Thank you Verly T. How can we condemn Rev. Wright? You are so right on about we each have to take responsibility for ourselves & our actions. That is what this entire country has been avoiding. We expect others to be held accountable, but we must be accountable ourselves. It is never do as I say not as I do - we are responsible for all of our actions and pass on and take on all the past and future actions of humanity. Divisiveness and disorder - keep us separated. We talk about being one human family but we do not live like it. I was with a group of friends earlier this month and someone said - think you are not prejudiced - think again. Put yourself in a situation/location where you are the only caucasian person. Watch your reactions. The lessons we are being given here are lessons we must heed. There is much truth here. Thanks for reading.

I think Rev. Wright sermon was on time for these times. I think that Barack do not owe no one an apology for what was said. This country has a history of oppressing indians and black people. Jesus ministry was about liberation that is why even paul said that, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith christ have made us free,and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.(Gal.5:1) This scripture in itself speak of liberty. Even in the early struggles King Soloman said,(Eccl,7:7 Surely oppression make a wise man mad;and a gift destroyeth the heart. We as people of God have lived to long under the rulership of unlearned men who take their authority out of context, get huffed up and think they are superior but in reality they are inferior to the realities and the true peaceful way of life. Yes they exist all over the world and if a preacher is not preaching liberation from these yokes of bondage I question his understanding of the teachings of Chist. When christ said that I came that you may have life abundantly because for centuries so many people had been caught up in traditions of slavery to sin only to find out that they are really living in presumptious sins. (psalm 19) I pray that more ministers like Rev. Wright keep spreading the liberation gospel so that people will turn from the wickedness of slavery and blindness to thier faults and sins so that America can be healed. Everyone must take responsibities for their actions, even our nation.

Hello,
This is first to thank Joe Z for the star and to comment on Barack Obama's possible reasons for staying in Trinity Church.
I am a long time member of a Jesuit Catholic parish near my home. In the past, there have been a few leaders, priests, lay leaders that I did not agree with. That is not to say I did not feel they had value or that I disliked. A parish or congregation is the composite of its members. The priest/minister/rabbi is really not what holds the parish together. Granted Rev. Wright's views & opinions perhaps do not match our own, but he has definitely made us give thought to our spiritual leaders. After all, that is a spiritual leader's job to poke and provoke and make us uncomfortable. I believe it is an opportunity for us to look inside and see where our own hearts, black, brown, or white are in these matters. I am white, so I have no idea what racial discrimination is like - do you? Many of us cannot understand Rev. Wright's strong feelings because we have not had his experience. Let's learn from this.

I also liked his speech, but have you all looked around you lately, it no more in just black and white.

Something new! A politician who talks bluntly about the race issue as if he were talking to adults with an IQ over 60! He didn't pander and he didn't gloss. He really seems to understand the anger on both sides and the fact that it is real. He should not have to defend, denounce, or de-- anything else, the words of someone who was not speaking on his behalf. The preacher proved he was as big a fool as Pat Robertson, Falwell, and the rest of the clergy who don't pay one bit of attention to what Christ actually taught (and that's most of the ones I've met!)

I'm a Hillary supporter. As an Illinoisan I wanted Obama to serve an entire term (heck, an entire month would've been nice) in the Senate before running for President. So I've opposed his nomination, though I'll support him if he gets it.

However, this mature speech, long on intelligence and forsaking the usual pulpit-mentality oratory has raised him in my estimation. A lot.

Now if he could just show us he has some solid answers to the economy, the war, etc.

