A Kinder, Gentler Take on Rev. Wright's Insanity.
So, the U.S. Government invented HIV for the purpose of exterminating people of color? Really? Well, no...of course not. But that doesn't mean some people won't continue to spread such insane conspiracies. Who exactly, you ask? Well...the Rev. Jeremiah Wright for one. Yes, the fellow who has dominated these and other forums the last week or so. I wrote recently (and not too nicely, by the way...my apologies) that I think Wright was/is wrong about a lot of things. The above being just one, yet probably the most egregious. And the responses have been pretty remarkable. Everything from Wright is no diffeent from MLK so who am I to judge the man; to it's understandable that African Americans think this because of Tuskegee.
Well, no...it is not OK, it is not understandable. Not in this amazing age of information in which we currently live. It is, in fact, criminally irresponsible to make such statements without even a hint of real explanation or evidence. It is criminally irresponsible for a man of Wright's standing in the community, a man of his stature to spew such fallacious and harmful conspiracies. Think about this for a second. He has told his fawning congregants, his captive, gullible audience that the very government they live under is trying to exterminate all of them! Trying to kill all people of color with a hideously slow, painful death. Explain to me how this is different from some of what we hear that goes on in Saudi Arabian madrassas?
And what exactly should be the response of Wright's congregants? When this huge room full of rapt, loving followers cheering his every utterance hears this "information"...what is their response supposed to be? What actions are rational, thinking people compelled to take when their mentors pass along the notion that the U.S. Government is engaged in domestic genocide?
Now, thankfully, it appears that most of them don't take it too seriously. That Wright really is just that crazy uncle people have tried to suggest he is. That is all to the good, I guess. But when some people hear things like this, for instance, when some people hear that So-and-So is regularly "murdering" babies at his health clinic they have been known to take matters into their own hands and "save" future babies by putting a bullet in the head of said "murderer!" Or blowing up the building without regard to whomever happens to be inside at the time! Not everybody is a thinking, rational individual.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. There is today no excuse for psychotic ramblings like the Government is trying to kill people of color with HIV. It is the height of irresponsibility to spew vulgarities like this to gullible, naive followers. It is also the height of irresposibility to pooh-pooh criticisms like this with things like, "Well, remember Tuskegee?" or "You just don't understand where he's coming from!"
It is, in my view, a good thing for that church that Wright is retiring. It is a good thing that he is being mocked and attacked in so many disparate places for his comments, that he will be remembered mostly for this. Because anyone who would willingly spread such vicious conspiracies to unsuspecting followers deserves no better. Good riddance to him, I say. And shame on all those who've tried to defend those comments.
"What actions are rational, thinking people compelled to take when their mentors pass along the notion that the U.S. Government is engaged in domestic genocide?"
Well, probably the actions their mentors suggest and support: in this case, that would include a very active HIV/AIDS ministry, unprecedented support of the gay community and attacks on homophobia and, well, you know, working to alleviate the effects of poverty and social alienation in the local community more generally. The question you ask is exactly why the context of these few minutes of video is important; to gauge what kind of call to action they're part of.
In this case, there's actually an answer.
http://www.ucc.org/news/chicagos-trinity-ucc-is.html
March 16, 2008 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
That the church itself has done some good in the community in no way lessens the criminally irresponsible comments of Rev. Wright.
And my question was not answered by your link.
March 16, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm pretty sure there's no law against believing in a crazy conspiracy theory. I don't think that the church the good has done makes the theory any less wrong, but it shows what redress Wright thinks is the appropriate way to address the social injustices he criticizes.
You asked how what he said is different from what's said in Saudi Arabian madrassas. Well, the difference is that in the case of Wright, it's part of a very consistent overall message of taking responsibility for working for change within yourself and your community.
Your ridiculous attempt to portray the biggest congregation in a mainline Protestant denomination as an incubator for domestic terrorism exposes one of the most offensive things about the Wright shitstorm, which is that it's downright offensive to the thousands of people who attend TUCC church and because of it are actively engaged in trying to follow the teachings of the Bible in their everyday lives.
March 16, 2008 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
That should read, of course, "the good the church has done"
March 16, 2008 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, best not to criticise Wright for fear of hurting the feelings of members of his church. Talk about offensive.
March 16, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wasn't talking about criticizing Wright; I've agreed with your assessment of the AIDS theory.
What is insulting is your idea that "thinking, rational people" are unable to sort out a few extreme opinions from an entire career of preaching for social justice and working to encourage community activism. I reference the accomplishments of the church because I think they show pretty clearly how those "thinking, rational people" are doing so.
March 16, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
He has told his fawning congregants, his captive, gullible audience
Insulting the entire congregation is your idea of "kinder, gentler"?
March 16, 2008 12:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with the op here.
As I've said before you cannot condone such speech for any reason. It is self defeating and divides rather than unites people, not a very Christ-loke thing to do!
If someone wishes to minister the word of God I believe that to be a noble calling. If someone wishes to stir up fear and hatred to further a political agenda it is not.
Remember, do unto others, turn the other cheek, love thy neighbor, judge not, lest ye be judged."Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you!"(matthew 5:44.)
