What bothers me is the transmutation of a small handful of objectionable quotes into the sum and substance of the philosophy of Obama or all or many or any of the members of his church as opposed to the simple expression of black frustration with America. I don’t go to Temple every Saturday, but I’ve heard probably close to two hundred sermons over the last twenty years with my “reform/conservative” congregation and to tell you the truth, I maybe _listened_ to a half-dozen at most. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I actually _listened_ to one. I go to temple for the socio-cultural experience of being a Jew and to participate in the community of which my family is a part, not because I have any particular knowledge or concern about the political-moral philosophy espoused by my Temple’s leadership (who are the sort of pushy and overbearing people I generally try to avoid). Actually, I strongly suspect the politics of my synagogue’s leadership and rabbi are quite far from my own. If somehow I came to enter political life, I would really be disappointed if all the sudden I was expected to account for all of the things they’ve said from the bima (thats “pulpit” for all you goyim) over the years — good or ill. Chetwynd argues that Obama should have seized the moment to “educate” his former Minister about how inaccurate the things he’s said are. Essentially, Chetwynd is objecting that, because of a handfl of wrongheaded statements, Obama did not wrest the mantle of Church leadership out from underneath Wright and put him in his place. After all, if Chetwynd is enlightened, everyone can be. At the same time, Chetwynd’s ego seems to know no bounds as he assumes that he knows best how Obama should “guide Wright back to Christ.” Who the F do you think you are? I think that what Obama did was adequate and dignified: he said, “those statements are wrong, I don’t agree with them” END OF STORY. I actually feel no small degree of outrage about Chetwynd telling people who to manage their interpersonal affairs (remember, this is an “open letter” not a personal reaction by Chetwynd). How self-rightous can you (Chetwynd) be to believe that the conversation you had either in private or with a limited audience with a colleague is the very same conversation Obama should have with the elder leader of his 8,000 member religious community on national television. From what I can learn about the Rev. Wright, he’s a fairly remarkable person who built from next to nothing a massive community institution that is now a bulwark of middle class black professionals in the small part of S. Chicago that is not economically blighted. (For anyone who thinks that all black people get a fair shake in this country, I suggest you take an hour some time and drive through selected parts of S. Side Chicago, or N. Philadelphia, or E. of the Capitol in DC, or Liberty City Miami, or S. Central Los Angeles and ask yourself if you’d be where you are today if you had grown up there.) As for Wright, his military service was admirable and I am particularly impressed that he took controversial positions within his S. Side Chicago community such as promoting tolerance for gays.(See FN1) I read also (on Wikipedia, so don’t take it as gospel) that he was saluted by Pres. Reagan for the role he played in persuading Libya to release hostages. So if the man gets a little upset from time to time (its very clear that the objectionable comments are not the regular substance of his sermons) about the way black people have been crapped on in this country, well who am I to begrudge him some outrage. To be frank, I’d be surprised if there’s a Jew reading this now who hasn’t repeated or listened (without objection)to a mean-spirited “shvartza” joke — probably in the men’s room at snyogogue — I know I have. I have a holier than thou religious uncle that was addicted to telling them for years (he’s gotten a little better, now he mainly tells jokes about the Clintons). I’m not going to apologize for it, its just the way things are… or were. Hopefully some day people will get over that kinda crap. Permit a digression: reflecting on this sort of thing, I recall that I grew up with children’s books that had aunt-Jemima/blackface character illustrations throughout — and get this — my family thought they were liberal, progressive, tolerant, and certainly not racist. This stuff was just staring them in the face and they didn’t see it. I didn’t get it (or remember it) until I found a pile of them in a box as a teenager. And, of course, like “a typical white person” I can remember my mother locking the car doors if we pulled up to an intersection where a black person –ANY black person — was standing…and this was circa 1987… not racist, just taking “reasonable precautions.” Of course she doesn’t do that anymore… (now the car doors lock when you go over 15 miles an hour…. the blessings of technology). Again, I’m not going to apoligze for it, but this kind of behavior is the kind of ancient history that I can pretend hasn’t gone on for a generation or two.
FN1 Actually, I am particularly impressed by Wright’s tolerance for gays position. Generally I look at large megachurches led both spiritually and organizationally by evangelical or charismatic pastors and I see them as essentially quasi-for-profit ventures where somehow in exchange for bringing his flock (of sheep) closer to Jesus Christ(See FN2), the “pastor” ends up with megabucks or big real estate holdings. Building membership in such a venture generally equates to serving up lowest common denominator positions… so for Wright to take a position that is not particularly popular with his targeted demographic, I interpret that an act of decency and genuine moral courage.
FN2 Since we’re putting it all out in the open here: me and every Jew I know get the willies when all you protestants, especially all you evangelicals, say “Jesus Christ.” I guess its a combination of how weird it is for us that you gave your god a proper name and our general nervousness that you’re going to go start crusading, or inquisitioning, or pogromming, or doing whatever it is that all the anti-semitic German Lutherans did to us, all over again. Chetwynd may be enlightened past all of this, and while I can recognize that rational, its a conditioned response that I don’t think I will ever outgrow.
P.S. My mother never forgave the Germans until she decided she actually did want a Mercedes, and she has never forgiven the French, probably because all they have to offer is the Renault.
P.P.S. My family were Russian and Polish and all of my direct family moved to the States in the 1880s though we know of distant cousins who died in the Holocaust.
