I have heard so much about Jeremiah Wright and his relationship with Barack Obama and it truly makes me sick.

Just about all of American media seem to think that Barack and Jeremiah Wright have the same mind or brain. Never have we heard so much about one relationship that could be the difference between America stepping out and being for real to the rest of the world or showing its true colors as usual.

I seem to recall Newt Gingrich and others calling themselves the Angry White Man Congress that ran our government on that platform. They caused no end of suffering to the poor and minorities of this country. Yet no one made an issue of what they said.

There were people who stood on Statehouse steps and in college doorways to block blacks from getting an education, declaring, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever.” That never got as much attention as this.

Just recently, our president and his administration lied to get us into a war that has killed thousands of our young people in Iraq and countless numbers of Iraqis. I think they all should be thrown in prison for what they’ve done, but no one is holding him and his cabinet for treason and abuse of power. What’s the deal?

George Bush has gotten our children killed in a senseless war. He brought American diplomacy to an all-time low where people do not trust us to tell the truth and he was made president again. What is wrong with the media and those who don’t want to see us go forward in this world? The rest of the world is waiting to see what we will do this next election.

Is America a country of liars or is there truly a democracy where there is equal opportunity for all her people? The world is watching as we tell others about fair elections and human rights. All we can do is bicker about whether or not a man should be a candidate because he once listened to a controversial preacher.

The preacher may or may not have preached the kind of sermon in question at the time Barack went to church. They’re concerned about what kind of man Jeremiah is. What difference does that make? Did you all ever find out what Dick Cheney and his energy board did at the beginning of their first term to shape our energy policies today? No because that policy is in effect today to bankrupt American lives, homes and the people and no one has to answer for what they’ve done.

Here’s an idea, why don’t you who seem to be after Obama’s blood make him take a literacy test, stand at the back of the bus or drink from a different fountain, maybe pay the same price for movie ticket then make him sit in the balcony and charge him a poll tax. Maybe like my generation, you made us go to war and put our lives on the line for you and we came home to still be second-class citizens. Is that what you want? Maybe then we can go forward and stop looking into our past.

Our soldiers are losing their homes and jobs before they even finish this lousy war or get killed in it and we’re bickering about an old black preacher! Give me a break! Things are too important now to go backward. Our world needs new leadership now before we are all in the worst shape a planet can get before dying off like the dinosaurs. Think about it!

-- Harry Coles Jr., St. Matthews

You must be logged in to comment.