March 16, 2008 1:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
For better or worse, most ministers ("black", "white", and other) see it as part of their duty to "afflict the comfortable".
March 17, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, no...it is not OK, it is not understandable. Not in this amazing age of information in which we currently live. It is, in fact, criminally irresponsible to make such statements without even a hint of real explanation or evidence.
I hate to be all post-modern here, but, this "amazing age of information" hasn't really gained us any real steps closer to truth, has it?
It's actually not the age of information -- it's the age of truthiness.
It's easier than ever to foment conspiracy. Believe something crazy? Boy, have I got a web site for YOU.
Actually, I've got two.
Also, what crimes are we talking about? It's now a crime to express certain opinions?
Last I checked, it's still not a crime to say that the Bush Administration was behind 9/11, or the government purposefully flooded the ninth ward, or the government unleashed AIDS to kill black people.
There's nothing "criminally" irresponsible about saying any of the above.
Thoughtcrime isn't a crime.
Yet.
March 16, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you, cscs. "Thoughtcrime" is exactly what I picked up from "criminally irresponsible" too. It sounds very neocon and makes me suspicious.
March 16, 2008 3:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Come on.
I'm not sure what your intent is here, Loki. You seem to be saying it's hard to take defenders of Wright seriously. Okay. But it's hard to take you seriously, too.
"Criminally irresponsible?" WTF? Ridiculous--okay. There are plenty of conspiracy theories floating around out there that aren't considered criminal. If they're unsupported and/or ridiculously hateful, they're dismissed.
9/11 was an inside job. The abortionists and the feminists and the gays brought 9/11 on the U. S. Bill and Hillary Clinton are linked to a string of suspicious accidental deaths and suicides.
I think your "criminal" characterization is outrageous itself.
Your characterization of Trinity's congregants is unsupported and outrageous (not to mention condescending and highly insulting) as well: "rapt, loving followers cheering his every utterance,"... "his fawning congregants, his captive, gullible audience,"... "gullible, naive followers"
Your characterizations unfairly make the people, their history, and the events two-dimensional and absurd. I think I understand your point, but your presentation makes it difficult to accept as valid.
March 16, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Laura, I don't think you do understand my point.
March 16, 2008 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
And for all the worrywarts and sensitive types, the phrase "criminally irresponsible" was hyperbole. The fact that so many of you continue to focus on "insults" and "offenses" says an awful lot about you.
March 16, 2008 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's because most of us agree with you that many of his statements are ridiculous. When you strip that away, what separates your opinion from ours, other than the hyperbole that you say isn't relevant?
I suppose there is the bit where you seem to imply that his congregation should shun him. Although I was raised a Christian, it was in a very staid congregation (nothing like the excitement of a "typical black" church), so I can't pretend to understand why they're cheering him on. I agree that it is disconcerting. If that's your main point (which many of us seemed to have missed), what's the purpose behind the hyperbole?
March 17, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
For balance and perspective, you owe it to yourselves to read the following post: Obama's Minister Committed "Treason" But When My Father Said the Same Thing He Was a Republican Hero by FRANK SCHAEFFER. It's on the Huffington Post.
March 17, 2008 12:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
After the last 7 yrs. - conspiracy theories aren't so far fetched, are they? Wasn't it finely nuanced, manufactured and massaged lies and 'evidence' that have us so firmly planted in Iraq? WMD, Hussein = 9/11, Plame, Cheney/Wolfie... and so on - I'd run out of space.
You dismiss the well-documented Tuskegee experiments as no basis for the descendants of the victims to have a mindset that this gov't purposely infecting it's own citizens is entirely possible?
Not having heard his whole sermon, none of us can comment about what 'evidence' he presents. But this is exactly the point - you allude to hyperbole in a response to a commenter above. If the pulpit isn't the quintessential 'hyperbolic chamber', then I don't know what is. If you're looking for scientific proof of anything - a church is def not the place to go. If we were talking about one of his actual policy advisors - then it'd be scary - but this is a 'faith' advisor. Faith is all they've ever needed in any church of any denomination anywhere to speak whatever 'gospel' they see fit.
March 17, 2008 4:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
"There is today no excuse for psychotic ramblings like the Government is trying to kill people of color with HIV."
Negligence is killing them.
I think, in essence, you just fail to empathize with the terrible plight of the very real suffering of soem communities, which has almost totally been ignored by the media.
"It is the height of irresponsibility to spew vulgarities like this to gullible, naive followers."
What makes you think the "followers" are naive? I think it's called venting.
And I think the "height of irresponsibility" would be more apt about a 15 second media lynching hitjob of someone who has worked his whole life to help his community.
"It is also the height of irresposibility to pooh-pooh criticisms like this with things like, "Well, remember Tuskegee?" or "You just don't understand where he's coming from!""
Most Americans don't know Tuskeegee, so indeed, people really don't know where here's coming from.
I think you are falling for the McCarthyite rhetoric that says that anyone who criticizes America "hates America" and is a "traitor". On the cotnrary, in our free society, criticizes is the basis of reform and progress.
I for one am not afraid at all of criticism at all. If the criticism is wrong, it will be proven wrong. Sunlight is the best antidote to untruth.
March 17, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink