The history of this nation for folks of color, was for generations, nothing less than an intergenerational hate crime, one in which 9/11s were woven into the fabric of everyday life: hundreds of thousands of the enslaved who died from the conditions of their bondage; thousands more who were lynched (as many as 10,000 in the first few years after the Civil War, according to testimony in the Congressional Record at the time); millions of indigenous persons wiped off the face of the Earth. No, to some, the horror of 9/11 was not new. To some it was not on that day that “everything changed.” To some, everything changed four hundred years ago, when that first ship landed at what would become Jamestown. To some, everything changed when their ancestors were forced into the hulls of slave ships at Goree Island and brought to a strange land as chattel. To some, everything changed when they were run out of Northern Mexico, only to watch it become the Southwest United States, thanks to a war of annihilation initiated by the U.S. government. To some, being on the receiving end of terrorism has been a way of life. Until recently it was absolutely normal in fact.

“Bullshit Mel.”
hp

sorry, but your wrong. This nation and its immense wealth was built (read: stolen) by killing native americans, enslaving africans, and indenturing poor whites from europe. You would not be here today, living on your land, if our ancestors had not slaughtered the original owners and driven them off. The very basis of life in this country was aquired by theft and murder. You can delude yourself with the fantasy that its not your problem, but you would not be here today if not for that theft and murder. And the profits from those historical “developments” are what built up the government, built up capitalist enterprises (for even more so-called development), built up huge charitable enterprises from philanthropy (from bloated rich people), built institutions of higher learning and of course paid for more wars to aquire more wealth. Come on, its easy to see how Spain and England plundered the “New World” of gold to build their empires. Why is it so difficult to see that Americans did the same?

What’s this got to do with me, you might ask. Well the first step of an adict and/or abuser is too admit there is a problem. So please stop living an ahistorical fantasy of disconnection and admit that our collective wealth was built on the backs of Native Americans, African slaves, poor whites, and a lot of women (who did a hell of a lot of work for little or no money). Is it too hard to conceptualize how the profits of plunder made their way down through time from individuals to business to government to institutions to infrastructure?

Now, i’ll be the first to admit, i’m actually not sure how to address all of that. Obviously, we need a national dialogue on how to deal with our problems and change society for the better.

But i am sick and tired of all of you “good americans” screaming and whining about people pointing out the historical realities of how this country was formed and gained power and wealth. It is the blunt reality of our shared history. Deal with it and learn from it.

Why do you hate America? some will ask. gimme a break. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t love the place and see potential for it. Just because someone – Wright or me or whomever – criticizes past historical actions and/or current policy doesn’t mean we hate the joint. In fact, I think our criticism stems from love of country and love of fellow citizens and the desire for truth and justice to really develop for all.

That was exactly the point that Obama made in his speech in which he condemned Wright’s rhetoric.

So why is everybody jumping on Obama when he agrees with your position?

Speaking as a white person, the fact that so many whites still don’t take responsibility for the war on drugs which was used to disempower the black community while creating a new “punishment industry” the prisons, is telling. Whites abuse drugs as much as blacks, so why are there far more blacks doing time? The only possible answer is continuing racism.

I don’t believe in a sky god who either blesses or damns, but given the history, there is a lot to answer for, as Wright points out. He doesn’t have to judge White America, its actions are self condemnatory, whether it is racial discrimination against Africans or ethnic cleansing and genocide of native Americans or mass slaughters in Vietnam or many other countries and now in Iraq.

Martin Luther King said “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my country”.
It was true then and it is true now. And yet a vast swath of the public thinks that America’s behavior should result in God’s blessing. Highly doubtful. What comes around really does go around.

I doubt I would vote for Obama, despite what I regarded as a speech appealing to all Americans to show some spiritual maturity and see that we are all in this together (except for bush’s base, the haves and the have mores).

His equivocal stand regarding the war and his having the same tired old warmonger advisors makes him unlikely to really “change” anything.

But please don’t equate him with his pastor, even though his pastor’s remarks should be reflected upon sincerely by his detractors. Judge not Wright lest ye be judged. Remember that one?
Good advice.
Our best teachers are sometimes those who challenge us when they hurt or feelings. Wright urged people at the close of his sermon to look within, and stop blaming the Arabs for 911. If we are ever going to figure out “why they hate us”, whether it is African Americans, Native Americans, or anybody else, we need to know and take responsibility for our own history of hatred. Until that happens the cycle of sorrow and mistrust will continue.

thank you!
Max (:

P.S. It’s nice to know this black minister of God does not hate all white people. Having worked at a seminary for more than two decades, I can assure you a vast majority of white ministers do not hate all black people.

This is a good article putting all the nonsense about Wright in perspective:
http://www.socialistworker.org/2008-1/667/667_03_Wright.shtml

And what about black people, many of whom are still in their forties, who grew up under Jim Crow? Did they get a “fair shot”?

And finally, if, as Bettty and Ryan write, everyone gets the same opportunities in the US and the actions of our ancestors have no bearing on those of us alive today, why do blacks suffer from higher rates of incarceration and poverty? Unless you admit that systemic racism is alive and well in the US today, the only option left is to assume that blacks are somehow inherently inferior to whites. Thinking that makes one a racist.

The situation is really that simple. Either you admit racism exists or, because of the stark evidence of racial inequality, you admit to being racist. Wright was on point if you actually look at what he said in context.

Betty – did you even read the article? Try engaging the arguments of the author rather than making up what you think the argument is. So, slavery was a long time ago and “Are we as adults to blame what our ancestors did for everything we endure in life??” Can you also support that logical extension of that, that any privilege gained from our ancestors is also to be relinquished? Come to grips with that and you’ll move your understanding of this issue off your narrow minded viewpoint.