Say What? Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

April 28, 2008

Update: B. Scott weighs in on Rev. Wright saying “African-American Children Are Right-Brained” (Youtube)

Take me higher lord, this is not about my support for either Sen. Hillary Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama but rather this completely shocking ignorant statement that Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. (pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ and former pastor of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.) said at an event sponsored by the Detroit chapter of the NAACP over the weekend. Please read the following statement and please let me know if you agree with him that African-American children and European-American children learn with different parts of the brain. (B. Scott just shakes his head and clutches his pearls.)

“And we were coming up with more meaningless solutions like reading, writing and Ritalin. Dr. Hale’s research led her to stop comparing African-American children with European-American children and she started comparing the pedagogical methodologies of African-American children to African children and European-American children to European children. And bingo, she discovered that the two different worlds have two different ways of learning. European and European-American children have a left brained cognitive object oriented learning style and the entire educational learning system in the United States of America. Back in the early ’70s, when Dr. Hale did her research was based on left brained cognitive object oriented learning style. Let me help you with fifty cent words. Left brain is logical and analytical. Object oriented means the student learns from an object. From the solitude of the cradle with objects being hung over his or her head to help them determine colors and shape to the solitude in a carol in a PhD program stuffed off somewhere in a corner in absolute quietness to absorb from the object. From a block to a book, an object. That is one way of learning, but it is only one way of learning. African and African-American children have a different way of learning. They are right brained, subject oriented in their learning style. Right brain that means creative and intuitive. Subject oriented means they learn from a subject, not an object. They learn from a person. Some of you are old enough, I see your hair color, to remember when the NAACP won that tremendous desegregation case back in 1954 and when the schools were desegregated. They were never integrated. When they were desegregated in Philadelphia, several of the white teachers in my school freaked out. Why? Because black kids wouldn’t stay in their place. Over there behind the desk, black kids climbed up all on them.”

“Because they learn from a subject, not from an object. Tell me a story. They have a different way of learning. Those same children who have difficulty reading from an object and who are labeled EMH, DMH and ADD. Those children can say every word from every song on every hip hop radio station half of who’s words the average adult here tonight cannot understand. Why? Because they come from a right-brained creative oral culture like the (greos) in Africa who can go for two or three days as oral repositories of a people’s history and like the oral tradition which passed down the first five book in our Jewish bible, our Christian Bible, our Hebrew bible long before there was a written Hebrew script or alphabet. And repeat incredulously long passages like Psalm 119 using mnemonic devices using eight line stanzas. Each stanza starting with a different letter of the alphabet. That is a different way of learning. It’s not deficient, it is just different. Somebody say different. I believe that a change is going to come because many of us are committed to changing how we see other people who are different.”

Filed Under Politics

70 Responses to “Say What? Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.”

princessoftheworld on April 28, 2008 at 8:04 pm #

Look at your frin…lol
http://www.dlisted.com/node/25560/images/91913507.jpg
cut n paste boo boo
CANDI DELICIOUS on April 28, 2008 at 8:09 pm #

IF THEY INTEGRATED THAT SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS MAYBE BLACK KIDS WILL LEARN MORE AND NOT DROP OUT !!! 50% OF BLACK KIDS DONT GRADUATE.THE OLD WAY ISNT WORKING…..
princessoftheworld on April 28, 2008 at 8:10 pm #

In response to this post…i never heard of such a study and i’m not ready to accept it as viable truth. In other words I would have to see if there is collaborative or coroberating research that supports this study. Interesting though.
Luv U Much!
KR on April 28, 2008 at 8:14 pm #

Rev. Wright is just a little too much for me sometimes. I’m sure he is a wonderful man but wow. He is using his freedom of speech until it is dripped dry.
KR on April 28, 2008 at 8:25 pm #

Candi, all due respect, kids dropping out comes from not taking it serious. I am a black man with three college degrees from top schools with friends who all have advanced degrees too.

The kids that dropped out of school when I attended high school only cared about fashion and having sex. They would ridicule everyone who wanted an education and to better themselves. They didn’t want to pick up a book or find a different way of learning on their own. Too many AAs have graduated for this theory to be true. Education methodologies haven’t changed. No it’s the growth of the “I don’t give a damn” attitude. I mentor high schoolers and I stay on them about getting their studies. If they don’t want to study then they have to leave. A little inspiration, tutoring, village raising, and positive reinforcement goes a long way.
NurseFAB on April 28, 2008 at 8:49 pm #

WHY DOESN’T HE JUST BE QUIET? EVERYTHING IS NOT ABOUT RACE. HIS WHOLE SPEECH JUST MAKES MY ASS TIRED.
princessoftheworld on April 28, 2008 at 8:51 pm #

We need more like you KR
okay on April 28, 2008 at 9:09 pm #

Goodness, why is he still talking?
Ms.NeeCee on April 28, 2008 at 9:12 pm #

I think the theory is BS. I think it depends on the individual first and then the upbringing. You know there are a lot of people that look at us negatively and I have to say sometimes we put ourselves in those predicaments. I would never down talk any pastor, but I do not agree with him!
{M.J.} on April 28, 2008 at 9:19 pm #

