<---Wright in Marine Corp boot camp graduation photo, 1961.
The article appeared in the aftermath of the Jeremiah Wright controversy and was titled Factor Military Duty into Criticism.
A Real Man:
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.
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. Who was this man?
This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.
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. Who was this man?
This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.
On a footnote:
Former Pastor Jeremiah Wright is not a racist, he's not anti-American or a bigot according to those that know him. Catholic priest, Michael Pfleger, is the lastest person to speak out in defense of the reverand following the firestorm of controversy generated by mainstream media. Pfleger speaks of the double standard in media coverage based on race, and racial injustices that still exist today in America. A couple of things here are worth noting:
- 9/11 sermon by pastor Wright (yes, Fox News LIED about this, see it in context).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdlnz...
- Former Minnesota Governor, Jesse Ventura, recently said some comments that could be labeled anti-American, hateful, and anti-white. But the media has largely ignored that, even though he compared America to Nazi Germany. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWoXqVx73Ehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqu17S...
- Hillary Clinton's former pastor, Dean Snyder, defended Rev. Wright.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03...
- Conservative Republican and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee defended Rev. Wright.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNwMPN...
- Fox News' Sean Hannity, who widely pushed the Wright story, was long time friends with neo-Nazi shock jock radio host, Hal Turner, a fierce, proud and open racist. http://www.newshounds.us/2008/03/23/n...
- Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was also critical of US government policy (the Vietnam War), social injustice and racism in America.
At times he was demonized by media in his time as an anti-American communist, an evil hypocrit, and a demagogue.
- Neither Bill O'reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove or Glenn Beck has ever enlisted in US military service. But they've all slammed Rev. Jeremiah Wright as a hater of America. Reverand Wright did serve in the military as a marine, not long after integration of the military. Wright also attended to former President Lydon B. Johnson, and was a guest of Bill Clinton in the White House.
For the record, Karl Rove, who might come under criminal investigation now for interference with our justice system, had several deferments to help him dodge the draft. Beck has a history of drug abuse and alcoholism. Hannity is a high school graduate and former construction worker and bartender. Limbaugh is a college dropout, thrice divorced, with a history with drugs who recently encouraged listeners to break the law to corrupt democratic primaries and "bloody" Barack Obama.
3 comments:
It was a time that changed Black America. When JFK said Ask not what your country can do for you Ask what you can do for your country. It was the words that impressed a generation. Black adults felt left out and the American system. But JFK made the youth realize we were Americans and we had to support our country too. Now the draft allowed for all men to be in the selective process. Yes deferments were given to those who attended college but most young man who couldn't afford college join the Military to get to go to college. Many are talking about Rev. Wright but most didn't serve themselves. Bush was scared and his Daddy got him out. Cheney used the deferments until the fourth time he failed in Junior college then he used his wife to get out of serving. Rev. Wright is an American hero and those who are talking about him are cowards. I do get made sometimes when people put a flag on their car but refuse to let their children serve the Military. Things were so different in the 50's and 60's.
Catholic priest Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina has zero fear and is working to make Chicago a better place for the kids, an almost impossible task of trying to keep them out of gangs and stop shooting at each other. He has to work with the politicians but he is someone worth knowing.
Maybe TGCN can give the 411 on Chicago's ass kicking priest.
ST. Sabina's priest is on a South Side Church, and I am pretty sure he is a South sider as well.
As far as Rev. Wright, I watched him and he is right, they are just taking bits and pieces of his sermon and when you don't have the whole sermon it gets interperted wrong, and taken out of context.....well because it was taken out of context.
Yes, he(Wright) is right when you make soundbites out of a phrase here or there and play it over and over it does not sound like it did when it was in the full context.
Anyhow.....this is not..Obama...NOT Obama, but Rev. Wright......and McCain himself played with a lobyist and that has all disappeared from the bought and sold media (gagged and bound media) however you want to put it. Yes McCain played around on his wives......(more than one affair on more than one wife) but Clinton was impeached for less.
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