No Mary Mitchell...You Don't Get It

One thing I have realized in following the evolving fiasco surrounding the comments of Reverend Jeremiah Wright is that Obama's biggest problem right now is Wright and his incendiary comments, that goes without saying. His second biggest problem is most of his surrogates and their responses to the crisis. Now, enter this column by Chicago Sun Times columnist Mary Mitchell (herself African American)...My first reaction was anger that no one has been fired for allowing this amateur piece of propandist garbabe into what is supposed to be a professional newspaper. Right underneath the title, Mitchell proclaims

Whites don't get it, blacks do, and it's time to move on

In the body, she has the chutzpah to then proclaim...

The aftermath of this racially polarizing incident is predictable. Instead of rising to the challenge to move away from the racial rhetoric that Obama talked about in his historic speech, we the media will continue to fan its flames.

Next, you'll be bombarded with polling data that purport to show that Obama is losing ground with the white vote.

And, of course, the vote in Pennsylvania, where that state's governor, Ed Rendell, has already said "conservative" whites will not vote for Obama because he is black, will be dissected to prove that Obama's relationship with Wright cost him white votes.

Ms. Mitchell, with all due respect what exactly are you doing by proclaiming

whites don't get it blacks do let's move on

if not fanning the perverbial flames and using racial rhetoric that you accuse your colleagues preemptively of doing. With all due respect again Ms. Mitchell, the only one that doesn't get it is you. The good work that Reverend Wright doesn't excuse or condone the dispicable, racist, and anti American statements that he has seared into our consciousness. Whatever good work he has done is now a blip in the overall scheme, because for the thousands he may have served, he has hurt millions more. Fair or not, that is reality and if you don't understand that you don't get it.

It isn't whites that don't get it but you. As Bill O'Reilly astutely pointed out Barack Obama is running for President of all of the United States, not just those that you would find at Wright's church. If Obama is to be elected President he is going to just have to humor the rest of us and find some common ground with all of those that were still shocked and outraged by Wright's incendiary language despite his years of good work. Everytime Hamas drops a homicide bomb in Israel there are several Palestinians pointing out all the good work they do, and their good work no more excuses their murder than Wright's good work excuses his hatred of the country that allowed him to spew it.

Furthermore, Mitchell really doesn't get it when she says this...

Indeed, many would consider it a great honor to be nurtured spiritually at the feet of a man like Jeremiah Wright.

He has two master's degrees, including one from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and earned his doctorate from the United Theological Seminary.

Besides his four earned degrees, Wright has received eight honorary doctorates from acclaimed universities and colleges.

Again, with all due respect Ms. Mitchell, Wright doesn't have a monopoly on preachers with impressive education and credentials. If Obama was looking for a preacher with several degrees the list would have been long and frankly much more distinguished than just Wright. Nor does Wright hold a monopoly on preachers that do good work in the community. In fact, for religious organizations that is the rule NOT the exception. What sets Wright apart from most preachers is that he spews hate against his country and all races but his, and he does this to an audience of thousands of all ages including children. Let's stop the nonsense and pretend as though Wright is special because he's done good work in the community. Lot's of people do good work in their community, and it DOESN'T give license to any of them to spew hate.

Finally, Ms. Mitchell, with all due respect again, just because your race has faced generations of tyranny and injustice doesn't mean you have cornered the market on moral superiority and victimhood. (My entire family bloodline, for instance, is of Soviet Jewish descent.) Furthermore, it doesn't mean that others are unjustified in their outrage. Just because someone grew up in privilege doesn't mean their outrage isn't genuine when they hear venom spewed against their country.

How exactly, Ms. Mitchell, do you expect to end the racial divide when you condescend in a morally superior tone that this is a black thing and you privileged whites don't get and let's move on because these concepts are just beyond our grasp? Is this the sort of dialogue that Obama was hoping to inspire with his speech?

I am starting to realize that most of Obama's surrogates only go to perpetuate the stereotype that Wright started. Folks like Mitchell, Charles Coulter, as well as two Obama supporters on Friday's Factor who expressed similar views all perpetuate the stereotype that this is a black thing and that the outrage is unwarranted, unfair, and from those that don't understand. The sort of territorial defense that I am witnessing will only go to further the divide that Mitchell proclaims others will forment. I frankly want to move on. This story has just about lost all of its fascination for me and at this point it is little more than a train wreck. But listen here, Ms. Mitchell, we simpletons, who just don't get it, just don't see how we should vote for an individual for President who sat back and did nothing for twenty years while his preacher spewed anti American hate and venom at every race but his. Once someone answers that for me we can move on.