There's no Wright way to do the wrong thing

My Thoughts

By Dr. Bill Atwood

(Updated: Wednesday, March 19, 2008, 12:00 AM)

This past weekend the major media have played over and over again the ranting and ravings of the pastor of presidential candidate Barack Obama that are filled with a great deal of anger and hate aimed at what he calls, " White America." Barack Obama has been asked to repudiate his pastor's words and to distance himself from the man he has called his spiritual advisor for the past 20 years.

Obama claims he was never in the church pews during any of these diatribes against our government and many of us. Obama finally stated that if he had been in the building at the time of the comments he probably would have felt compelled to say something.

I am really bothered by all of the comments played over the airwaves from this man's hateful ramblings, but a couple of them really created a great deal of anger in me.

One of the comments about the attack on the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001 that Reverend Wright spewed from his mouth was that the "chickens had come home to roost." He stated that it was because of America's action around the world that brought this all about. This sermon was delivered to his flock on Sept. 16 of that year. A short five days after the attacks and with the WTC site still smoldering, this man started attacking the United States.

I try to make it to church each Sunday, but on occasion I have to miss. I think on that Sunday many more people than usual packed themselves into a church, as they wanted to find some comfortable words after the cowards had attacked our country. Perhaps Obama wasn't in his church that Sunday, but people talk to each other in congregations, and I find it impossible to believe that not one solitary soul even mentioned to Barack Obama that the head pastor of his church, the pastor who conducted his marriage, and baptized his children had stated that this country deserved the attacks. Trust me; had my pastor uttered those incendiary words the telephone lines would have been very busy.

If my pastor ever uttered the words that God should "damn" America my pastor and I would have a conversation that one would probably describe as heated, and I certainly would have started calling for a recantation or he and I would have parted company for good.

For Obama to hide behind a flimsy excuse that he just did not ever happen to be in the pews when the hate was spewed shows a lack of good judgment.

On the other hand; there is a silver lining in this news item. The Constitution of the United States of America was amended almost immediately after the signing with Ten Amendments, which we call "The Bill of Rights." The founding fathers were rather enlightened folks and so the order of the 10 tells just how much importance each held compared to the other nine.

The First Amendment reads as follows:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The bright side of Reverend Wright's utterances is that while he was so very busy condemning this great land, and it's government he was able to state what he believes and never even had to worry that his words would ever be cause for his arrest or imprisonment.

His church was not closed down by the government that he attacked and his home wasn't seized. He got to enjoy the right of practicing his religion and he got to enjoy his right of free speech because he lives in the country that has the document that protects that right from being taken away by the very government Wright holds in such contempt.

In the 18th century during a debate on religious tolerance, philosopher Voltaire stated, " I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." His brand of thinking was new in human thought and certainly men such as Franklin, Jefferson, Madison and many others believed in the concept of freedom of speech. The real proof of the pudding is in the "defending to the death" part of the quote. For Voltaire it was easy to utter in a university lecture hall. However; others in our nation's history have been willing to defend to the death and many have died in that defense so that speech was in fact free.

I wonder how the veterans among us felt this weekend as the very country and the government for which they stood watch and protected was maligned and "damned."

On one hand they probably felt a great deal of anger, but their work on the field of battle was proven this weekend by an improbable act. A man was able to utter words against his country and while most of the nation was and is angered by the content of his message the fact remains that because of those willing to stand a watch in the uniform of the United States military this man will stay free from charges.

Barack Obama would be well served to distance himself from not only the words of his pastor, but to shield his children from such ideology. It could be a short, terse comment:

Wright's wrong!