Two reasons. First, because I don't collect that kind of shit. And second, because others have already posted ample evidence over time right here at ET. Remember, the people who did not take offense when it was clearly in evidence and right in front of them were tacitly accepting it. In the earlier days, I don't recall references of any Tea Partyers taking any offense. Do you? And even now, it's mostly just the PR-sensitive organizers if I'm not mistaken.
If Wright made repeated racial references of the sort for which he was outed, and if Obama was in attendance at those times and he accepted or agreed with such remarks, then yes, I would find that troubling. Do you have any evidence that any of this took place in the manner I just described?
"This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What's remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them. But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it - those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations - those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. For the men and women of Reverend Wright's generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. At times, that anger is exploited by politicians, to gin up votes along racial lines, or to make up for a politician's own failings. And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races. In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience - as far as they're concerned, no one's handed them anything, they've built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time. Like the anger within the black community, these resentments aren't always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. Politicians routinely exploited fears of crime for their own electoral ends. Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism. Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze - a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns - this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding. This is where we are right now. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naïve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidacy - particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-th_n_92077.html
So do you have the same doubt that people who would attend reverend wright's sermons would attend in a state of "indifference"?
I many times referred to bush's policies as facist. I many times critisized bush's fiscal policy. And that's just the beginning. There were few who were bigger bush critics than I.
Really? I did a quick search under your user name with the key words "Bush" and "fascist." I even tried the misspelled form of "facist," which you seem to prefer. For whatever reason, there was not a single hit. Perhaps you could conduct a more thorough or advanced search and share the results? As I'm sure you'll understand, I will withhold my apology until that time.
Interesting question. No, I don't suppose it would be in a state of indifference. However, I think trendlover's post, which immediately preceded yours, provides some meaningful context which would be unwise for you to dismiss out of hand. As similar as you may find the rally you suggested and a sermon by Wright to be, they are, at their roots, not mirror images of one another. To suggest that they are the same is to disregard and dismiss history and its effect on the present. Even so, I did not hold Wright's outburst in high regard. As an aside, is there any evidence that Obama attended such sermons which resulted in such outbursts and, if so, that he sat through them agreeably?
I read it and here is my response. I have an idea for all the third/fourth generation desendants of slaves, who are still crying about the atrocities of slavery, how bout they simply go back to the various African countries their anscestors came from, and see how much better their life could be? Black people living in the heart of compton have 10 times the life a black person living in somalia does, so what do they want? Trying to claim your life is a fuck up because 40+ years ago there was segregation is just making an excuse. The fact of the matter is that the people who are complaining today have not had to bear witness to any of this bad shit they are just making excuses, i was living on my own when i was 17 cause i couldnt get along with my parents/stepparents, i put myself through university at the U of T, (you Gabby should know that one.) And i now make a half million dollar a year income at the age of 29. It would have been very easy to try to blame my parents when i was younger but i didnt, so i dont buy into trendlovers argument. Motivated people go out and do something about it, losers continue to find excuses decades after what they consider is wrong doing on someone elses part. You cant tell me that society today does not give every single black person the chance..... all they have to do is get good grades, and if they do that they get a free ride..... it is racist dickheads like reverend wright who kill black communities by constantly telling them they are victims.
Why is it that black immigrants who come from all over the world consistently outperform black people who were born and raised in the states? My Jamaican friend makes better then 6 figures running a couple restaraunts, and you know why? Cause he came here with a passion realising the opportunity that it presented in America/Canada, no Liberal half wit like Reverend wright told him he was destined to be a failure because of oppressive outside forces which were out of his control. Before you label me a racist for stating the truth i guarantee that 99% of black immigrants would agree with me, as does my friend. Liberals, and assholes like reverend wright have been by far the most destructive thing which could have ever happened to the black community...... Instead of empowering black people they do the total opposite and make them feel like they are inferior, or that they can never escape the oppressive forces of white people, guys like reverend wright make their entire living of of being racist pricks and killing their own communities.