Well, to answer the question, I can’t and won’t say for certain that Blacks learn from a different side of the brain than whites (one side of the brain allows you to learn and do creative things like music, poetry; the other allows you to excel at things like math and science), BUT, I do know that Blacks do tend to learn in a different manner than whites. We all know the argument behind high-stakes testing of kids to move on to the next grade. HOWEVER, to address the other issue of kids dropping out of school, I must agree with KR. Kids drop out due to parents not raising their kids properly and instilling in them the value of an education. They allow their kids to learn lil wayne’s lollipop before they can recite the alphabet and thier numbers 1-100, smh. I personally, work two jobs and I work with kids from 7 a.m. til 7 p.m., of all ages, so I know this for fact, first hand. As KR said, when I was school the dropouts were looking for money via drug sales/theft/or any other bad means and/or sex. If you don’t teach your child that the straight way is the best way from jump, once they get to high school, your hope of trying to tell them is out the window pretty much. Somehow, someway, we all need to put forth a greater effort to let kids know that they can have all of the tangibles they see their favorite celebrities with without having to give up their bodies, sell drugs (which only destroys our communities and kills us, meaning Blacks), or be a professional athlete or entertainer; cause I know this and it was very easy for me to fall into the same trap of all the bad things I just described, but i didn’t. Why? I was taught at a very early age about my history, the value of an education (because those before us didn’t have the same opportunities)and i was taught these things not only by my parents, but the community/village as well.
blasianfma on April 28, 2008 at 9:24 pm #

I agree completely with Ms.NeeCee on what she said about the theory being BS, and it really being a matter of upbringing/ environment. I am a firm believer of the thought that the environment (nature/nuturing) of the child, coupled with some genetics will determine how a child reacts/ learns. It is a very very complicated matter, to be sure. I mean, I have cousins in San Diego growing up in the same neighborhoods that I grew up in, and they are turning out just like I did, socially and academically. But then, not everyone is like that. Some people naturally rebel against everything around them because it is in their genes (their attitude you know you’ve seen families where mama and children had similar attitudes or sometimes completely contrast (see how complicated this is getting???)). The bottom line is, you have to give everyone a good chance from the beginning. Of course you do have your people who “rise above” who come from bad neighborhoods, and then you have your “rebels” who grow up in good neighborhoods and end up shooting masses of people. Is that to say that those two ppl had the same “rebelion gene”? Okay I’m ranting and got waaay off topic.
Ayci aka poetic product on April 28, 2008 at 9:46 pm #

This is not a myth check out a book written by Paulo Freire call the Pedagogy of the Oppressed http://www.amazon.com/Pedagogy-Oppressed-Paulo-Freire/dp/0826412769. Why is it so hard to believe that people learn differently that come from different cultures. Blacks still hope true to many African traditions unknowingly (see movie RISE for an example) and Europeans really never left their cultural tradidions behind. I am a teacher and I’ve taught both races and generally this is true. Black kids need to do this helps them learn best and White kids can watch and learn. This is not only true with race, but also gender, it is commonly accepted that boys and girls learn differently but it hard to accept with race. This is not a negative this, but something that should be explored more. Look at the Chicago Public School system and you will see this being applied and working. I know everyone wants to think we are just like each other essentially, but honestly I’m glad we are not. I differences makes us great and if we look dipper we will realize that we are made to compliment one another.
Ayci aka poetic product on April 28, 2008 at 9:48 pm #

yall forgive the typos its late and Im writing for my class in the morning
incognegro on April 28, 2008 at 10:57 pm #

Being a Chicagoan, and a person who has frequented and enjoyed Rev. Wright’s sermons on numerous occasions, it is disheartning to hear and read many of statements that have been made about HIM or by HIM. There is rarely any saving grace after you have been demonized in the media after a 15 sec. clip, and now anything that he says true or untrue, has an adverse affect on his reputation, his admirable legacy, and Barrack’s campaign.

Now I am not going to argue about the validity of his previous comments (facts are facts, and the truth can be hurtful - as long as it is the truth; “truth” being the operative word). But despite the fact that Rev. Wright is a learned man (check his bio), he is not a psychiatrist or pyschologist, and we have even to come to find that doctor’s don’t even have an accurate answer for many of the social phenomenons and statistics that we see in society. Left side or Right side, African American students, White Students, Asian Students, Indian Students, African Students, etc. are all capable of achieving great things; but we must recognize the fact that students can only achieve when they are expected or allowed to do so. And the sad fact is that African-Americans have been historically been disadvantaged and disrespected when it comes to providing their children with a quality education.

Rev. Wright is an intelligent man, but more importantly a man of God. But it is my hope that he allows politicans to run the political arena, because when the pulpit meets politics, it is often the recipe for diaster. But I do ask everyone not to be so quick to write this man off as a “wacko”, especially when Bill O’Reilly is serving as the moral police.
Yeah Okay on April 29, 2008 at 1:13 am #

Is he saying we are genetically predisposed to learn a certain way? Jesus when is this gonna end? I give up.
Resse on April 29, 2008 at 2:11 am #

I am starting to think that the Clinton Administration or some other source is encouraging him to say all of this obviously ignorant/unpatriotic statements. Yes, that seems far-fetched because noone can really control what someone says but 8000 people follow this man?? Seems like it is all aimed at lowering Obama’s credential as a candidate for president of the USA.
LB on April 29, 2008 at 4:10 am #

To B. Scott I have to say that I am very disappointed in the way you are handling this campaign, it is very clear that you support Hillary (Why? I really don’t know.), but that’s your freedom of choice. Now if you hear the whole sermon, not just another small section of it, you will see that he is talking about a Dr. that has done studies on this. He is not saying that this is law, but he is trying to understand all our differences, now I think all kids learn differently whether they are black, white, green or purple. Some are visual learners where others are not. I have been a love muffin for a while, but I have to say you are being very one sided. You never posted the fact that the Clintons during the Monica scandal invited Rev. Wright to the White House for spiritual guidance, nor did you post Barack’s Advocate interview. You have a voice on here, so I feel you own it to your fans to use it appropriately and accurately, not judgmentally.
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texasmama on April 29, 2008 at 4:52 am #

This is truly sad. The ignorance this man has displayed is phenomenal!Put a white face on him or a cover him with a sheet, and then listen to the words he used and you will see what B meant by “slippery slope”.
Deuce on April 29, 2008 at 4:55 am #

LB, because he doesn’t have to. This is his forum and his website. He’s under no obligation to be bipartisan, which is not to say that I even think he is being that way.

