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Editorial
See other Editorial Articles

Title: What Obama Could Have Said About His Pastor Rev. Wright, a True Patriot
Source: Counterpunch
URL Source: http://www.counterpunch.org/korb04052008.html
Published: Apr 6, 2008
Author: Lawrence Korb and Ian Moss
Post Date: 2008-04-06 07:01:57 by Zoroaster
Keywords: None
Views: 658
Comments: 64

Subscribe Online Weekend Edition Apri1 5 / 6, 2008

What Obama Could Have Said About His Pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a True Patriot By LAWRENCE KORB and IAN MOSS

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines. In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)

The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy's premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of the commander in chief's medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery. For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation. What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.

While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.

Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?

After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America's biggest cities.__This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades.

Since these comments became public we have heard criticisms, condemnations, denouncements and rejections of his comments and him. We've seen on television, in a seemingly endless loop, sound bites of a select few of Rev. Wright's many sermons. Some of the Wright's comments are inexcusable and inappropriate and should be condemned, but in calling This him "unpatriotic," let us not forget that this is a man who gave up six of the most productive years of his life to serve his country.

How many of Wright's detractors, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly to name but a few, volunteered for service, and did so under the often tumultuous circumstances of a newly integrated armed forces and a society in the midst of a civil rights struggle? Not many. While words do count, so do actions. Let us not forget that, for whatever Rev. Wright may have said over the last 30 years, he has demonstrated his patriotism.

Lawrence Korb and Ian Moss are, respectively, Navy and Marine Corps veterans. They work at The Center For American Progress. Korb served as assistant secretary of Defense in the Reagan administration.

This piece ran in the Chicago Tribune on April 3, 2008.

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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 10.

#1. To: Zoroaster (#0)

Ah, that is ancient history. What he has been saying recently and more importantly what he has been saying while Obama has been going to his church is highly racist. Obama will never get elected becasue of this. It won't happen. McNuts will be president before that happens.

RickyJ  posted on  2008-04-06   7:08:47 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#3. To: RickyJ (#1)

What he has been saying recently and more importantly what he has been saying while Obama has been going to his church is highly racist.

Oh really? How's that? Can you provide some example of 'highly racist' statements? Not that there's anything wrong with racism. Racism is as legitimate, if not more so because it comes to one naturally, than globalism or collectivism/socialism.

Anyways, what I heard from that priest was that God was not going to bless America but God was more likely to damn America for burning 100,000 innocent people in Hiroshima or for killing a million Iraqis. Compare that with the so-called 'right-winger evangelists' who expect God to damn and punish America for performing abortions and for glorifying anal intercourse.

a vast rightwing conspirator  posted on  2008-04-06   7:43:39 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#10. To: a vast rightwing conspirator, aristeides, christine (#3)

larouchepac.com/news/2008...ders-jeremiah-wright.html

To Defenders of Jeremiah Wright
by Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr.

April 1, 2008

Under the combined influence of Karl Rove and the kind of
"Liberation Theologists" typified by the depraved Reverend
Jeremiah Wright, a wave of cultural pessimism was spread among
what had been that army of heroes who had formerly rallied behind
the uniquely gifted leadership of the truly Reverend Martin
Luther King, The name of this corruption promoted by Rove et al.
was "Faith-based initiative." The slogan of those who deserted
the cause back in the electoral year 2004 was, to my face (again
and again): "We need that money," That is the moral corruption of
those pulpits which preach the way of Jeremiah Wright today.

Where do these dupes of "Liberation Theology" con-men such as
Wright stand on the British-led program of genocide against
Africa today? Are they backers of London's genocide against
Black Africa, as typified by the attack of the British planters
on the liberation forces led by the President of Zimbabwe? Are
they fighting against the mass-murderers of Africans, the British
and those supporters of the British genocide against Africa
supported presently by the George W. Bush government? In whose
pockets, and under whose skirts do we find these so-called
"Liberation Theologists," the Elmer Gantrys" of today's
zombie-like revival ceremonies, preachers who create more souls
behind the tent than they save before the altars?

buckeye  posted on  2008-04-06   10:27:34 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


Replies to Comment # 10.

#11. To: buckeye (#10)

So LaRouche doesn't like Rev. Wright. Is that supposed to persuade us?

Have you noticed all the sympathetic comments about Rev. Wright on Lew Rockwell's site and blog? Personally, I find Lew Rockwell a much more persuasive source than Lyndon LaRouche.

aristeides  posted on  2008-04-06 10:31:08 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


End Trace Mode for Comment # 10.

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