It has been a while since I have written on the subject of American politics, however so much is happening that it seems prudent to record my thoughts and share them, both for the present as well as the future. By now, all of us in the entire World are aware of the controversy concerning Sen.Barack Obama's former pastor, Rev.Jeremiah Wright of Chicago, Illinois, who has made remarks highly critical of American policies past and present.
Sen.Obama gave a speech recently in Philadelphia, Pa. to address the issue, and was successful [in my view] in framing the issues in terms of historical animosities that has never been addressed in American society, such as Racism, classism, and an overall sense of injustice. One commentator made the observation that this was the first time that a candidate's choice of pastor and church have been scrutinized and made an issue in the election.
This brings us to another point, and that is that morality and fair play are long becoming forgotten principles in Politics, rather it has been replaced with financial and strategic interests. The cynisicm felt by the average American voter is not misplaced. The fact that the Pastor's views [which are widely shared, especially by African-Americans] can be used as a means to attack another person who has not ever expressed the same views speaks volumes to the conditions that exist today.
One pundit I saw on television compared Wright to the Prophets of Justice given in the Old Testament tradition. Perhaps that has some merit. While it is not needed to be rude or overbearing in our speeches and our actions, we must return to acting upon beliefs and moral principles, not simply in the name of financial or political expediency. The question the voters should be asking in this election season is "will the candidate act according to justice, fair play and principles"? I certainly hope so.