I’m glad that someone has the nerve to put people who say ridiculous things in the media on blast, and Mr. Wright is certainly no exception. I agree 100% with Blasianfma. It’s defintely a matter of how you’re raised and today’s generation simply isn’t doing it. Look at that case in Baltimore where the teacher told the girl to sit in her seat and the girl reacted by beating the woman! What child would do that if they were raised by intelligent parents who taught the proper values?

It’s sad, really…
Cancer78 on April 29, 2008 at 5:05 am #

So…….. if you are bi-racial that would mean you think from which side?
Keith on April 29, 2008 at 5:33 am #

This man is driving a wedge between the races that is already wide enough. He is hurting Obama chances for the nomination. Obama need to speak out but Obama need to do is find him another church and pastor.
... on April 29, 2008 at 5:42 am #

b scott, with all due respect, please stick with pop culture and gossip. Academia is not your forte’.

And by the way, judging from your site/vblog, you are indeed right-brained.

Perhaps you should read up on the origins of Western psychology.
spoiledbritt86 on April 29, 2008 at 6:03 am #

This kills me! And the fact that he has “science” (which is 30 yrs. old by the way) to back it up is going to make more and more people believe him. Your learning abilities is a culturally learned thing. African American and European American kids are all AMERICAN. We grew up in the same type of society, and we were all socialized in the same type of schools. I’m graduating from Uf this weekend, so you can’t tell me school is harder for black kids! I’ve taken countless online quizzes that have told me I’m right brained, and I’m black! He’s just endorsing a generalization and that’s never good! If little blakc kids still grew up in traditional African society then maybe you could argue that, but no!
spoiledbritt86 on April 29, 2008 at 6:08 am #

And to add a side note, if I ever climbed on a desk at school, my mom would kill me! I’m sure that when the schools were INTERGRATED that the black children knew they were under so much scrutiny that they behaved so much better than little kids now!
j'nai nichelle on April 29, 2008 at 6:19 am #

well…i havent a clue whether or not his statements are fully substantial or statistically proven…i do know that my african american literature lectured on the subject matter last semester… he compared contrasted european ethos and african ethos.(ethos being values, beliefs, blah)the big differences being…european ethos = linear thought process, left-brained (logic, facts, etc), desire to explore/conquer, detachment from mother nature vs. african ethos = circular thought process…right brained, attachment to home and oneness with mother nature. there has to be some truth in the matter…i know for a fact that my professor wouldn’t irresonsibly feed us bullshit.
mrsFAB on April 29, 2008 at 6:35 am #

Jesus, take Rev. Wright’s wheel, roll down the window, and throw his race cards out of it. Man please…..
mrsFAB on April 29, 2008 at 6:37 am #

I’m about to FedEx him a “NO Bitchassness” t-shirt, and attach a note that says, “Sit Down!”
College Honey on April 29, 2008 at 7:11 am #

This is one post where I actually read every reply. I find the best way to look at this is:

1) Children learn differently due to their upbringing, not their race. Maybe he has confused these two concepts. People are so against the children who can learn rap songs but have not learned numbers yet. GET OVER YOURSELF. If you have ever studied music, you would know that learning every damn song they hear is the first step. It demonstrates their ability to pick up information and retain it. The next step is to teach them the songs that matter like the abcs and 123s.

2) It could be some political ploy from opponents. But personally, I don’t think the Hilary Campaign is smart enough to figure out a ploy like that.

3) And if you truly believe that black children have this disposition which raises their chances of failing THEN WE ARE SCREWED AS A PEOPLE. screwed because of a) this “disposition” and b) Your ignorant and hopeless mindset.

I don’t know about the rest of you, But I don’t believe a damn thing until I have a VARIETY OF RELIABLE SOURCES. Don’t tell me something and expect me to eat it up.

RIGHT NOW THIS PASTOR IS IN THE SAME BOAT AS THAT SPITZER PROSTITUTE. That’ right, I said it. The media is the play ground for stupidity and they are both caught up in it.

As a theology major (plus some other stuff), I believe that religion is such a powerful force, it does not need to mingle in scientific or political affairs. Simply because religion is so powerful, you can’t do it all. IF this pastor has a political or scientific point he wants to make , he needs to contact those who know what they are talking about.

Now I’m off to class…
mrsFAB on April 29, 2008 at 7:28 am #

Great post, College Honey. Good luck with your classes!
pink77545 on April 29, 2008 at 7:56 am #

Ok, to be honest, i could care less what Rev. Wright has to say. I haven’t heard the entire sermon so i’m not going to comment on it. Now while we are all complaining about what he said people like Pat Buchanan, who is ALSO very ignorant and racist,are making remarks of their own. I got this comment from Bossip.com :

“First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.
Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.

Is white America really responsible for the fact that the crime and incarceration rates for African-Americans are seven times those of white America? Is it really white America’s fault that illegitimacy in the African-American community has hit 70 percent and the black dropout rate from high schools in some cities has reached 50 percent? Is that the fault of white America or, first and foremost, a failure of the black community itself?

