At some point, at least for me, I have to divorce myself from my passion in order to maintain a semblance of sanity. I rant and rave at the current political landscape of America and realize how insidious this election cycle is so much so, that it becomes unhealthy. The absurdity of ALL of our current candidates for President has often found me clutching my chest, looking upward and chanting those memorable words, “Elizabeth honey, I'm coming to join you!”

This matter with Senator Barrack Obama and his former, “old uncle” the Reverend Jeremiah Wright has me restraining myself from tossing my television and computer in the trash! I sat and watched the Senator tell me (Along with millions of Americans) that “He was not present” during the racist rhetoric (disguised as a sermon) from Jeremiah Wright’s pulpit.

I have not written any articles of late because, I simply had to monitor my stress but this so called diatribe out of the Senator’s mouth this weekend, outraged me. There is so much about what is wrong with Senator Barrack Obama becoming president and yet it is being ignored. Out of nowhere this fellow pops up in American politics with supporters such as Reverend Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan. Actions speak much louder then words but then again words seem to be speaking just as loud about why we need to disassociate ourselves from this man.

For twenty years the Senator had no idea that this Reverend was decrying the very existence of white people….rich white people to be precise!(?) Senator Barrack Obama insists that he did not support these statements yet he gave upwards of 20,000.00 (That he himself acknowledges) to this congregation, involved his family in the teaching of this congregation and is raising his daughters in this environment. A bigger question would be how much has he given to Reverend Wright personally or vice verse? Better yet, what does it matter if he didn't hear the words come out of the Reverend's mouth. (Yes the word IS is relevant here, too!) The Senator’s wife is less then thrilled with the country that she would be First Lady of. Furthermore, to top it off were not supposed to know any of this! (The mainstream media is disgusting to me but, that is another issue!)

I am a Black American (I don't know how to be African) who is informed and who is not a victim of my color. In other words, I was not tossed off the boat yesterday. I did not just fall off the “nut truck” therefore, I am going to exercise my right to make a statement: If the Senator from Illinois dares to think me this naive then he, by definition, is a fool!

After watching his pathetic attempt to now (excruciatingly) distance himself from the Reverend Jeremiah Wright via the interview conducted by Fox’s Major Garrett was astounding to me. Not one word of his response to this controversy is believable, in my opinion. More incredulous was the lack of common sense that was EXPECTED (For those of you who have a mustard seed of intelligence) of the American public to simply accept!

I also attend church (We have white people everywhere in our particular house of the Lord). Should my Pastor begin to put down and denigrate Black folk for what ever reason, I would remove my family from this congregation. If my Pastor began to put down and denigrate White people, Chinese, Asian, Mexican or any race what so ever, I would remove myself and my family. It would not take me twenty years to realize that I was in a church that hated people! Acknowledging that Christ died for the sin of the entire world it would not take any time at all for me to realize I was in the wrong church.

I have several questions for the Senator, here are just a few:

• How can you be “President of White America”when you sit in a congregation for twenty years that apparently blames rich white people for the difficulty in the black community?
• Are poor white Americans better then rich white people? (I would remind you that this nation’s strength is based on the many peoples that built her!)
• How can you bring people together having spent twenty years participating in a congregation that lacks forgiveness at the pulpit for one group of people?
• Are the people tossing rockets into Israel, strapping bombs to handicapped kids meant to kill Israeli’s or gunman who shoot Jewish Children justified?
•  How come the Palestinians are not absorbed into the lands (countries) that surround Israel

I have a few, “old uncles,” too, thank God the Reverend Jeremiah Wright is not one of them. I have heard this so called Reverend Wright utter this rhetoric before, many times in fact. If I espoused to his train of thinking then the person who shot Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to blame for me hating my white neighbor! This is preposterous, ludicrous, simply hateful and racist! My uncles never taught me this sort of self righteousness. Incidentally, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright is not someone that I just heard about. I am very familiar with his hate speak and twisted interpretation of the word of God. Equally, he continues to be personally offensive to me. A question I would ask him if he were in front of me would be this, “Why did God use the Jewish people to write the entire bible?”

Throughout human history, many races and peoples have endured brutality and injustice across the human spectrum. Black people are simply not unique to these facts. What is horribly inflicted on people by people is recorded virtually on every page of human history. Evil continues to cause many to suffer. Many have been slaughtered, raped, enslaved, abused and murdered as a result of what Barrack Obama has fed on for twenty years. What makes a black person believe that black people are not evil at times simply because of what evil whites people have done is beyond my ability to comprehend. It’s obvious that we all lose our way and do unto others what is often, horrible! Jesus, after all wasn't just taking a stroll through the human experience.

I personally believe the issues that Black America face today would appall the slaves. They endured the brutality of their day in order to survive, many did and we should be grateful and respectful of what they accomplished. Jeremiah Wright is an example of what their lives produced. He is after all, free to spout his opinions as a result.

Personally, Black America and people in general should not be taught to blame but rather to accept responsibility for making a difference and to continue to be progressive, not oppressed! I fear the Blacks who we historically celebrate would be appalled at the so called victim mentality that causes so many to excuse personal responsibility. Bill Cosby speaks to this issue quite well! Frederick Douglass Jr. I am sure would be distressed to know that our community often blames the white man for our lack of accountability. Frederick Douglas refused to be a victim and he refused to be mentally chained to what was inherently wrong.

How come the blame game is so quick out of the mouth of Reverend Wright? I have yet to read, “Jesus commanded his disciples to rise up against the rich white Romans!” When African Muslims were capturing and selling Africans as a result of the slave trade how come they are not a part of his historical recollection of hate! Yes, I did say…selling, for profit or capitalism!

The Reverend Jeremiah Wright and those like him make me ill. I was elated to see this finally make the news! The question begs to be asked, what is the difference in similar videos that have been coming out of the Madras’s or Islamic places of so called worship? I can’t help but to think that these people think that God would simply be OK if we killed all of the White People of his creation. Destroy the Jews and the rich white people. This attitude simply reinforces the sin of hate.

Those of us who are Christians are not fighting one another, we are fighting sin. Apparently, this is not the core principle that guides those that fellowship at Trinity United Church of Christ! (http://www.tucc.org/home.htm)

Human history records too, that the Christian Church has experienced its own share of persecution against people when pride and self righteousness replace the miracle of Jesus! This church seems to be repeating that failure.

Barrack Obama for President, perhaps America has already been judged. Our moral decline seems to be racing us towards an awful future! We seem to be embracing what is ludicrous to the human spirit and by all accounts, totally against what Christ died for. I pray we snap out of it!

I have a personal response to you Senator Barrack Obama: Sir, you have yet to fool this American; I pay attention. Hell would be frozen and Satan himself would be begging for a blanket before you get my vote. It is funny to me that as you back peddle away from the Reverend Wright's assertions you become the very "Negro that just don't get it!"

Jeff Morton is a former business owner and staunch supporter of conservatism in the mold of Frederick Douglass Jr. and Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Regan. Mr. Morton, originally from Rochester, NY currently resides in the Pacific Northwest. He is one of the assistant producers of a regional game show that promotes "good kids" at the high school level.