chicagotribune.com

Factor military duty into criticism

By Lawrence Korb
April 3, 2008



By Lawrence Korb and Ian Moss


In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.


In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)


The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy's premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of the commander in chief's medical team, and helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery. For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation.


What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.


While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through family connections.


Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?


After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America's biggest cities.


This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, who has been in the news for comments he made over the last three decades.


Since these comments became public we have heard criticisms, condemnations, denouncements and rejections of his comments and him.


We've seen on television, in a seemingly endless loop, sound bites of a select few of Rev. Wright's many sermons.


Some of the Wright's comments are inexcusable and inappropriate and should be condemned, but in calling him "unpatriotic," let us not forget that this is a man who gave up six of the most productive years of his life to serve his country.


How many of Wright's detractors, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly to name but a few, volunteered for service, and did so under the often tumultuous circumstances of a newly integrated armed forces and a society in the midst of a civil rights struggle? Not many.


While words do count, so do actions.


Let us not forget that, for whatever Rev. Wright may have said over the last 30 years, he has demonstrated his patriotism.


Lawrence Korb and Ian Moss are, respectively, Navy and Marine Corps veterans. They work at The Center For American Progress. Korb served as assistant secretary of Defense in the Reagan administration.

I thank him for his service. I never called him unpatiotic and now with information you have provided I won't call him that. However, he is still a racist. If any white minister had said what he said about African American I bet there would be protesters outside the church real quick like.

Robert...I do not agree that he is a racist...he has lived his entire life as a black man...makes a difference in how you look at things.

Joy

he was raised in a half white family. his father was a muslim.and for 20 years attedned a racest church.

From Wikipedia:
"Born to a Kenyan father and an American mother, he passed most of his childhood and adolescent years in Honolulu, Hawaii. At age six, he moved to Jakarta where he lived with his mother and Indonesian stepfather for four years. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama worked as a community organizer, university lecturer, and civil rights lawyer before serving in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004."
Jeffro...if your post was not racist...just what was it...I think freedom of religion is something we all have or did have anyway...that may be gone, too!!
None of us have a choice as to who are parents are or what color they are, which really doesn't make alot of difference in my world.
Joy

I wonder if Jeffro has a problem with interacial marraiges, and yes his statement is racist and incorrect

You call it what you want and put on your sun glasess.

And yes mike i am in touch with the web site of his church and from where he come from. No whites in the church.But then again you might call that o.k. for being such a opened minded liberal.

And joy i have come to the conclusion on this democratic board no matter what view you have you will be labeled if in any way you think different than the committie who rules.

If you mix white and black gray is the color
that is the color of the dems party.

i could give you up front and personals of four kids i have helped raise from a mixed White/mexcian.
Family.So don't go there.And i love every damn one of them when they call me dad.

I am happy to hear about you helping the kids.
Did you stop to think that maybe there are no white people in that church, because it is in a predominatly black neighborhood...or no white people have tried to attend? I doubt very much that white people would be excluded....think it is a choice thing as I said. I did not intend to insult you, and did not call you any names...said it was a racist
remark.
Hope things are good in your world...

Joy

jeffro: If this is a "Democratic Board" It is because so many Republican's have retreated to boards where you can "preach to the choir." It is a lot easier than defending what you say against articulate oppossition.
I respect that you really believe what you say. I think you are wrong. That doesn't make either one of us anti-American or subversive.
It is the attitude, amoung some on the Right, that they are the only "True Americans," which disturbs me. They seem to have the belief that there can me no disagreement, or dissent, without subversive intent. I consider that attitude to be the real danger. If it were to become National Policy, it would destroy America, as we know it, more thoroughly than any foriegn enemy.

Hey, Jeffro, my father was a Baptist and I spent 20 (okay, really only 18) years in a racist church - not one black person there in all of those years.

And damned if I didn't turn out atheist and non-racist. Go figure.

You know, now that I think of it, there was not one black person in the 12 years of my elmentary, junior high, or high school, either. Lots of them in my town, though.

Unlike Joy, I do think that Wright has a streak of racism in him. But I also think that he has a hell of a lot better reason for it than we have had for the last 150 years or so.

I don't see any racism in Jeffro's original post on Obama. He simply said Obama came from a mixed family.

Society, and the American Government, consider and view him as black man and treat him accordingly. Of course this will give him a different perspective on life. I don't assume that this is always the case, but I am pretty sure that you can take that to the bank. I am not watched when I go into a grocery store as though I am going to steal something simply because I am white (at least I look white). Unless you have been there, you can not know what it is like. And his grandmother was racist, though she loved her grandkids. People can be racist and still love and like others in other races. She preferred her race through her words and her actions.