As for racism, its ugliest manifestation is in interracial crime, and especially interracial crimes of violence. Is Barack Obama aware that while white criminals choose black victims 3 percent of the time, black criminals choose white victims 45 percent of the time?Is Barack aware that black-on-white rapes are 100 times more common than the reverse, that black-on-white robberies were 139 times as common in the first three years of this decade as the reverse? We have all heard ad nauseam from the Rev. Al about Tawana Brawley, the Duke rape case and Jena. And all turned out to be hoaxes. But about the epidemic of black assaults on whites that are real, we hear nothing.Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40 trillion tax dollars ago”

Now if this isn’t ignorant, i don’t know what is.
mrsFAB on April 29, 2008 at 8:10 am #

Yes, I read that about Pat Buchanon! B. can we get your thoughts on this? When I read it, I decided to send him a “No Bitchassness” tee as well. He REALLY needs to sit down!
S_Cupcake on April 29, 2008 at 8:20 am #

I agree with what some of yall are saying on here. Here’s my take on it though. From the previous excerpt that says that Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. is “Anti-American” (He spoke nothing but the truth if people read up on their history), I want to know when it become so wrong for a Black people to be Anti-American, I mean did everyone just forget about the previous hundreds of years Black people have been treated in this country? And why is it that you are considered ‘Anti-American’ because you point out the faults of the US government…When has the US government ever been perfect?

On another note, I don’t agree with what he’s saying about the left side or the ride side of the brain, I do however agree with the fact that Black people learn differently then White people/ different cultur groups learn differently.

I also want to add that, the reasoning behind Black Americans doing so poorly in this country doesn’t only have to do with their upbringing within families, it also has to do with the lack of resources that they have in schools. Black people are on the lowest bracket economically wise within our country. Public Schools are funded through property taxes, so in poor Black neighborhoods there is less money going to the schools. Working with kids, I also see a hopelessness that no one has mentioned above (or might have after I make this post). This hopelessness is the stem of the “I don’t care attitude” and the anger you see in children today…Its because they don’t see their lives really going anywhere, its not going to get better, so why care? TODAY IN 2008, asking these children/young adults what they want to do/be when they grow up, they still say basketball player or rapper or I don’t know, haven’t thought about it. I don’t think they ask that question enough in schools, matter of fact I don’t think schools prepare these children to go out in the world on their own FAR LESS the college counseling offices (if you can call them that). You guys can ramble on about parent involvement, which I’m not saying isn’t important, I’m just saying what the hell do you do if their isn’t any parent involvment, say oh well these children are on their own? No, thats the responsibility of the government, hence why we have adoption and foster care, we should have great public schools.
{M.J.} on April 29, 2008 at 8:54 am #

5
College Honey on April 29, 2008 at 8:56 am #

S_Cupcake, I’m going to have to disagree on some of your points. Especially those made in the beginning of your post.

“I want to know when it become so wrong for a Black people to be Anti-American, I mean did everyone just forget about the previous hundreds of years Black people have been treated in this country?”

It became wrong to become anti-American when you entered the social contract and stayed in the country. If it is as bad as you say, leave. There are many other countries to go to. and If Black people are going to stay mad about slavery still, then WE WILL NEVER MAKE PROGRESS. stop pointing the finger at slavery and shift it to other things. How about other elements of of culture such as the shift in the family dynamics?

Next, You said “why is it that you are considered ‘Anti-American’ because you point out the faults of the US government…When has the US government ever been perfect?”

I believe you are anti american when you complain and DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. How many blacks are quick to complain about the government but are not willing to get out there and vote? Anti- American is believing everything a over publicized person says and taking it as truth.

Lastly, having worked with kids, you say “I also want to add that, the reasoning behind Black Americans doing so poorly in this country doesn’t only have to do with their upbringing within families, it also has to do with the lack of resources that they have in schools.”

While I agree that I can’t wait for the increase in quality of the educational system available, we can not restrict ourselves to only pointing the finger at resources? THERE ARE TOO MANY VARIABLES IN THIS SITUATION. If we allow ourselves to say the government isn’t providing enough, we completely disregard those who do make it out of these educational systems and go on to be something.

My thing is I can’t stand complaints. Complaining without giving a solution is a waste of time. Continue your complaints BUT TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Become active and put fire under some people’s asses.
Kasandra on April 29, 2008 at 9:18 am #

Is this the whole speech in its entirety or a snippit? If this isn’t the complete speech pleas post it in its entirety and then I can make a fully informed opinion. Just like with his last speech media only played sound bytes of the speech not the whole thing. Once I heard the whole speech what he said made more sense to me.

Thanks B
miss_yahya on April 29, 2008 at 9:25 am #

it is unfortunate that you all are taking his comments to mean something negative. I think that the true point here is that perhaps children learn in different ways. Is it so far fetched that perhaps different children use different sides of their brains? I dont necessarily agree that only black or white children use certain parts of their brain however i do believe that children learn differently. Perhaps why some children do not excel has nothing to do with the studying. Perhpas its with the way they are taught. Has this nation become so complacent with our studies that its ridiculous to think of more creative ways to teach? I think the point is before you start labeling children as ADHD and ADD and incompetent that you try other methods and styles of teaching and that these methods we have been using for over decades now have become defunct. To me that makes a world of sense.

and to those who say all you have to do is study and blah blah blah. thats some bull if i ever heard it. everyone is different, there are those students who drop out or dont graduate or go to a fancy university that were not just into fashion or sex. thats absolutely ridiculous to make such a claim.
Riley on April 29, 2008 at 9:26 am #

