When America is worried about angry black people…embrace the wisdom of Elvis
Elvis and Reverend Wright: How white people can accept Barack Obama and Reverend Wright
By Kimberly Wilder
This is a message from a white woman, who has actually been known by others and herself to be in the category of “wasp.”
Dear America: Listen to the backing vocals. And, when you have connected to the place where you really, truly enjoyed them, and actually needed them to connect with some of the subliminal conflict in your culture, then listen again to a sermon by Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
This message includes campaign advice for presidential candidate Barack Obama (even though I do not support him among others, because I belong to a third party.)
Since I fear that Barack Obama might not listen to me, this message is also to try to explain to America why they, themselves, have the power to understand that Reverend Wright is right and the people attacking him are wrong. And, that Barack Obama is missing a wonderful opportunity by not embracing Reverend Wright as an informed, compassionate, African-American leader.
The problems and injustices that Revered Jermiah Wright describes are real. There is racism in this country. Blacks and whites are not equal. The police are still more likely to shoot and kill innocent black men. And, it is important for people to communicate this information and deal with this information in their own way, with their own choices of commitment and intensity.
When I heard the Reverend’s recent speech at the NAACP, I got his message: It is okay to be different. It is okay for Reverend Wright to express his anger at injustice in the bold, loud tradition of a black preacher. And, it is okay for Barack Obama to express his anger at injustice in the smooth, unifying words of a politician.
If Barack Obama could recognize this fact, he could proceed with his campaign a lot differently. Right now, Obama is trying to fight the Karl Rove style strategy of “attack your opponents strengths, and turn them into weaknesses” by running from the attack, by running from his association with Reverend Wright. But, that will not work.
Read all of it here. / On the Wilderside.net
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