The Sound-bytes
The Speech
It’s hard to imagine another politician giving this speech let alone delivering it with such grace. It was truly moving.
On one hand, I don’t really disagree with Jeremiah Wright’s comments. While the majority of Americans may subscribe to the Christian faith, our domestic and foreign policy has never been very “christ-like” or even Christian. It’s unlikely that Jesus would have been a capitalist, yet our culture worships it. His sole act of violence was to kick the capitalists out of the church, wasn’t it?
But this is not the first time we’ve heard preachers talking about the ways in which God should/has/would damn us. Rev. Fallwell famously claimed evidence that God has damned us for gays, pagans, abortionists and feminists in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. When a white minister talks about the ways God damns us, he gets invited to the White House and conservative talk shows.
It’s amazing to watch. He’s actually doing it, leading by example, finding away above the divisive politics he’s against. With speeches like this Barack is helping us steer from sound-byte politics, returning us to speeches and ideas and ideals, perhaps like it was before we had sound-bytes. Get your toast, while it’s hot.