Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

We all remember the "Wizard of Oz". Dorothy is transported by a whirlwind to a wonderful, colorful land, slays a wicked witch, inherits a magical pair of shoes, and finds out she go to the Emerald City to meet the marvelous wizard in order to get back to her roots. She acquires several off-the-wall characters on the road who also need the wonderful gifts the wizard can bestow. After many adventures, they meet the wizard via a loud magnified screen, pouring forth smoke, who lays an almost impossible task before them. When they succeed in meeting the stringent requirement, the wizard tries to send them away as being unworthy of receiving his vast knowledge and power. As they are leaving, the discerning pet Toto sniffs out the subterfuge, pulls back the curtain, and reveals a mere man hiding in a room with a lot of controls making noise and smoke and mirrors. As he was exposed, the wizard tried one last appeal. "PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN. THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ HAS SPOKEN" Of course, we know that the facade was exposed for what it was. Today, Senator Barack Obama has deemed this people he would lead unworthy and cried out, "PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN"! And today, he has been exposed for what he is: a politician who has to do and say whatever he needs to in order to protect his position.

All this stems from the senator's relationship with his longtime pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. There have been murmurings amongst the conservative talking heads for many weeks about their relationship. Rev. Wright is known as a fiery leader of an African-American congregation, the type that permeates much of black American Christiandom. Videos have emerged that have him on record as saying things such as "G__D___ America" over and over, blaming the US for inventing AIDS and contriving the 9/11 attacks, and many other hate inspiring comments. This has caused a problem with Sen. Obama's campaign. After all, the junior senator from Illinois has been all about unity and change. Having his pastor of 20 years speaking of the United K.K.K. of America and calling on the Most High God to damn the country of his birth has made Sen. Obama a little uncomfortable. So much so that the senator did what he does best. He made a speech. "I didn't realize the extent of his rhetoric", Barack says. "I didn't agree with him", sayeth the senator. "I denounce what he has said" Mr. Obama elucidates in such an eloquent way. At the same time, though, he refuses to denounce the right Reverend himself. "We all have ministers and priests and rabbis that we don't agree with."

What to make of this. On the surface, it sounds so smooth and easy. This isn't the issue some are making it out to be. We have to break the loop of hate. All that is well and good. Yes, we have to break racism wherever it rears its head. Bulletin to Black America. Things HAVE changed in the last 50 years. The world is so competitive that no one in their right mind would hold back a person of color who can get the job done. Are there still incidents of racism. Yes. Just like there are sins such as gossip and slander and lying and stealing and every other vice known to man. But to bring it back to our current circumstance, it is contingent on all to not stoke these old embers. And this is where the problem lies.

Senator Obama claims to have not known the extent of his pastor's venom. However, how does someone who says he is a very involved member of this church NOT KNOW what his pastor is teaching after TWENTY YEARS! My current pastor has been in position for a little over 3 years and I can tell you with great precision where he comes down on various issues. The same with his father, who pastored here for over a decade before. Either the senator is not the member of this congregation that he has claimed to be, or he is showing the typical political expediency that he claims to be running against. Or even worse, Senator Obama possibly doesn't have the ability to stand up for what he actually believes in, which doesn't lend itself to successful interaction on the world stage. Or even most worse, he actually does believe and agree with what Rev. Wright preaches and all his talk of unity and change is just a convenient turn of language rivaled only by the convoluted talk of "what the meaning of is is". Pretty speeches can get you so far, but at the end of the day it is your integrity and character that has to carry the day. Where is yours, Senator?

Goodbye, Brett

I'm a big sports fan, and I was shocked as any sports fan on Monday with the report that Brett Favre was retiring. The gunslinger quarterback of the Green Bay Packers was setting 'em down. Even though he was coming off the best season he had in several years, the all time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and even more impressively, games started, one of the legends of the NFL decided that it was time to pass the baton and call it a career. I almost didn't believe it at first. Brett over the last five years had talked off and on of retiring, to the point that the Packers were driven crazy by his indecisiveness on this issue. Even as the reports started coming Monday on the various news sources, part of me wanted to hear this from Brett's own mouth.

Well, today I got my chance. I listened to Brett Favre announce it himself. (There is a link on the home page at espn if you would like to listen to the news conference online.) Although I will miss seeing his exuberant leadership on the field, I totally respect his decision to hang it up. Brett basically said he wasn't willing to do what he had to do to get ready for the upcoming season. He felt like he could still play, but he "wasn't sure I wanted to." Football, especially at the NFL level, takes much more time than putting on spikes on a Sunday afternoon. It takes a physical commitment and also a very great mental commitment. And remember, Brett Favre has started 275 consecutive games. That's over 15 years of regular season games and playoffs. Fifteen years of week in and week out having 275+ pound linemen and linebackers trying to take off whatever body part they can get their hands on. That's over a decade and a half of running and throwing and deciding and having everything you do scrutinized to the umpteenth-most degree.

Some said that he may regret it and try to come back later. Others said he was upset that the Packers had not landed a prize free agent. In listening to Brett's emotion-laden voice, he had no ulterior motive. It was time to go. And so, the Mississippi born-and-bred quarterback is riding off into the sunset, unsure of a specific future, but fully aware that he has given the fans of the Green Bay Packers, National Football League, and fans of clean competition everywhere everything that they could possibly hope for. So long, Mr. Favre, and God bless you.