The Three Foolish Men

Vast numbers of Obama supporters had hoped that Reverend Wright would come to understand how damaging to Obama were his comments in the public media.

I for one was worried by the prospect of Bill Moyers choosing to give Wright even more public stage exposure. Something, a hunch maybe, informed me that Wright should have been given the hook by the stage manager, rather than the stage lights. Though he came across as intelligent in his Moyers interview, that exposure resulted in an unfortunate example of unintended consequences.

Moyers is one of the most well known and respected figures in the public media, especially in a segment of the media which appeals to people who take in information, analyse it, think about it and deal with it in accord with personal values. Unfortunately such programs, like most programs on PBS, are watched by only a small slice of voters.

Disclosure: Bill Moyers is a member of the United Church of Christ(UCC) who addressed a New England gathering of United Church of Christ congregations in the summer of 2007 in Connecticut. Barack Obama also spoke at that gathering. Reverend Wright is the former pastor of the Trinity Church in Chicago, a UCC church. My life partner Betsy is a member of the Federated Church of Orleans, MA, a UCC congregation. I sing in the choir of that church.

Trinity Church in South Chicago is essentially an all black congregation in the UCC. Our Orleans church is essentially an all white congregation. Other demographics also describe very different cultures and memes.

However Barack Obama has the support of a very large number of our congregation, if not a majority. Those of us in that group are horrified by how Wright seems to delight in cutting Barack off at the knees.

Bob Herbert, a black journalist, wrote the best piece I've read on this earlier in the week in the NYTimes. He exposes Wright as a narcissist, only interested in his own agenda hoping to become famous, like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson as black racists disguised as men of God.

I am a Barack Obama supporter and feel that the country and the globe need him in the White House. Wright is a racist who hopes to capitalize on a black man in the White House for racist purposes.

Ironically, should we be wise enough as a country to elect Barack Obama, the Wrights, Jacksons and Sharptons of this world would have their approach to race jerked out from under them. That approach has never been more observable than in Wright's recent speeches. One of his most bizarre utterances was that he, Wright, would be coming after him, Obama; should Obama be elected and take the oath of office. Care to speculate about that message?

Obama has been, is and still will be about bringing people together, exactly the opposite of the goals of the Three Foolish Men.


Leanderthal, Lighthouse Keeper