Opinion

An Independent Attitude

Battle for leader disgusting

So, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the minister at Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, has become the latest weapon in the multipronged attack on Sen. Barack Obama.

Publisher George Schwarz

His enemies have hung excerpts of Wright's sermons, fiery and interpreted as radical and anti-white, around the Democratic presidential candidate's neck — in hopes they become like the dead albatross hanging on the neck of the Ancient Mariner.

This propaganda is misguided and misleading for the following reasons.

First, we don't agree with our friends or our clergy on every point and on every issue.

That is one of the points Obama made in his speech on racism in Philadelphia last week. How many Roman Catholics ignore the church's rules on birth control? How many would support married priests? The list could go on and the point could be made about any religion or relationship.

Second, the use of guilt by association — which attempts to portray Obama as endorsing everything Wright said — is fallacious on its face. Obama made that point as well.

Much of the bombast leveled at Wright focused on some strong statements. But they were snippets presented to the public out of context in two ways.

None of the pieces of the emotional sermons were given in total; it is impossible to draw a fair conclusion from out-of-context information.

And, Wright was speaking from the perspective of a black man who had come through the civil rights movement.

He had seen a more racist America than I think — I pray — we have today.

Part of Obama's distancing himself from this preacher was over the perspective and balance of how much white racism against blacks still exists.

Given how passionate I can be about some things, I can relate to Wright's effusive bombast. But as a white man, I cannot begin to plumb the emotional depths of what Wright, Obama and other people of color went through as they fought for equality in a country that professes that its very soul is about equality.

Further, some have seized on Wright's remarks about the Middle East as anti-American.

These close-minded folks sound like the "America First" people of history and fail to even consider the possibility that our foreign policies and the rapaciousness of the multinational corporations could engender anger from others.

Third, these attacks are a continuation of the use of religion and faith as a tool of division in our country. It's a pretty sad commentary that these attacks are the depths to which our political process has sunk, and it's more than disappointing to see these attacks as part of the modus operandi of any campaign.

You can blame political operatives like James Carville and Karl Christian Rove for setting those standards.

It's a continuation of the guerilla warfare against Obama: A few weeks ago the propagandists tried to make people believe he is a Muslim and to be feared.

Some people are still uninformed, or prejudiced, enough to buy those lies about the Illinois senator.

I think this election more than any other in recent history is a battle for the heart and soul of America. One way or another, it will be historic as one major party, the Democrats, nominates either a woman or an African-American.

It is detestable that the nomination battle is being fought in the gutter.

George Schwarz: Editor and publisher of the Amarillo Independent. george@amarilloindy.com

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Posted: March 27, 2008