This speech is one for the history books. Barack Obama tackled the issue of race head on and challenged us all to look beyond our differences to form a more perfect union. United we stand, divided we fall.
Thoughts?
Posted by Reecie
PS- Please don’t leave any ignorant a$$ comments on this post, especially if you aren’t even going to bother to watch the video. Thanks.
Reecie
thehonorable
Unity is strength… “We need unity!”
It’s crazy how Mr. Obama silences critics like the one above in his speeches without even trying “… Those who seek to distort the truth…”
Obama has no reason to denounce his pastor. Given his situation (running for president) his pastor’s words bring controversy to his campaign. His pastor simply spoke the truth about America through eyes of a Black American. I like the way Obama chose to approach the problem. He focused on the race issues and presented a new way to approach racism in America. Obama is 50% Black and 50% White. In his life he has been discriminated against from Whites because he is Black and from Blacks because he is not Black enough. As far as I’m concerned he is the best person to attack and create a plan for the racism in America.
It upsets me that the very first comment on this issue focuses on the one thing that Obama emphasized in his speech: “distractions”. Maybe everyone is focuses on how good his speech was because THAT is the real issue. His aim was to address the issue of racism and he did it in such a poised and elegant manner that critics can not help but to be silenced. If he did in fact lie about being in the church should we not vote for him? How is it any different than Bill Clinton lying about his affair, or Bush lying about our progress in the war? His choice to denounce his pastor’s WORDS and not the man due to his appreciation shows how loyal and empathetic he is. We need to move beyond these distractions and address the real issues in America: CHANGE & UNITY. Otherwise, like Obama stated, we will be talking about a different distraction in the subsequent election in order to avoid the REAL issues.
looks like he will be brave, ready and right on day one.
Obama ‘08
It just seems like he was race baited and this speech could back fire. I hope it does not backfire on him. Is he going to respond with some over the top speech to every time he is attacked. Could you imagine, he would spend more time speech writing then doing his job as president. I am undecided about the gray folks. Where is Uncle ruckus!
I wouldn’t say that he was race baited into the speech, he realized that he had two choices: pretend like race is not a factor in this country and allow the media continue to fan the racial flames…or he could seize the moment and his remarkable voice and make a statement that challenges this entire nation. For THAT he gets my utmost respect.
How many times as Black folks have we been put between a rock and hard place where responding to someone’s racist comments could mean being painted as the angry black person, but not responding made you want to throw up? It is courageous for him to tackle this issue in such an open and honest way. He didn’t say “Rev. Wright is a raving paranoid lunatic and his words have no merit”…he addressed the very real fact that he felt the way he did for a legitimate reason…this country does have a history of racism and oppression and it is even apart of the present. I admire him for that.
The politically safe thing to do would’ve been for him to act like racism isn’t real, and people don’t have a damn good right to be angry…but instead he acknowledged the anger, the resentment, and the divide that people of all races feel and basically said how is that gonna help us educate our kids, put gas in our cars, and keep our jobs? That is essentially what this whole racial divide is preventing this country from doing…achieving progress for everyone.
This was not a speech to pander to his critics, rather it was a speech to enlighten us all and to appeal to our better selves. Regardless of how this affects his presidential bid, I couldn’t be more proud that someone of his stature has given the people of this country a voice without condemnation or judgement.
In the media this Rev. Wright guy have been portrayed as an racist extremist who hates America. I think a lot of white people expected and wanted Obama to denouce this guy right away. I admit ths guy view as pretty harsh and at the sametime if I experienced the samething this guy went through I might feel the samething. It doesn’t excuse all of what he said but I can kind of understand where this guy is coming from. I think for some race Obama speech will be a mix reaction.
I do want to note what Rev. Wright said doesn’t represent all black people. I think we are talk to, assoicate, or know something with extreme views.
I agree with the above statement, “it was a speech to enlighten us all…”
Whichever candidate is most connected to God, who holds the least amount of resistance, who has the strongest faith, who has the most powerful desire for change, who has the greatest expectation for a better country, who is receiving the most attention (both positive and negative)and is being pushed harder by other opponents WILL become the next President of the United States.
Does Barack Obama fit the aforementioned criteria? Absolutely…Obama’s speech on race and politics make him the direct recipient for more attention, more focus and more coverage. That means he’s receiving most, if not, all of the energy. All that energy translates into more energy, and that energy begets more, which begets more, which begets more…
The news media denouncing Rev. Wright’s comments or any negative attacks are creating circumstance and events that are helping Barack Obama Win! I’m not kidding you about that. Obama has the ability to transmute negative attacks into positive energy.
