Reverend Jeremiah Wright has been on the news quite a bit in these last few days. But this time he is on the air on his terms and not as a sound byte. He was interviewed by Bill Moyers on PBS and today he spoke at the National Press Club in Washington DC.
Mr. Smarty Pants will take this moment to backtrack a bit just to make a point about how many "pundits" came out in criticism about why he continues to damage Sen. Obama and draw more attention to his "unpatriotic diatribe" as seen on many news stories and republican advertisements (who also want to damage Sen. Obama).
Lets not forget Sen. John McCains' pastor, John Hagee: who's comments about why the New Orleans tragedy caused by Katrina ( and a small Bush) was in fact god showing his dissatisfaction with a city of sin and homosexuality. Fortunately for Mr. Hagee....he's white. And thus despite his dark views they are automatically diluted by the color of his skin making it harmless to the Executive branch of government. Jeremiah Wright does not have such a luxury. He is judged under a different set of rules. 
A very old set of rules. So he has the right, the absolute right to defend his name and his honor. Regardless it's effect upon the political race, he has the right to defend his name and his actions. Anyone not finding this to be a reasonable course of action on his own part is either a hypocrite, a coward or even worse a hypocoward. (Yes...it's as bad as it sounds)
Here in NYC three police officers were acquitted in the death of Sean Bell and wounding of his two friends. All of them were unarmed. This follows a familiar pattern in the stories of the NYPD and the manner in which they respond depending on the neighborhood in which they are responding. 
I can't think of a time in my life anyways where an unarmed person of any race, not involved in any crime; died in the hands (or bullets) of the police in neighborhoods like the upper east/west sides, forest hills, bensonhurst etc....you may or may not get the picture. Let me simplify it by saying that there is something about a black or latino neighborhood that seems to give the police a 007 license. And there is something about a person of color as a suspect that seems to inspire the need to be more aggressive, suspicious and deadly than when confronting a caucasian suspect under similar circumstances.
Today chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; Sen. John Conyers came to New York and specifically to the site in Queens where the Sean Bell tragedy took place. He was accompanied by a who's who of local and national politicos who showed up in solidarity which included the likes of Sen. Charles Rangel and other noteables. Hillary, our senator; was absent of course. Her comments on the topic have been very...umm minimalist. And for her this topic is a plague to her campaign. yet one that she would have to deal with one way or another. in this case she chose not to deal with it. Surprise...surprise.
Race is an issue in this campaign after all. Like it or not. And this is not just an issue that republicans are using in their favor; but a particular democrat as well. I won't name names....but she's white. And she's angry.
White and angry....OK.
Black and angry...Uh oh.
The more things change...the more they stay the same.
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