Does anyone want to know more about Rev. Wright? Probably not!!!
Not the news media, not the supporters of Barack Obama, not the supporters of Hillary Clinton, and certainly not the American public.
Now how much do we know about Fmr. Ambassador Edward Peck?
Who?
Follow the yellow journalistic brick road below the fold.
AMBASSADOR EDWARD PECK
Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (1977-80), NBC/MSNBC Analyst
NBC NEWS: TARGET IRAQ
Ambassador Peck served as an American diplomat for 32 years and speaks four languages: Swedish, Arabic, French and Spanish. He was an Embassy officer in Sweden, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt and Chief of Mission in Mauritania and Iraq. His domestic assignments included Deputy Director of the Cabinet Task Force on Terrorism at the White House, Deputy Coordinator for Covert Intelligence Programs and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the State Department, Liaison Officer to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a Fellow at the Institute for Higher Defense Studies at the Pentagon.
Ambassador Peck retired to become Executive Secretary of the American Academy of Diplomacy in Washington, D.C., and was later named Chairman of Political Tradecraft programs at the National Foreign Affairs Training Center in Northern Virginia. He is a member of the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs, a Distinguished Visitor at the National War College, and a Woodrow Wilson Foundation Visiting Fellow. The ambassador also serves on the Board of Directors of Americans for Middle East Understanding. A former paratrooper in the U.S. Army, Ambassador Peck rose from private to Captain. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from UCLA, and an M.B.A from George Washington University.
So why is this important and who cares anyway? Read on
March 21, 2008
The full story behind Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s 9/11 sermon Posted: 10:09 AM ET
Editor’s note: CNN Contributor Roland Martin has listened to several of the sermons of Rev. Jeremiah Wright from Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Portions of the sermons have been excerpted in recent stories.
As this whole sordid episode regarding the sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has played out over the last week, I wanted to understand what he ACTUALLY said in this speech. I’ve been saying all week on CNN that context is important, and I just wanted to know what the heck is going on.
I have now actually listened to the sermon Rev. Wright gave after September 11 titled, "The Day of Jerusalem’s Fall." It was delivered on Sept. 16, 2001.
One of the most controversial statements in this sermon was when he mentioned "chickens coming home to roost." He was actually quoting Edward Peck, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and deputy director of President Reagan’s terrorism task force, who was speaking on FOX News. That’s what he told the congregation.
He was quoting Peck as saying that America’s foreign policy has put the nation in peril:
"I heard Ambassador Peck on an interview yesterday did anybody else see or hear him? He was on FOX News, this is a white man, and he was upsetting the FOX News commentators to no end, he pointed out, a white man, an ambassador, he pointed out that what Malcolm X said when he was silenced by Elijah Mohammad was in fact true, he said Americas chickens, are coming home to roost."
"We took this country by terror away from the Sioux, the Apache, Arikara, the Comanche, the Arapaho, the Navajo. Terrorism.
"We took Africans away from their country to build our way of ease and kept them enslaved and living in fear. Terrorism.
"We bombed Grenada and killed innocent civilians, babies, non-military personnel.
"We bombed the black civilian community of Panama with stealth bombers and killed unarmed teenage and toddlers, pregnant mothers and hard working fathers.
"We bombed Qaddafi’s home, and killed his child. Blessed are they who bash your children’s head against the rock.
"We bombed Iraq. We killed unarmed civilians trying to make a living. We bombed a plant in Sudan to pay back for the attack on our embassy, killed hundreds of hard working people, mothers and fathers who left home to go that day not knowing that they’d never get back home.
"We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye.
"Kids playing in the playground. Mothers picking up children after school. Civilians, not soldiers, people just trying to make it day by day.
"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff that we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.
"Violence begets violence. Hatred begets hatred. And terrorism begets terrorism. A white ambassador said that y’all, not a black militant. Not a reverend who preaches about racism. An ambassador whose eyes are wide open and who is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice upon which we are now poised. The ambassador said the people we have wounded don’t have the military capability we have. But they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them. And we need to come to grips with that."
Thank you Roland Martin. Thank you Anderson Cooper.
It's important because all we saw on almost every newscast were those few carefully selected seconds of Rev. Wright. What we didn't see and still have not seen is the truth. We have not been shown that the words Rev. Wright spoke were not his own, but those of Edward Peck. We have not been told that the words were spoken outside of the sermon. We've been led to believe that this is the tone of Rev. Wright's every sermon - the tone of a black militant racist. Some people are easily confused.
Obama has shown real character and class by denouncing the words, but not denouncing Rev. Wright, the man. Too many others would cave to pressure and simply throw the pastor to the wolves.
Demand that the more of the media tell the whole story - demand that Fox News renounce itself. Fox should at least acknowledge that they are in league with the devil.
The full Sermon
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his elementary education in that city and then went to Virginia Union University. After three and a half years at Virginia Union, Pastor Wright left school and entered the United States Marine Corps. He transferred from the USMC into the United States Navy where he served as a cardiopulmonary technician.
After six years in the military, Pastor Wright transferred to Howard University where he completed his undergraduate studies and received his first Master’s Degree. His second Master’s Degree was from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His Doctorate was received from the United Theological Seminary under Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor. In addition to Pastor Wright’s four earned degrees, he has been the recipient of eight honorary doctorates.
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. became Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC) on March 1, 1972. Within a matter of months he demonstrated an understanding and deep commitment to help TUCC achieve its motto and vision. The motto, "Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian", was a phrase coined by his predecessor, the Reverend Dr. Reuben Sheares, and was officially adopted by the congregation shortly after Pastor Wright began his ministry.
Since 1972, under Dr. Wright’s leadership, the membership of Trinity United Church of Christ grew from 87 members; and currently exceeds 6,000! The membership continues to grow numerically and spiritually with large numbers of members tithing, studying in bible classes and serving in over 70 ministries offered to enhance the Christian journey.
Dr. Wright has lectured at seminaries and universities across the United States and has represented TUCC and The United Church of Christ around the world. He is recognized as a leading theologian and pastor and has published four books and numerous articles.
Thank you Trinity United Church of Christ Chicago (TRINITYCHGO youtube) for correcting the record on Rev Wright and your congregation.
Peace!