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The following is an editorial and
does not necessarily reflect the opinion of DiversityInc.
The Folly of Rev. Jeremiah
Wright
By Eric L.
Hinton
Egomania: Dictionary.com defines it as "obsessive preoccupation with the
self … an intense and irresistible love for yourself and concern for your own
needs."
And that brings me to the Rev.
Jeremiah Wright.
After weeks of silence, Wright felt
compelled to hit the talk-show circuit in recent days, defending what he
believed were slights to his name and irreparable damage to his legacy because
of controversial video clips that swarmed the airwaves. Following those
comments, Sen. Barack Obama was compelled to rapidly distance
himself from Wright lest his former pastor incinerate his campaign. To that
end, many, including Obama himself, appeared willing to give Wright a pass
following his interview with Bill Moyers as he sought to get out his version
of the story. But Moyers was but the opening act in the media blitz that grew
both more bizarre, and more damaging, as it went on.
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To see Wright's comments at the
National Press Club, click
here.
To see Wright's comments at the
NAACP, click
here.
Among other points, Wright strongly
insinuates that Obama's true motivation in disavowing him was but a political
ploy and that the
To see Obama's speech denouncing
Wright, click here.
And all this for what? Some may find
it hard to find fault with Wright for seeking to preserve his own legacy. Others
may even nod their head in agreement with the underlying message in some of
Wright's less divisive statements, pointing to the years of service the man has
given to his own community and beyond.
But when Wright makes every slight made against him an attack on the very institution of the Black church itself? When, in a single day, he inflicts more damage than either Sens. Hillary Clinton or John McCain have been able to muster after months of debates?
Egomania.
So now Wright has had his say. But
at what cost? Even if Rev. Wright's ego compelled him to speak out, shouldn't
common sense dictate he hold his tongue until after the election is settled? If
the price of Rev. Wright's legacy is the potential candidacy of the nation's
first Black president, isn't that too high a price to pay?
Here's a sampling of other
commentaries from across the Internet on Wright:
"We all have our crosses to bear.
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright has become Barack Obama's. I'm sorry, but I've had it
with Wright." To read in full, click here.
"Let's not kid ourselves, the Rev.
Jeremiah Wright was going to be a part of this presidential campaign through
November, whether Sen. Barack Obama smacked his former pastor upside the head,
or not. Now that he has taken the necessary steps to separate himself from
Wright, Obama must go on his most vigorous offensive to date and make it clear
that he is running for president, and not Wright." To read in full, click here.
"It took more time than it should
have, but on Tuesday Barack Obama firmly rejected the racism and paranoia of his
former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., and he made it clear that the
preacher does not represent him, his politics or his campaign." To read in full,
click here.
"If the Rev. Jeremiah Wright thought
he was unfairly caught in sound-bite purgatory before, his appearance Monday at
the National Press Club gave doubters and critics plenty to chew on in the
coming days. And in the process, he put his one-time congregant, Sen. Barack
Obama, further on the political defensive." To read in full, click here.
"The Rev. Jeremiah Wright is going
after his critics on an incendiary tour that is doing his one-time congregant,
Barack Obama, little good." To read in full, click here.
"I have watched over the last few
weeks as a host of Blacks, including media pundits and Democratic Party
presidential frontrunner Barack Obama, have sought to soften, rationalize or run
away from the fiery comments of Chicago minister Rev. Jeremiah Wright….Why
should we not be angry? We should not be apologizing or distancing ourselves
from a minister's words as long as white