Rev. Wright has done great things for his community and some of things he has said are very true. However, I dont agree 100% with this statement but I do believe all students learn differently. For years there have been studies that show boys and girls learn differently so thats nothing new. I also believe the learning environment affects the way students learn. There are other factors that determine the way students learn but I doubt race is one of them.
MiCasa on April 29, 2008 at 9:39 am #

I love him !!!!! fuck fox news there the only ones who keep showing him in a bad way . He is a smart man who knows what he is saying!!!!!
Crystal on April 29, 2008 at 9:43 am #

There may be some basis to the idea that white children are more likely to have dominate left brain and black children are more likely to have a dominate right brain. The one thing that no one is mentioning is the fact that the dominance of the brain alternates from side to the other while a person is participating in different activities. For example, if you attempt to do a math problem, the left side of your brain will become dominate. If you’re listening to music, the right side will become dominate. This is important because we have to be careful when conditioning our children’s developing brains. It’s not an issue what’s being taught in the schools. It’s more an issue of the stimuli our children are receiving when they’re brains are developing a rapid pace. This happens before a child enters the school system. If a child’s right brain receives more stimuli than the left brain, that does not mean that the child is incapable of mastering left-brain skills. Because a large part of the child’s brain has developed by the time they enter school, it may be more difficult to get the child to respond to left-brain stimuli. The dominance of the brain alternates so there is no reason that the child cannot receive left-brain stimuli. Once the child has been conditioned to use the left-side of their brain, they should have no problem mastering left-brain skills. Parents have to start being responsible. It’s not solely up the school system to educate your child. Education starts at home.

As for Pastor Wright, it offends me that he’s taken it upon himself to speak for the black church. I think that’s very damaging to the image of the black church and black people as a whole. I understand that he feels like he has something valuable to say that no one else has the courage to say and white America doesn’t want to hear. He must understand that it isn’t always about what you have to say, it’s about how you say it. His blatant display of arrogance and defiance yesterday only added more fuel to the fire. If he feels that the media is attacking the black church, why would he give them more material to use against the black church? I really feel like he’s was trying to get back at Barack Obama. I think he feels like Obama is selling him and the black church out. I know the Obama camp has asked him to keep quiet. He has something to prove to Obama. I’m not an Obama supporter, but I really feel that Obama needs to do something to correct this problem. There is no way to turn this all mess into a positive for the Obama. Obama missed that opportunity, the only thing that can be done at this point is to shut this man up.
LB on April 29, 2008 at 10:13 am #

Deuce, I agree he doesn’t have to, but I feel that this primary is a very sensitive on, everyone feels very passionate about their opponent, I am mixed and honestly I do take offense to another black person picking Hillary over Barack, because of the way she is trying to demonize him. One day he’s a racist, next day his a Muslim, then his an elisit. Her and Bill have played the race card this whole primary. I have always like the Clintons, until now I was truly conflicted about her at first until I really start following the campaign and seeing how it was being ran. But with that all being said I still respect his freedom of choice and still visit this blog. But I visit because it is about pop culture not about politics otherwise I would be on a CNN blog. I feel you are going to cover politics, all I say I ask is to speak equally about both sides.

ALSO

PEOPLE PLEASE READ THE WORDS CAREFULLY, REV WRIGHT IS NOT SAYING HE FEELS THAT WAY. HE IS TALKING ABOUT A DOCTOR THAT HAS DONE THIS STUDY. If you are going to get involved into politics please do research, know the whole story not just apiece.

B Scott

You do have the right to campaign for whom you like, but just a little FYI for you on Hillary that you can research for yourself.

1ST, THE REASON WHY PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS IS BECAUSE OF NAFTA, WHICH BILL CLINTON SIGNED OFF AND HILLARY WAS A BIG SUPPORTER OF THAT UNTIL SHE START RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. WE ARE JUST NOW STARTING TO FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THE NAFTA BILL.

2ND, HILLARY WANTS TO PASS A BILL TO MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR US TO HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, WHICH MEANS IF YOU GO TO THE DR’S WITH NO INSURANCE NOT ONLY WILL YOU STILL GET A CRAZY BILL, BUT A FINE AS WELL FOR HAVING NO INSURANCE. I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT MOST PEOPLE I KNOW DON’T HAVE INSURANCE BECAUSE THEY CAN’T AFFORD IT NOT BECAUSE THEY DON’T FEEL IT’S IMPORTANT.

3RD, IF YOU GO TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS http://www.thomas.loc.gov. YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE WORK THAT OBAMA HAS DONE VS. HILLARY. WITHIN 6 YRS IN OFFICE SHE HAS PASSED ONLY 20 COMPLETELY IRRELEVENT LAWS, AND I DO MEAN COMPETELY IRRELEVENT. BARACK WITHIN 8 YRS HE HAS SPONSORED OVER 820 BILLS THAT HE INTRODUCED AND ALL ARE IN REGARDS TO EITHER HEALTH CARE, CRIME FIGHTING, POVERTY, ETC ETC BUT SHE STILL CLAIMS TO HAVE MORE EXSPERIENCE. PLEASE CHECK FOR YOUR SELF.

4TH AND MOST IMPORTANT WHEN IT CAME TO REAL PRESSURE AND IT WAS TIME TO STAND AGAINST THE WAR HE DID. WHILE SHE PASSED OFF ON IT COSTING US TRILLIONS OF $s, LET’S NOT FORGET HE STOOD AGAINST THE WAR, WITH A NAME LIKE BARACK HUSSIEN OBAMA, DURING THE MOST SENSIVTIVE AND PAINFULLY TIME IN OUR HISTORY. HIS CAREER COULD HAVE BEEN OVER. BUT HE HAD THE COURAGE TO STAND AGAINST IT ANYWAY. I RESPECT THE HELL OUT OF THAT.

