apropos "the minefield that is the Rev Jeremiah Wright"
it's always a good idea to check the original source, especially if the quotation/fact/allegation is in any way contentious. when i was reading final proofs on the paper I used to check anything that sounded in any way surprising or unlikely. very often - FAR too often - i would discover the writer had either misunderstood the original comment in its full context or was egregiously misquoting the supposedly contentious comment.
in the case of the Rev Jeremiah, i had wondered whether the grabs touted in the media were a true reflection of the overall message in his sermons. surprise, surprise, they were not. The Chicago Tribune very sensibly dug out the original full texts, and then posted the grabs alongside the Grabs In Context. Quite a difference.
If there's anyone out there who was offended/appalled/shocked by the quotes used in the press over the past week by people trying to undermine the Obama campaign, DO read this article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-wright-transcripts-webmar29,1,4813283.story
to my mind, the Rev Jeremiah owes no-one an apology. sure, he's a hard-arse pulpit- thumper of the old school, and would hold little appeal for the Richard Mellon Scaifes of our world, but so fucking what? he is clearly not pro-al Qaeda, just anti-B.S.
why the hell did BarackO so swiftly back-pedal away from the minister? all Jeremiah Wright did was state the obvious - that the good ol' US-of-A is not pure as the driven snow. but, yeah, BarackO doesn't want to go offending whitey, does he?
i hope to hell he shows more backbone if he reaches the white house.