March 18, 2008

Obama's Ward Churchill Moment *UPDATED*

I agree with Ace that this was the most despicable remark--of a whole litany of despicable remarks--given by Barack Obama's spiritual mentor and pastor about the culpability of America in the 9/11 attacks:

"America's chickens... have come home... to roost."

I've been meaning to say something about the comment, but haven't had time between Spring Break chores around the house.

Let me just add that it's apples and oranges comparing the Rev. Wright's peculiar hate-America theology with the past sins of other religious groups, as AllahP thinks it's okay to do here. Obama goes to Wright's church now. These are not some former beliefs that the church teaches, these are present ones.

Further, these are not denominational beliefs or even broadly Protestant beliefs, they are the specific beliefs of a specific congregation which Obama voluntarily joined himself with. It's not like there aren't other United Churches of Christ in the Chicago area, one without a pastor who's more committed to his leftwing vision of the world than he is to the gospel.

Normally guilt by association isn't something I'm comfortable with, but if race-baiting and American bashing is the kind of theology that Obama is comfortable with, than in this particular instance it's a fair criticism. I used to like Barack Obama as a person--yes, I too thought he was inspirational--but no longer. Now I just think he's an asshole.

Go read Ace's post and watch the video. I don't know if I agree that Wright looks like he's "publicly celebrating" 9/11. In fact, it seems to me that he considers 9/11 a tragedy, just like the rest of us. We are victims, just not guiltless ones.

Wright's attitude--like Ward Churchill and Howard Zinn--reminds me of that movie The Accused. You know, it's a tragedy and all that Jody Foster got raped, but wasn't she just asking for it?

Wright is more angry at America for bringing 9/11 on ourselves than he is at al Qaeda and the Islamist ideology that inspired them. Which, if you think about it, is disgusting.

As a parting shot, let me leave you with this rather tasteless and over-the-top graphic I came up with the first go around with Ward Churchill over the notion that those who died on 9/11 somehow were the recipients of ironic cosmic justice and therefore, by implication, deserved what they got.

UPDATE: Like I said, I'm on vacation, but the stupidity of the Left is overwhelming sometimes. So, we're supposed to draw some sort of comparison between idiotic statements from right-wing televangelists (who have, unlike Wright, apologized for their idiotic statements) because they're Republican, even though they pastor no one, with Obama's pastor and spiritual adviser?

Seriously, that's just dumb. Wright was Obama's pastor for 20 years, for Chrissake. And, contrary to the statement by Glenn Greenwald, Robertson never blamed 9/11 on U.S. sin and Falwell apologized the next day.

The last time I checked, not only was Falwell nobody's pastor of importance, but not particularly important period. Like I said before, guilt-by-association is usually a game I'm not comfortable with. The Leftist assertions that since Republicans have met with idiots like Falwell ergo they share in some sort of guilt is an example. It's also why I don't personally post about [name idiot here] giving money to [name politician here]. Just plain dumb.

But at some point an association becomes a relationship, and it's clear that Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright was not a casual one but very deep. He married the Obamas. He baptized their kids. The Obamas regularly attended his church for years and years. This was not an occasional meeting for advice, this was a mentoring relationship which Barack has admitted over and over again. Hell, Obama's bestselling book takes its title from one of Wright's less anti-semetic anti-American sermons!

Nice work Glenn and gang. Your partisan vitriol only makes your stupidity look less like ignorance.