5TH, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST HE IS A BLACK MAN, I’M SORRY BUT THAT IS THE CHERRY ON TOP, I AM NOT VOTING FOR HIM BECAUSE OF THAT. BUT MY LITTLE NEICES AND NEPHEWS AGES 5 - 12 ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT BARACK, AND FOR THEM TO SEE A BLACK MAN SUCCEED TO THAT LEVEL WITH HONOR AND INTRIGRITY, IT MAKES THEM WHAT TO STRIVE FOR MORE, LETS FACE IT MOST (NOT ALL) OF OUR SUCCESSFUL BLACK PEOPLE HAVE MADE THEIR MONEY BY EITHER SELLING DRUGS AND TURNING IT AROUND, OR PLAYING SPORTS. NOT TO KNOCK IT, BUT FOR MY NEICES AND NEPHEWS TO SEE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS, MEANS A LOT TO ME.

All I ask is to educate yourself completely, I have search for the positives and negatives in both candidates, I have just found more negatives with Hillary, especially due to all hers lies and deceit SHE WILL NEVER GET MY VOTE. If you know all this and still feel she is the better candidate then I will just have to respect that, but if you continue to only tell half the story on your site and try to make my candidate of choice look bad, then I will take my viewing elsewhere. (Maybe that doesn’t matter to you)

I know this is long but I hope you read it all in its totality.
princessoftheworld on April 29, 2008 at 10:20 am #

The best thing we can do is make sure our own children are learning from the left and the right brain. It’s not like they can’t it just what they or we prefer ~ like you may be left handed and I may be right handed…which could probably mean we are preferring a certain side of our brain… Bottom line make sure our children, your children, are maximizing their education to the fullest…go above and beyond as parents to make sure they not only know how to read and write but that they know how to solve problems, count and make money!

Never mind Reverend Wright he is just one person that has been given too much emphasis…if i have to watch him every day like Britney Spears i’ll go mad crazy!
Deuce on April 29, 2008 at 11:05 am #

LB, so you think that just because you’re (in general) black, that you should vote for Barack? I’ll pass that one along to my boyfriend…who is black and is very involved in the campaign of Hillary. I understand where you’re coming from about wanting equal coverage but again, it’s B Scott’s website and he can do as he pleases…but u should def. pass that advice over to the people that run that garbage site Bossip.com. now THOSE people are a HOT ass mess…

1. She wants universal healthcare because IT”S NECESSARY! EVERY OTHER democratic nation IN THE WORLD has universal healthcare…and you’re holding her healthcare plan to current standards, which is inaccurate. She’s already stated at least a million times that in order to give everyone coverage, costs need to be lowered. So she’s not going to make a mandate for everyone to get coverage and just leave the current costs for it. Check the state of Massachusetts for a reference.

2..Also, your facts on Barack vs. Hilary are VERY inaccurate. It’s already been in the news(and everywhere else) that she has sponsored AND passed more bills than he has. I suggest you read up on that. So yes, please follow that link and look it up for yourself everyone.

I’m also fairly sure that she voted present more times while in Senate, which means that she actually bothered herself enough to bring herself in to fight for the issues she beleived in.

It’s very audacious to me that he even has the NERVE to run for President! He lacks the experience and knowledge to properly do so. He speaks of values that his own campaign doesn’t follow, so I’m quite fed up and over him. If he wins the nomination, I’ll be voting Republican.
BrownGirl on April 29, 2008 at 11:14 am #

I LOOOOOOOVE Rev. Wright. Because guess what, he’s saying what many blacks say and feel behind closed doors. Yes..AIDS was created to destroy the Black population..but oops..they forgot WHITE people have sex with black people. Yes, America is a big bully and thinks that can bomb other countries and no one is supposed to messed with the U.S. Yeah right. Fk the blogs, Fk E! Entertainment, Fk the news, it’s all bullsh!t!!
Kelly on April 29, 2008 at 12:16 pm #

Deuce and LB I have to agree with you LB I actually voted for Hillary in my state and now I really regret it. I think Hillary will do what ever it takes to win, and it will all be at our expense. I respect Barack for taking the high road, I know its very hard. Im sure sometimes he wants to just go off on her. I think Barack can unite us all where Hillary will divide us.
LB on April 29, 2008 at 12:27 pm #

Deuce, first of all I said that the fact that he is black is just the “cherry on top” but is not the only reason I will am voting for him. I don’t expect anyone else to vote for him solely for that purpose either, but the campaign that the Clintons are running is very offensive, not only to all people but especially blacks, so yeah because of the way she is running this primary, I feel that blacks should not support her, because she is not supporting us. She never formally denounced a racist rant for one her campaign managers, she had a relationship with Rev. Wright, but acts like she has never seen him a day in her life. And is making it seem like he is not fit to be president, because he is black.
(Yes she is).

Now I may have the link wrong but you can go to the library of congress yourself and see that he has done more in office than she has.

SHE
DOESN’T
HAVE EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill does, she had no authority. She was just the first lady, now if because she was sleeping with Bill (which I also doubt) gives her experience than Monica should be qualified as well to be president.

LET’S NOT FORGET BUSH WAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE EXPERIENCE AND HIS FATHER WAS PRESIDENT. And now thanks to him we are in the worst economic position since the depression.

