Today, I would like to talk about the speech that Barack Obama gave about moving beyond the racial divisions that Jeremiah Wright articulated in his controversial sermons and discuss how to move beyond the rhetoric of the 1960's.
A lot of the difference between Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright is generational -- Wright came from a time when he experienced ugly discrimination. He is a living memory of the living hell that Blacks went through during the days of Jim Crow and during a time when it was still OK to call someone "Nigger."
But now, it is time to pass the torch. If we run in place with Wright, Obama's point is that we will never make progress in healing the wounds of racism and segregation in this country. What we must do is heal those wounds so that we can work together to bring about the fulfillment of the New Deal and the dream of Roosevelt that the whole world be at peace. Wright was instrumental in Obama's development as a person. But Trinity is not an organization where everyone marches in lockstep with the pastor like many right-wing churches. In UCC churches, people are asked, encouraged, and challenged to strike out on their own.
There was a time and a place for Wright's message. Jesus taught that he would not bring peace, but a sword. By that, he meant that they would shake things up and challenge the way things were done. Understanding Wright's message in this context, his goal was to shake people out of the mindless conformity of Jim Crow in the South and the mindless materialism that is so prevailant in any big city. Someone asked legendary coach Bobby Knight why he used the f-bomb so much. Here is what he had to say:
The language that Wright used was for shock value, to shake people out of their comfort zones, and to make them angry at the way things were.
But this is a different time and a different place. George Bush is one of the most polarizing presidents of this country's history, and the exact opposite approach is needed -- a message of healing like what Barack Obama preaches is what is needed, not more gas on the fire like a Jeremiah Wright or a Louis Farrakan.
Jane Fisler Hoffman on Trinity:
Otis Moss, current pastor of Trinity:
Moss does an excellent job of explaining the purpose of the church; Obama's value system and transformative politics were hugely influenced by Trinity, as Moss explains.
We could always use this reminder:
This is why many of us supported him in the first place. I had visions in 2004 of 24 years of uninterrupted Democratic power -- first Kerry, then Edwards, then Obama. 24 years of peace and prosperity.
Obama on his faith:
King's prophecy -- just as relevant to Iraq as it was on Vietnam:
Obama picks up 7 delegates from Clinton in Iowa:
Democrat Barack Obama expanded his fragile lead in delegates over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday, picking up at least seven delegates as Iowa activists took the next step in picking delegates to the national convention.
Half the 14 delegates allocated to John Edwards on the basis of caucus night projections switched Saturday and Obama got most, if not all, of them.
Iowa Democratic Party officials said that with more than 86 percent of the delegates picked, Obama claimed 52 percent of the delegates elected at county conventions on Saturday, compared to 32 percent for Clinton. About 16 percent of the delegates picked at Saturday's conventions were sticking with Edwards, even though he's dropped from the race since Iowa held its caucuses in January.
Democratic Party projections said the results mean Obama increased by seven the number of delegates he collects from the state, getting a total of 23 compared to 14 for Clinton and seven for Edwards, with one to be decided.
Hillary's scorched-earth tactics are boomeranging.
Superdelegates anxious over prolonged battle:
Interviews with dozens of undecided superdelegates — the elected officials and party leaders who could hold the balance of power for the nomination — found them uncertain about who, if anyone, would step in to fill a leadership vacuum and help guide the contest to a conclusion that would not weaken the Democratic ticket in the general election.
While many superdelegates said they intended to keep their options open as the race continued to play out over the next three months, the interviews suggested that the playing field was tilting slightly toward Mr. Obama in one potentially vital respect. Many of them said that in deciding whom to support, they would adopt what Mr. Obama’s campaign has advocated as the essential principle: reflecting the will of the voters.
Mr. Obama has won more states, a greater share of the popular vote and more pledged delegates than Mrs. Clinton.
The article suggests that the playing field is tilting towards Obama in the superdelegates. He has gained almost twice as many as Clinton in the past month. Should he maintain his popular vote lead, then he will be the next nominee.
Oregon AFSCME endorses Obama:
Oregon AFSCME has endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States. The union’s executive board made the endorsement today (March 15) in Portland.
"The union took action prior to the upcoming Oregon primary because Obama has a history of standing up and fighting for working people," said Oregon AFSCME Executive Director Ken Allen. "In Illinois, Sen. Obama fought alongside AFSCME to keep vital public services open, including mental hospitals and prisons. He also worked to help organize thousands of workers at Resurrection Hospital, and supported card check recognition for other workers seeking to unionize in their workplace.
"He is a candidate organized labor can proudly stand behind and support."
Yesterday, I brought up the IVAW gathering, where soldiers shared their experiences about the occupation. You can read more about this gathering in this recommended diary.
Today is the 5th anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie. There is a foundation that is carrying on her work; you can read about their work. They are not confining their work to Israel/Palestine, but applying peacemaking skills to other parts of the world.
Regardless of whether one is pro-Israel or pro-Palestine, the fact of the matter is that we have to work for peace between both peoples. And Barack Obama is uniquely qualified to carry out this work because of his diverse background. As he put it himself, he has "many parts of America" in his body. Obama would restore the policy of Clinton and Bush I of bringing the two sides to the table to talk. The damage that the Bush administration has brought is staggering; they did nothing to address the bloodshed and violence even as it was spiraling out of control.
Back when Bill Clinton was in power, anytime there was violence, the US would dispatch a diplomat to the area immediately and resolve the situation. The Bush administration waited for way too long before they beleatedly began brokering the Annapolis Accords. But the problem is that the Bush administration has lost way too much standing in the world for them to be an effective broker for peace. Barack Obama would return to the policy of active engagement in the region.