Thursday, March 27, 2008

Never Thought I Would Say This, But Thank You Mike Huckabee

The big political news in regards to retrospective reflections backed Democratic Presidential canditate Barack Obama is the release of some of the sermons of his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

I've struggled with this, and haven't written about it before because the fact that this is even an issue angers me. It angers me to the point that I can't write about it coherently, it's much easier for me to resort to yelling at the racism of the media covering the issue, other candidates responses, and the stand my alma mater (TCU) took on the issue (which angers me the most). I would like to take a moment to give thanks to Brite Divinity School for their stand on the issue, refusing to back down on their desire to reward Rev. Wright for his 40 years of service to the African American community despite some "disturbing comments". Comments, I feel compelled to add, that if you are going to disparage you should at least look at them in regards to the sermons in full and not just on a YouTube video with the "offensive" comments taken completely out of context.

Before I start yelling incoherently again, let me get to the point of this post, normally I give you a quote of the day from a specific web based location, but today's quote of the day is one that I chose specifically instead of randomly.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

As easy as it is for those of us who are white to look back and say, "That's a terrible statement," I grew up in a very segregated South, and I think that you have to cut some slack. And I'm going to be probably the only conservative in America who's going to say something like this, but I'm just telling you: We've got to cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told, "You have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can't sit out there with everyone else. There's a separate waiting room in the doctor's office. Here's where you sit on the bus." And you know what? Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment. And you have to just say, I probably would too. I probably would too. In fact, I may have had ... more of a chip on my shoulder had it been me.
- Mike Huckabee, offering his perspective on the preaching of Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Mike Huckabee and I disagree on a great many things, but on this we are in step. He says it as well as I could hope to myself.

Thank you Mike Huckabee, thank you.

1 comment:

Megan said...

That is a good quote. Thanks for sharing it.

I haven't posted about this whole issue, either...for the same reason. I just feel so angered that it even IS an issue, and that so many people are choosing to stay ignorant about it all. Yesterday, I did feel compelled to leave a comment on one of those ignorant blogs (I'll send you the link if you want), and for the most part, my comment was met, unsurprisingly, with more ignorance and hate.

It's so frustrating and disheartening that all of this has happened. I am VERY proud of Brite, though.