Obama lost. This aint 1960 or Black History Month. This type of speech is to be given at the closing HBCUS around the country. All his speech proved is that Obama is not that smart he just talk real good. Why he go to this church for 20 years, that church aint nothing but the NOI on roids. Big misstep again from the big smooth talker. I laughed through most of the entire speech. This dude gone lose because he have a man crush on his pastor, and won’t denounce the idiot. Besides any women that let her man get some service on the side, will always get my vote.
Maurice, you went from making what is possible the first half-way reasonable post to posting that garbage. However…I expect nothing less from you since you always manage to say something remarkably ignorant. I guess you’re one of those people who just loves being contrary…unfortunately you consistently bring down the intellectual caliber of the discussion.
Hey, I’m glad you resorted to 1st grade name calling because I have diff view then you. Obama’s speech was more for black leader, not president of the united states. It is what it is. Obama was race baited by the media, and he dove head first into it to deliver some grandoise speech. Big mistake. Does he want to be the President or the next TD Jakes? I am not convinced that Obama, or Hillary would make a good president yet. If Obama was up against a stronger future president like Condezzala, he would be getting L’s all day.
Ths simple fact that you believe that his speech should have been presented to a HBCUS or that it is more for a BLACK leader illustrates what Obama was trying to address in his speech: we need to unite and view each other as individuals or Americans and not base opinions etc. on race. But whatever… you are entitled to your opinion and I have no choice but to respect it.
Reecie, how would Barack answer people who’s replies are displeasing?
This is a brilliant speech. Thanks for posting it here. My friend Dean and I talked about this on our radio show yesterday evening. Dean was amazed by the speech, and now I can see why. This speech gave me goosebumps. Finally, a politician who brings it to the forefront… Someone who says, let’s fix the problem that’s been under the table for generations. Rather than playing the hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil game that is rampant in politics, he’s saying he’ll lead the way. Who wants to get on board?
This is incredible, and I hope that all the political pundits try to rip it to shreds because it will just be more of his message of unity spread to more Americans. There’s a term known as the tipping point. We just went over the other side!
Sorry, I don’t want WEb Dubois Jr as president of the united states.
Maurice, you are consistently and gleefully ignorant when you comment on this site…that’s not name calling that’s just calling it like I see it. Perhaps you get a kick out of being that way; so if that is the case then more power to you.
Moving right along…”Reecie, how would Barack answer people who’s replies are displeasing?”
I’m assuming that your point in asking me that is to say that I should be more like Barack…but I will be the first to admit that I don’t have the capacity to exercise the remarkable amount of restraint that is required of him. That is why I could never put myself in a position where I had to keep my mouth shut and not speak my blunt opinion. With that said…anything I say on this site is tame compared to what my friends and family hear when topics such as these come up lol. So…I’ll give myself kudos for toning it down a bit.
Reecie, would you care to expound on what makes my view so ignorant to you.
Obama gave a grandiose speech. The speech was something not for the president, but more so a black leader. He was race baited by the media “loop” to respond and he jumped right into it, so no all he gone be talking about is race. It was only a matter of time that the entire deal is going to be on race. No one was asking for martin luther king wannabe to give such a grandoise speech, but to simply denounce his idiot pastor. He did not. Why would he attend this church for 20 years, with that dude as the pastor? I don’t think Obama is good for America. Was the speech good? Yeah, sure if it was for the Rainbow Coalition or at the million man march. He has been catching L’s since Texas primary, and he needs to thank his homie pastor wright aka fake farahkahan
Maurice, Obama is not only going to be talking about race, in the last few days he has talked about the economy, Iraq and health care.
It might just be my mistake in thinking these ARE the issues but everyone is focussing on the race thing right now when we should be asking the questions about what it takes to be President.
For instance,
(i) Hillary’s 35 years of experience stuff has been checked into but hasn’t been covered in depth and detail. This whole business with Florida and Michigan which she said did not count but now all of a sudden is Obama’s fault needs to get more play too.
(ii) Bush and Cheney’s opinions on the war of Iraq have also slid under the radar
(iii) and as for McCain, based on the news coverage it would seem he is not even here.
So I don’t think Obama is only talking about race, I think mainstream media (and bloggers) are and that is unfortunate because there needs to be questioning on the issues so that Americans can pick their leader.
Maurice, I’m not trying to down you or argue with you. I think the way you express things sometimes (I don’t know if you’re just trying to be funny) comes across are ignorant. Your last post, although I don’t agree what you said for the most part, I don’t consider ignorant.
Anyway…you’re entitled and debating your points would be futile, because it seems like you already have your mind made up about what you want to believe. I think that Obama answered the very questions your posed (i.e. why did he go to the church) in his speech, but if you weren’t satisfied with answers, then don’t know what else to tell you.