[ExI] safer now;

[Olga Bourlin]

From: <aiguy at comcast.net>
To: "'ExI chat list'" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 1:40 PM
>
> I think you are doing the memory of Martin Luther King a grave disservice
> comparing him to the likes of Jerimiah Wright. ...  Dr. King is remembered 
> for his doctrine of hope and uniting all people regardless of race.

King was considered to be very radical for his ideas when he first came on 
the scene (and was under FBI surveillance for most of his civil rights 
career).  His strength was that he was good at uniting coalitions of people 
for the cause.

> And no I have never attended a black Church but I have in my past attended
> churches which were attended by all races and never heard speech designed 
> to
> be inflammatory, divisive and pit the races against one another.  These 
> are
> the kind of sermons that I imagine were given at Klan rallies though.  If
> you are saying that all black churches teach this brand of religion where
> America, Jews, and other races are blamed for all the problems in the 
> world
> then I am even further aghast.

I never said all black churches preach this way - many inner city ones have 
and do (but, certainly, not all the time ... from what I've read someone had 
to dig deep to find those few remarks of Wright's.  Comparing inner city 
black church rhetoric with Klan rallies is wrong and not helpful in this 
context.

> While middle class America is attempting to put its racist attitudes 
> behind
> it sounds as if ministers like Jeremiah Wright are set on creating anger,
> resentment and placing blame.  By instilling that kind of resentment and
> anger in children he is doing far worse than just filling his collection
> plates.

I am not familiar with Wright's racist attitudes.  From what I read his 
diatribes were directed at some policies in America (I may be wrong about 
this ... I haven't dug deep enough to see that Wright's quotes were directed 
at white people).

> I classify Jerimiah Wright with the likes of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton 
> and
> Louis Farrakhan who profit from the exploiting the economic, and social
> disparity between the races for their own profit.

Unfortunately, profiting by exploiting people is what churches do.  I 
personally hate to pay taxes to the special exemptions religions 
institutions get (although - I know it's heresy to say this on this list - I 
don't mind paying some other taxes).  You can add Falwell, Santorum, Billy 
Graham, Swaggart, and hundreds of other preachers to your list (why single 
out the ones who happen to be black?).

 > Jeremiah Wright is fond of the expression bringing chickens back home to
> roost.  How ironic it would be if his rhetoric and hate speech brings his
> chickens back home to roost and costs his chosen son Obama the election!

I certainly hope Americans are smarter than chickens.

> Wright has also been quoted as saying "The government gives them the 
> drugs,
> builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing
> 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for
> killing innocent people."

Isn't free speech wonderful?  I never ever stand up for the anthem, and I 
never ever do the pledge of allegiance myself.  Does this make me a traitor? 
I love it that America can tolerate diverse opinions.  Do you think America 
should not be criticized?

> He has also told is congregation "The government lied about inventing the
> HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government
> lied."

The answer to a bad idea is a better idea.

> One wonders if he believes that the white man created sickle cell anemia
> also.

Oh, right, bring it on - the kitchen sink of white privilege.  You "wonder." 
I never said I have any particular respect for Wright.  I have no respect 
for Hillary Clinton either.  Or Bill Clinton.  Or McCain.  And don't even 
mention George Bush in my presence, please ... I'm tolerant, but only to a 
degree. ;)

Olga