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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: 920
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 # 59.

#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  


#4. To: a vast rightwing conspirator (#3)

The people attacking Rev. Wright and Obama on this forum have little, if anything, to say in the way of criticism of the Bush/Cheney/McCain/neocon policy of aggression in the Middle East. (At the same time, strangely, they try to tar Obama with guilt by association: because Brzezinksi advises Obama, and because Brzezinski supported aggression many years ago, therefore Obama is somehow tarnished by association with the policy of aggression that they otherwise won't condemn.)

Most of them won't come out and say it, but I suspect they secretly support that policy of aggression.

aristeides  posted on  2008-04-06   9:44:30 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#7. To: aristeides (#4)

The people attacking Rev. Wright and Obama on this forum have little, if anything, to say in the way of criticism of the Bush/Cheney/McCain/neocon policy of aggression in the Middle East. (

you have got to be kidding. you won't find a more anti war, anti MIC, anti us government, anti bush/cheney, anti neocon group of posters than here on 4um.

christine  posted on  2008-04-06   10:15:01 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#58. To: christine (#7)

This is the posting I meant. I consider it a complaint. It is at least an admonition.

aristeides  posted on  2008-04-07   12:15:27 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


#59. To: aristeides (#58)

The people attacking Rev. Wright and Obama on this forum have little, if anything, to say in the way of criticism of the Bush/Cheney/McCain/neocon policy of aggression in the Middle East.

i'm sorry that you perceived it as a complaint or admonition. sincerely, that was not my intent. i was merely disagreeing with your statement above. i don't know of anyone here on 4um who is not against bush/cheney/mcCain and the neocons. that is one thing i believe we are all still united on.

christine  posted on  2008-04-07   12:24:39 ET  Reply   Untrace   Trace   Private Reply  


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