I also believe that any person of any race can be racist.

Sorry to come in late Joy. But would like to make a comment or two. I feel that the term racism is the ability to control a certain race. and I do not believe that blatant raceism still exist in the US however systematic and institutional racism do still exist and there are bigots of all race's and we all have our predjucie.s and that is O.K. as long as we do not allow them to harm other people. as far as whites coming to black church's in Chicago .All Large church's are visited by white Theology students from The University of Chicago,, UIC, and Moody Bible institute Including the Nation of Islam Mousqe The Apostolic Church of Crist has Regularly a very large group of whites Due to it's outstanding Pastor Rev Arthur Brasier Who will also cut loose like right. And Allow me to explain that Rev Wright is not near as bad as the media make him out to be He serve the needs of his congregation. and I am not saying his congregation are bigots What got him started on the well publicized sermon is he was relaying the words of a US ambassador (White) That said some thing to the effect that America was coming home to roost. As did Rev Falwell. As Far as Rev Farakahn is concerned Black people like to hear his speeches also not in a bigoted way but as warnings as to who blacks should and should not trust, Yes Farrakan is a Bigot but he do a lot for the African American Community These are things that you do not see But you must understand That the African American as a race are good Loyal Law abidding Patriotic Americans And we feel that Barak Obama is a good highly educaded very intelligent well qualified person. If he was a token for the republicans he would be in thewhite house now.

Thank you, Grant...very well said.


Joy

Given some of his recent comments, I'm beginning to wonder who's side Wright is on. Yes, I believe in free speech; but his remarks can only hurt Obama. Obama made a couragous speech a few weeks ago when he refused to denounce Wright. Now Wright seems to be pulling the rug out from under him. Is he trying to turn the white voters away from Obama, so he can prove America is racist? If so, he is creating the very thing he claims to hate. Keep a low profile Preacher!

Agree, Wright needs to back off...As I said on Maddoc's board...either that or change religions..doesn't seem to be hurting McCain!LOL


Joy

Again, Pat Buchanan puts in his 2 cents worth on his political choice, and no one cares that he is racist. If Pat Buchanana attended the same church as a Republican nominee (am I am sure he has on occassion) no one would even blink about their connection in the media. In fact, Pat Buchanan is commentating for tv for the past few years. So we applaud him and offer him a job but condemn Wright? Are we so conditioned to white people being racist that we don't care anymore as a collective. I hear a lot of lip service to racism in the media. Where is the outrage there? And in hte public?

Wright has said some strong stuff, but let's treat them all fair. No one tells Buchanan or Pat Robertson to distance themselves from candidates.

Mad doc after reading what you said in your above post . That republicans have retreated to other boards. I say that you people here are the ones who have no respect for another view on anything. You do not want anyone to voice another idea on anything.
And you notice that neither i or jeffro have retreated . We come right here and speak right up. Truely others like Debbi Teri have been put off by the hatred spewed on here.

No, they were put off because, like you, they can't understand anyone disagreeing with them.

No Mad doc i like people to disagree with me. I have always said that everyone and anyone has the right to say anything they want.
If you want to read what a high level democrat has to say about John Mc Cain and his family Johns grandfather and his father both were admirals. John Mc Cains sons are in the armed forces .
Tom harkin of iowa senator from that sate made the statement that Mc cain (because he served the United states and his family served the United states)was not to be trusted. That the Mc cains were militarists.
Now Harkin was in the navy he flew repaired airplanes from japan to Vietnam but he like Hanoi John tried to make out that he was some kind of hero. Which is what most if not all democrats do.
You can read all about his distaste for american soldiers sailors airman at blackfive.
Remember he is one of the top democraats rooting for the twelve imam Barack Hussien Obama.

Yes, I know you like people to disagree with you. That is also why you hang around here. We were talking about the people who've left. The others must have expected to post whatever they please, and not be questioned.
I do admit you liven things up. You are also good therapy (for me) for working out anger. You can visit www.thebandofothers.com anytime; so can they, but don't expect to be treated gently.

Mad doc you have every right to your views and have every right top express them in any way you choose. I have no illusions that you or any democrat will treat a person with an opposing view with any degree of respect . Freedom of speech as it is espoused in the U S Constitution for other people does not exist in any democrats mind.
Go to blackfive and read what Tom Harkin a liar and of course a democrat. Read what he said about Mc cains family because they for generations served the United states and the american people. He doesnt like anyone who would do that and neither does Barack hussien Obama. HarKIN and ,most of the democrats because they think they can get some short term gain. Hussien obama because he will gain riches beyond belief by surrendering this nation to his islamioc terrorist friends.