Once more I am deeply impressed by the American public’s complete willingness to allow a mere few words, intentionally taken far out of context by the most hostile media outlets, to stand as a reasonable characterization of a man and a community. Rev. Wright’s prophetic calls to see a connection between the behavior of the nation and the consequences of that behavior, or to suggest that there are likely and predictable outcomes to the blind and endemic xenophobia of this country are part of a preaching tradition shared by millions of Christians, at least the ones with some guts. When angry phrases are preached against Muslims, or homosexuals, or family planning clinics America just nods and says, “well golly, that seems fair.” But criticize the nation, even in less scandalous language, and suddenly you are a pariah. It is reflexive, pathetic, and does nothing to advance the notion of us as a
thinking people.
Of course Bill Clinton both says and implies mean and damaging things about Barak Obama, ITS A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN,the leveling of the specious accusation is a time honored tactic and the Clintons are both gifted campaigners. Even people who like Bill Clinton know he isn’t above a little surgical mud slinging. But then, look at just this little run of comments as an example, we as a people seem to thrive on character assassination, gross over simplifications, and unwarranted generalization. Its how we pass gas in our contentious unsophisticated little Republic.
