought into an arguement about blessing, we can't be both blessed and damned at the same time. But, it seems to me, 9/11 was not a blessing at all, it was a horrible tragedy. And to say "god bless America" only diminishes that tragedy so we can perform some psychological jujitsu to feel better about ourselves. Who is more truthful, the person that says god blesses America after the Twin Towers fell or the guy that saw an ugly tragedy and says, "hey, this is not a blessing"?
You know, if you, ahem, believe blessings really exist.
As for Wright? I'll comment on him after I watch Bill Moyers.
I have to say, I was bit worried about how the interview would turnout, but my fears were based selely on the sound bites we have all seen on the news about Wright's sermons. After watching this interview, I now understand how Wright has been wildly mischarachterized in the media. He is intelegent, funny, campassionate - really different from what we have all seen.
During the interview, Moyers played a larger portion of the Wright sermon that has gotten Wright and Obama in such hot water. If, after watching sermon, you come away thinking Wright is anti-American, anti white, and pro terrorist, either you are willfully ignoring the truth, or you simply want to be told what to think without having to think for yourself because following the media's (both the conservative and liberal) is easier for you, you need to wake up.
From watching this interview I have learned a lesson on how the media works, how politicians, commentators and how, as a nation, we are easily lead into a frenzy; as a nation, we need to constantly question what the media and the politicians tell us. I try and keep my sense of skeptism when it comes to politics, but after watching the Wright interview, I realize I need to be even more skeptical of what we are told. For our democracy to function, we need to regain our sense that this is our future and we cannot let it be dictated by the few. Not to be pendantic, but: "To see what is in front of one's nose [really] needs a constant struggle" -George Orwell
Beyond what the interview covered, I am even more impressed with Barack Obama. I now understand why Obama could not possibly disown, dissavow, whatever he was urged to do, Wright. Obama showed true strength of charachter by not throwing Wright under the bus because of the media contraversey over the sound bites we all saw. After watching tonight interview, I know this country needs someone like Obama as President.
I hope you will take the time to download the entire interview.
I'm planning on watching Bill Moyers Journal tonight to hear what Jeremiah Wright has to say about his "god damn America" sermon that has gotten Obama in so much trouble. Well, while I was walking back from the gym this evening, it ocurred to me that getting up in arms about this sermon is silly. As I was walking, a thought popped into my head, "it's just as silly to say 'god damn America' as it is to say 'god bless America'". Both have zero meaning.
How ridiculous is it to say "god bless America" after two planes were used as missiles in New York and the Pentagon? Seems an odd thing to think that god has just blessed America after two buildings and thousand of lives have been destroyed.
If you believe in the whole 'blessing' thing, isn't it more accurate to say god damned America on 9/11? Logically, as much as logic can be brought into an arguement about blessing, we can't be both blessed and damned at the same time. But, it seems to me, 9/11 was not a blessing at all, it was a horrible tragedy. And to say "god bless America" only diminishes that tragedy so we can perform some psychological jujitsu to feel better about ourselves. Who is more truthful, the person that says god blesses America after the Twin Towers fell or the guy that saw an ugly tragedy and says, "hey, this is not a blessing"?
You know, if you, ahem, believe blessings really exist.
As for Wright? I'll comment on him after I watch Bill Moyers.
I have to say, I was bit worried about how the interview would turnout, but my fears were based selely on the sound bites we have all seen on the news about Wright's sermons. After watching this interview, I now understand how Wright has been wildly mischarachterized in the media. He is intelegent, funny, campassionate - really different from what we have all seen.
During the interview, Moyers played a larger portion of the Wright sermon that has gotten Wright and Obama in such hot water. If, after watching sermon, you come away thinking Wright is anti-American, anti white, and pro terrorist, either you are willfully ignoring the truth, or you simply want to be told what to think without having to think for yourself because following the media's (both the conservative and liberal) is easier for you, you need to wake up.
From watching this interview I have learned a lesson on how the media works, how politicians, commentators and how, as a nation, we are easily lead into a frenzy; as a nation, we need to constantly question what the media and the politicians tell us. I try and keep my sense of skeptism when it comes to politics, but after watching the Wright interview, I realize I need to be even more skeptical of what we are told. For our democracy to function, we need to regain our sense that this is our future and we cannot let it be dictated by the few. Not to be pendantic, but: "To see what is in front of one's nose [really] needs a constant struggle" -George Orwell
Beyond what the interview covered, I am even more impressed with Barack Obama. I now understand why Obama could not possibly disown, dissavow, whatever he was urged to do, Wright. Obama showed true strength of charachter by not throwing Wright under the bus because of the media contraversey over the sound bites we all saw. After watching tonight interview, I know this country needs someone like Obama as President.
I hope you will take the time to download the entire interview.
Labels: Bill Moyers, Jeremiah Wright
posted by Michael at 7:49 PM
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