There is a saying in the black community that blacks cannot improve as a people because like crabs in a barrel whenever one tries to climb out of the barrel the other ones will pull him back down. The reaction of some of the so-called black leaders to the success of Senator Barack Obama seems to bear out this analogy. It seems like the closer he gets to making history the more the "haters" try to sabotage him. The sad part about this whole episode is that the same leaders who are critical of the Senator today, should he get elected will be at the White House the day after the inauguration looking for handouts.
Our national treasure, the beloved Satchmo, Louis Armstrong, said it. This is to share with those, be they right, center, left, libertarian, or off the political map who have forgotten or never learned their history.
Tomorrow's NYT features an article and slide show entitled "When Ambassadors Had Rhythm." More than 50 years ago, Rep. Adam Clayton Powell (D-NY/Harlem) suggested that the State Department counter Soviet propaganda by sending jazz bands -- "real Americans" he called them -- around the world as America's ambassadors.
The Meridian Institute in Washington, D.C. has mounted a terrific photographic exhibit with a CD about this brilliant cultural outreach to Asia, Africa, Europe, the Mideast, including Iraq, which began in the 1950s.
CAN WE CALL AMERICANS RACIST
AND STILL EXPECT TO GET THEIR VOTE?
Michelle Obama made a simple statement--"For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of this country"–and one would have thought she declared a jihad on America. FOX news, Rush Limbaugh, and the various other Republican conduits have been harping on it for months now, trying to convince the American people that she’s hated America all of her life. But the fact is, when Michelle Obama made the above statement she was actually complimenting America.
After the two-month long protest in South Korea over its President Lee Myung Bak's decision to allow the importation of U.S. beefs including those from cows over 30 months old at the time of slaughter, the U.S. media are beginning to report that questions of U.S. beefs still remain because U.S. beef safety inspections are not properly done. Dr. Paul Krugman's June 13, 2008, column, Bad Cow Disease, criticizes with some shocking details that reckless Milton Friedman style free-market economic deregulation damaged the safety and credibility of American food products and a clumsy U.S. diplomacy angered South Koreans during this controversy. This diary will explain the current situation in South Korea that are not reported by U.S. media.
Social Justice. Some of us were introduced to the idea in church, appropriately because Jesus preached social justice. Altho social justice is an important theme in all major religions, some churches like the Catholic Church have offices of Social Justice. In deed the term was coined by a Jesuit priest in the mid 1800's, based on the teachings of Thomas Aquinas.
It got a lot of press both good and bad in the 60's when Jesuit priests preached social justice and organized the impoverished of South America. Social Justice is the heart of Liberation Theology and Black Liberation Theology. Follow me below the fold for a little background on social justice, why shooting the messenger is counter productive and oh yes, the grand experiment of YES WE CAN.
According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism, the Reverend Wright story received four times as much coverage in the media as any other single issue over the course of the primary campaign.
It hardly seems that a day goes by without a new revelation of lobbyists in John McCain's campaign. Last week I reported that, so far this year, five tainted staffers have had to resign. Still on the McCain wagon are uber-lobbyists Charlie Black and campaign manager Rick Davis. Media Matters has compiled a superb list of even more tainted McCain staffers
Now the Washington Post is reporting another unethical, and perhaps illegal, McCain relationship with a political benefactor: Citizens Against Government Waste.
[Reposted from yesterday because I really believe it needs more exposure]
By next week, the Republican talking point on Obama's decision to leave his church will rear its ugly, disturbing head. That talking point will not be pretty.
I am not naive. Senator Obama's decision was almost certainly a mix of concern for his church and political expediency. What distresses me is that we were ever placed in this position to begin with.
In 2008, we have some very big decisions to make. And one of those decisions, while unworthy of public debate, is whether we will permit religious affiliation and beliefs to continue to contaminate and divide the electorate. More after the jump...
It hardly seems that a day goes by without a new revelation of lobbyists in John McCain's campaign. Last week I reported that, so far this year, five tainted staffers have had to resign. Still on the McCain wagon are uber-lobbyists Charlie Black and campaign manager Rick Davis. Media Matters has compiled a superb list of even more tainted McCain staffers
Now the Washington Post is reporting another unethical, and perhaps illegal, McCain relationship with a political benefactor: Citizens Against Government Waste.
(Warning: This diary was written by an atheist (me) who believes that most religion, and the "holy" texts they're based on, have done more harm than good. So if you're easily offended by "anti-God", "anti-religious" opinions, please change the channel... NOW.)
Yes, Barack Obama has a problem with his pastor(s). So does John McCain. Even Hillary Clinton... she has a problem with her pastor, too. You mean Barack's Rev. Wright problem (and now this Pfleger guy)? Or Haggee and Parsley's support for McCain? Or Hillary's weird "Fellowship" (or "The Family") thing? Actually, no... that's not what I'm talking about.
What I'm talking about is this: The problem isn't just with their respective preachers, or even their churches. The bigger issue is with their religions.*
* Note: The rest of this deals mostly with Christianity, since I admittedly know very little about other religions. Suffice to say that what I'm about to say could very easily apply to several other religions, including Judaism and Islam. Also, I realize that some good can come from certain aspects of religion, and religious beliefs. But since nobody is ever condemned for doing good deeds because of religion, that's irrelevant to the point I'm trying to make in this diary.
Admittedly, that title isn't mine. The "news" today is all about the latest "Revelation" about Barack Obama's church, featuring video of a guest preacher at Trinity. This time, a Catholic priest who has defended Jeremiah Wright is speaking out to say that Hillary Clinton is crying because "a black man stole my show."
This sermon was delivered Sunday, and is conveniently taking news time away from the shocking and dramatic words in Scott McClellan's new book.
Its not been a good season for political preachers this election, in fact I can't remember a campaign where so many preachers have caused so many problems for candidates before. There is McCain with his two right wing nuts, and Obama with Wright, and today Pfleger, so that's at least four preachers that have had to be scrubbed from politicians websites this year.
How many more preachers will end up getting scrubbed from the Obama site, before this thing is over? so far we only have Wright and now, Pfleger, but there is still lots of time left, so who knows.
Link to the video of the latest idiot preacher: http://www.youtube.com/...
After the Reverend Wright controversy broke, Many people here at Big Orange rejoiced to watch this video of Father Michael Pfleger "pwn" a Fox reporter:
Although Fr. Pfleger is incredibly articulate and I agreed with him, I had one of those "icky" feelings...so I googled Fr. Pfleger.