Very good speech, he gets to the heart of discontent and hatred and misunderstanding in the U.S but the hate and discord is too great. Here we are on the path to certain depression and issues that will affect all citizens of this country and the Pastor is the order of the day. I understand, I can see why this is, especially given the history of this nation but we are going to have to grow in the future because I feel the terrible humbling we will face in the very close and immediate future will make us all look at things a bit differently, albeit for differnt reasons. Economic disaster is right in front of us and the Republican leadership has no answer at all, just the same old same, and The Clinton's are part of that same parcel, no real difference. This fallout over the Pastor will without doubt in the minds of most white voting americans will finish off Obama regardless of what he says, or how good this speech was, but we are still going to have to make some very hard choices this election and I feel the safe choice will be for Mcain..the A Train straight to depression. It's too bad that we can only see the most narrow and limited view, and not have the capacity to think in 3-D and see what our real problems are and that we all suffer pretty much the same. Pa, OH, and other states are in a depression economy now, I hope they understand what the future will be like with 4 more years of this Administrations policies in place. Many of us will see that we are the same, POOR!

Senator Obama gave a wonderful speech, and his views on race, and everyone coming together were wonderful. I've always believed that our country needed to address the race issue in a more positive way, and he seems to have done that. The biggest concern I have about Senator Obama is why he would stay in a church for over 20 years that proclaimed so much negativity and hate for their fellow man. I personally would have very little respect for any minister that preached hatred of our country, and made such hate filled racist comments of all other races, so it puzzles me why a man like Senator Obama would choose that type of minister as his spiritual leader if he disagrees with his comments.

Sometimes you have to have the courage to speak out and risk losing the respect of others. Fear stops us from speaking out in case we too become segregated and harmed in practical or mental constrictive ways. However, when we do speak out we have to do this in a NON violent way or the message loses its power and conviction.

When will we stop talking about black, red, white or yellow together will Muslim, Catholic, Jewish etc etc... and start talking and thinking about the human race as a whole. We are all born in the same way and we will end up under the same earth. When a child smiles, who care's what colour skin he has. All colours are beautiful and when we are thrown together we make a more interesting mix. We have so much to offer eachother if we would only listen, really listen.

Obama denounced the harmful sermons of his preacher and rightfully so because they are without doubt inflammatory and harmful to America. He also defended his preacher by saying the root cause of his racist remarks -- his pain resulting from repression -- is real and it must be respected and acknowledged. Honestly, I was not a supporter of Obama until this speech. He gained my respect by admitting that in today's multiracial multicultural America we all suffer from discrimination in one way or another because the suffering caused by prejudice is real and despite our best intentions we are often prejudiced against one another. However, he carefully points out that prejudice is NOT necessary and NOT an inevitable feature of our society. He wisely reminded us that opportunity in the US is NOT a zero sum game where only either your kind or 'the other' are able to succeed but that the best and probably only way to improve and move forward from this point is to first acknowledge that the anyone's suffering from any sort of discrimination is real and then to understand and except that we share so much in common that the way to maximize our personal benefits within this society is to identify common goals and work cooperatively to achieve them. I worry deeply that the importance of this nuanced message will be lost among the noise from the talking heads on television. It takes a lifetime to build such a powerful understanding of race in America today and ten seconds to discount it.

Barack Obama should not have to defend himself against his pastor or church. Catholic Priests have molested young boys. Most Catholics still attend the Catholic Church. Obama was leading with a majority of White People until Hillary Clinton fell behind; she started her smear campaign along with Fox News and Republicans. I agree with some of what Obama's Pastor said. Bill Clinton was chasing young girls in The White House while terrorists lived in The U.S.,planning their attacks. The Pastor mentioned Hiroshima. Did those Japanese people deserve the atomic bomb dropped by the U.S.military and govt. They paid for the Japanese Government bombing Pearl Harbor. George Bush's Father invaded Iraq, causing hatred from Bin Laden. President Bush started the war In Iraq; he still defends all the lost lives and billions of wasted dollars. Our CIA has caused trouble around the world. I lived In Nigeria West Africa, saw many honest, praying Muslims. Obama was even attacked for his Muslim background, which is a plus knowing more about different cultures, dealing with foreign leaders. Obama is a good, honest man, who is being unjustly crucified by dishonest media, obnoxious Hillary Clinton, who thinks the world owes her this election. She wants to change all the rules to win.People in PA fall for her lies; she has never done hard labor in her life. Obama's Pastor was right about her also. Americans should contact Fox News and tell them to quit bashing Obama. Obama should sue Fox for slander.