throwing that first stone and friendships

This is my review of the speech given by Barrack Obama yesterday. If you haven't heard, or read the speech, please take a moment to do so by going to http://my.barackobama.com/hisownwords.

I continue to hear in my local (decidedly right-wing) media, and from people I've been around in the last few days that this is the thing that will destroy Obama's campaign. I disagree...I think this was his finest moment so far, in a campaign filled with fine moments.

Two points. First of all, he explained his relationship with his pastor...a relationship most of us consider to be a very important part of our lives. The person who leads us in prayer each Sunday, and either inspires us, or reassures us, or fills us with hope, during both good and bad times, is often someone we consider family. In my own childhood the minister who baptised me and walked me through many difficult times in my life is still....YEARS later....as much a part of my extended family as my cousins, aunts and uncles. The minister at my church now says something from the pulpit each Sunday that challenges me to try to become a better person, and hopefully a better Christian. And he also says things that I'm sure some members of our congregation take issue with, but I consider him a friend, and depend on his wisdom to give me a better, more spiritual viewpoint than I sometimes have. I would defend his right to challenge our social problems in any way, if he felt like it was a calling to improve our lives as followers of Christ.

But, as Obama said, (I'm paraphrasing here) you can't dissassociate yourself from someone you consider family any more than you can your actual beloved family members...no matter what.

I had an uncle on my mother's side of the family who was a Reagan-lovin' Conservative with a capital "C", and he would get terribly exasperated with me whenever the subject of politics came up because I wasn't as in love with Ronnie and his crew as he was....BUT he always told me that I was his "favorite Democrat." And he was a lovely man, father and uncle.

I've heard members of our family (mostly on The Reenactor's side) say things about current events, and other cultures and races that are pretty offensive, but there are times where you just have to overlook the statement and love the person. And I think this is clearly what Obama has done. He said in strong terms that he did NOT agree with Rev. Wright's statements, yet his long-time relationship with him had shown him a side of the Reverened the rest of us have not seen on Faux News and YouTube. Why isn't anyone showing all the GOOD things the Reverend and his church have done rather than focusing on one sermon...clearly inspired by events in African American lives that we white folks can't begin to understand.

So my title of "throwing the first stone and friendships" is just that--we've ALL said stuff we wish we hadn't said. We've all heard our friends or family say things we wish they hadn't said. We've all been misunderstood by people with their own agenda or axe to grind. We shouldn't throw rocks at Rev. Wright for his comments unless we can say with certainty that we've never in our lives said anything controversial as well. But most of us aren't being filmed while we make these statements, and most of us aren't good friends with a presidential candidate. But that doesn't mean that the words we use aren't just as important...even if we are speaking just to one other person.

And we should be inspired by a presidential candidate who doesn't disown anyone who is important in his life just because that person is controversial. Friendships ARE important, and the mark of a good friend is one who is with you during good times, as well as bad.

We have all become so used to being labeled "unpatriotic" and virtually condemned if any of us dare say anything negative about the United States and its policies. The ribbon-car-magnet, "I Stand With The President" bumper-sticker crowd takes ANY statement like the Reverend's and turns it into a flag-waving event, rather than look at the REASONS he made the statement to begin with. Remember the Dixie Chicks harrassment five years ago? Well, Obama's speech was given on the five-year anniversary of the start of "shock and awe." There are those of us who have been deeply troubled by this war since that very first day, and yet we were shunned if we openly criticised it --especially at the beginning. Natalie Maines and her family received death threats...all in the name of patriotism. Now who is truly the more patriotic person...the one who makes a negative statement about the government, or the one who threatens to KILL the person who made that statement?

Yes, what Rev. Wright said was offensive to me....I don't believe that God should "damn" America...Shrub and his administration seem to be doing that work without God's help. I believe that God has blessed this country with so many good things that we DO need to question an administration that is more concerned with corporations than with individuals; we DO need to challenge our right to drop bombs on any country we want based on the flimsiest of evidence that they "might" hurt us. And we DO need to be angry that the future health and viability of our children and grandchildren is being destroyed by a president and vice president who are so in bed with the oil industry that they will publicly ridicule the idea of global warming rather than be concerned about how they can quickly change our country's environmental policies to try and stop this from happening. But, I would never question Rev. Wright to make that statement...even from his pulpit. Many other ministers from the more evangelical, traditionally white churches, have made equally offensive and "damning" statements during their sermons about the rights of homosexuals, the victims of hurricanes "deserving" their fate, and racially insulting statements about people of other nations and faiths.

If any of you have been watching "John Adams" on HBO you will appreciate all the more the content of Obama's speech this week. The Founders wrestled with so many of these very issues, and two hundred years later we are still wrestling with them. The very foundations of this country were built on our right and ability to question our government. It is what gives us liberty. It is what gives us freedom of speech.

And one final note...I heard this on the radio yesterday so I can't take credit for it...but does this put to rest once and for all the Faux News obsession that Obama is secretly a Muslim?