I don’t care if she lowers the prices (which still won’t be enough) we don’t need another fine and a mandatory bill, with the economy like it is. I have lived overseas where health care is virtually free to all. So that’s all still BS.
Kasandra on April 29, 2008 at 12:29 pm #

Hey I just thought of this…I’m biracial…what side do I use?? lol
LB on April 29, 2008 at 12:37 pm #

Deuce, you say you will be voting republican if she is not the nominee, well that is very sad. You obliviously like getting *ucked by your system. But that’s your right. If the elections is stolen from Barack (because he is in the lead) I will lose faith in my government for allowing this to happen for 2 terms, and will either not vote at all since they are showing me that no matter what, they are just going to do what they want to anyway, or vote for Ron Paul (who does have some very good views. FYI who is a Libertarian running (in case people don’t know who that is) Since the press does not cover him at all.

I can give you a lot of reasons why I feel that Hillary is not fit to be president but all you can say is that Barack doesn’t have experience to be president. I don’t care what you have done in the government office until you sit in that chair in the oval office and make real decisions, NO ONE HAS experience. I cannot say because I like basketball that I know how to run a basketball team, until I am actually in that position and since Hillary is privy to so much information and still makes that wrong decision how can we trust her to run our country?????
shanta01 on April 29, 2008 at 1:02 pm #

I think he’s doing this to somewhat hurt Obama after Obama distanced himself away from him because of all times to speak this craziness he chose to speak it before the last few primaries. Wright is tripping and tripping hard and I’m glad Obama has denounced the B.S. he has been speaking. Wright claims to speak for the black church, but he’s not speaking for mine.
College Honey on April 29, 2008 at 1:05 pm #

so.. what part of the brain do latino children use? or asian?
Riley on April 29, 2008 at 2:12 pm #

@ LB I agree 100%
Some people dont take the time to research the candidates policies and their past decisions. Hilliary will NEVER get my vote because she has stated that she didnt take the time to read the entire documents on why the US wanted to go to war and she voted for it. That upsets me because as an elected offical she should have taken the time to read that before she voted. I dont understand why people would vote for a Republican. I cant afford higher gas prices and I dont want my brother to be deployed to Iraq for the third time.
sorithickulous on April 29, 2008 at 2:28 pm #

I most definitely agree with the ones of you who stated that it is a matter of environment and how you are nurtured. I will not bring myself to believe this foolishness that we are innately thinking with one side or the other…gimme a break! And by the way, WHY DOES EVERYTHING…ALWAYS…EVERYTIME I TURN MY TV ON…have to be about RACE. Black this white that can’t we just focus on the matters at hand. Yes, race relations and all that has its issues but ppl get sidetracked way to easily.

Is anyone else TOTALLY over saturated with all these politics. To be totally honest I am tired of hearing about this election because it is turning into a big freak show. Can we please stick to the issues and each person vote using their brain. (Whether the left or right or both Just make an educated decision people.
sorithickulous on April 29, 2008 at 2:33 pm #

You know I really want to know what about some ppl with make them vote if the person that they want (either Hil or Barack) does not will the nomination? I just don’t see how you can go from one side to a totally different extreme. Puzzles me, but do you. No prob.
sorithickulous on April 29, 2008 at 2:33 pm #

win*
Bird on April 29, 2008 at 3:13 pm #

I don’t know if it is correct or not. CNN had a doctor on yesterday that said it was true, but that Rev. Wright was using improper examples. Both of them are far more educated than I. I know that we have differant cultures, but I had no idea we learned differantly. The vast majority of bloggers are ill equipped to answer that question. All we can do is give opinions.
Deuce on April 29, 2008 at 4:24 pm #

LB, I’m very curiosu to see how the campaign she is running is offensive to blacks…and I’m asking that very non confrontationally (lol).

what racist comment did she not properly denounce? If it was the one made by Geraldine Ferraro(sp), that wasn’t a racist comment at all and I find it AMAZING that people are SO SENSITIVE that they can’t see that. She was simply attributing the publics facination with Obama to his race and the fact that he’s running for President. And it’s true. If he were white, no one would pay him any mind at all and Hillary would be the nominee virtually uncontested. People are just so caught up with the idea of making history that no one wants to take a CLEAR look at who would do the best of running this country.

Secondly, I don’t think for one second that she’s trying to make the case that Obama isn’t fit to run the country because he’s black. I would NEVER IN MY LIFE support a candidate who took that stance. I am the farthest thing from racist as you can be, I deplore it in others.

You gave the correct link. I checked it after you posted it. just pull their records up and you’ll see.

The healthcare thing is not BS.

and yes, she does have experience. She’s been a Senator longer and YES her husband being the President counts to her advantage. She wasn’t some quiet little first lady who tended to the flowers and ran the kitchen. She made many policy suggestions and was very hands on in the presidency of her husband. Bill Clinton ran the SH** out of this country and to have the oppurtunity to put his wife, who is VERY qualified on a stand alone basis, and have him be the first “husband” would be such a great oppurtunity that unfortunately a lot of America seems to be passing up on.
TJ on April 29, 2008 at 5:21 pm #

Didn’t read all the posts but I’ve read enough. I too am a teacher; 5 years and find nothing wrong with what was said. My experience has shown me that TYPICALLY black children learn better using creative measures, songs, poems, art, etc. While white students TYPICALLY can learn better than blacks using books, projects, listening, etc. Does that mean that every child fits into those categories, no. But if you look at how our blacks are learning before they get to school it is using many visuals (tv, video games, music videos). While more whites are being read to. Upbringing is not the only thing to consider, the way most teachers are teaching doesn’t allow for creative measures (& NCLB), another reasons our blacks score lower than whites. A lot of teachers talk while the children listen & asked to read and are expected to just get it. They don’t it is because many of them need to be taught using any & every way possible. I’m tired, but he isn’t saying anything wrong, he is pointing out a difference. Once again it does not apply to everyone. If interested read “Righ-Brained Children in a Left Brained World” by Jeffrey Freed & Laurie Parsons. This concept is nothign new.
LB on April 29, 2008 at 6:32 pm #

Wow, of course you wouldn’t find that offensive. But for her to demean all of Obama’s hard work and trivialize it to just the color of his skin, is a horrible and a racist statement. What if someone said that Hillary wouldn’t be in the running, if she weren’t a woman? She should not be put into a box based on her gendered nor should Barack be, based on his color.

Barack has inspired many people to get involved in a Politics, not because of his skin but his words, and what he represents. He is not the first Black person to run. But he has gotten the furthest because of WHO he is, and WHAT he believes in.

Clinton will turn around and say horrible things about him, like he’s not ready, and he has bad judgment. BUT THEN INSINUATE THAT SHE WOULD WANT HIM TO BE HER VP. SHE IS FULL OF ISH.

How many times can you excuse lies, I agree that it seemed that Bill did his thing while in office but lets not forget, they were also trying to impeach him for lying. The Clintons had their run it’s time for a fresh new outlook in office.

None of them will be perfect and we can’t assume the Hillary is going to be as good as Bill was. And you can’t assume that Barack is not ready because he hasn’t been in office for a million yrs, the difference is, WHAT THEY DO WHILE IN OFFICE, And if they are willing to be honest and hard working to and for the American people.

The Clintons have played the race card and I have lost the high respect I had for them. She is willing to tear the Democratic Party apart, if she doesn’t win. Sorry I can’t respect that.

More time doesn’t mean better. (LOOK AT BUSH) And if you go on that logic alone than Mc Cain should be president, he’s 100 years old, and he has a lot of experience, But bad ideas and judgment, just like Hillary.
Kelly on April 29, 2008 at 6:48 pm #

Deuce, I am sorry but you are very wrong. I’m a white woman and I found that to be very offensive. I have followed this primary from the beginning when Barack wasn’t even considered a factor in the race. He shined over all the nominees, but I still felt that Hillary at that time was the better running mate.

I think if Barack wasn’t black he would have already locked the election up. He wouldn’t of had the Rev. Wright situation, or the conflict some people have with his, skin or name.

I also don’t think that she is the same as Bill me and my husband both run successful businesses and I choose to run mine a lil differently than he runs his. Sometimes I’m right, Sometimes he’s right. We can’t predict that either person is better than the other, but we can go by their actions and Hillary’s actions aren’t speaking to highly of her.
NurseFab on April 29, 2008 at 6:57 pm #

I think that this is all coming out at the right time because Obama has been somewhat leading during the primary. What Rev stated was so ignorant, but I really don’t think that he just decided to come out with this on his own. I got a feeling that this thing is bigger than what the Rev is speaking about. I would not be surprised if he has been talking with the Republlicans this whole time. I don’t think many people believe that Obama can take the heat. I have to admit I kind of feel that way. So far, I think he has handled himself with class. If he wins the nomination, I hate to think of what foolishness is going to come out . Can he handle it? I really think that Hillary can. What else can they say about her? She has already been through it and she always comes out fighting. Rev needs to just sit down somewhere. I hope that Obama will finally distance himself from him. I hope that he can prove to everyone that he can take whatever foolishness they can dish out at him. Obama is multiracial; does that mean he can use his whole brain? My granny was Native American… What does that say about my brain?
Rev does have a right to freedom of speech though…just like that asshole Buchanan.
princessoftheworld on April 29, 2008 at 9:23 pm #

Duece,
Her mere presense is offensive. She should be honored to be Barack’s Vice President. What a selfless act for the Democratic party and the American people. What a great support she could be to him. It could be a beautiful thing.

But no she wants the top position in spite of what it has done to the party and to black people that have given her and her husband nothing but unconditional support. As a black person I would have so much respect for her. It would show that she is thinking of all stakeholders and not just herself and her family.

Unfortunately for Mrs. Clinton all the lies she got caught in will never leave her. She has a bad reputation and anyone who is overlooking this major character flaw of hers is use to lying their way through life and probably does not think anything of it. To them lying is very necessery to get ahead no matter who you hurt in the process…That’s HIllary…that’s the spirit I get from her…a lying spirit. How many times do we have to overlook this fatal flaw of hers. Yes she’s tough….that I admire…but she out of her own mouth said she got caught…and oh well i’m human. If she can lie to us now before getting the job…what do you think she will do after.

It’s like starting a relationship on a lie…guess what continues…you know what continues.

Sorry I don’t want anyone like that around me and as a Democrat she makes it really difficult for me to support her in any way. I don’t think she is racist, but i do think she is an elitist and her and her husband are standing in the way of greatness to come for all Americans…A Barack Obama as President will have a greatness effect on all of us. Why? because Obama actually takes the time to weigh things before making a judgement…he does not take an american life for granted in this aspect…giving us every opportunity to fufill American history and Legacy.
RhondaCoca on May 30, 2008 at 9:02 pm #

If you guys had any sense then you would know that he was quoting from a book by a black sociologist.
princessoftheworld on May 31, 2008 at 1:00 am #

No Excuse

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