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March 19, 2008
by Victor Davis Hanson
National Review Online

Barack Obama’s Tuesday sermon was a well-crafted, well-delivered, postmodern review of race that had little to do with the poor judgment revealed in Obama’s relationship with the hateful Rev. Wright, much less the damage that he does both to African Americans and to the country in general.

Obama chose not to review what Wright, now deemed the “occasionally fierce critic.” said in detail, condemn it unequivocally, apologize, and then resign from such a Sunday venue of intolerance — the now accustomed American remedy to racism in the public realm that we saw in the Imus and other recent controversies.

Instead, to Obama, the postmodernist, context is everything. We all have eccentric and flamboyant pastors like Wright with whom we disagree. And words, in his case, don’t quite mean what we think; unspoken intent and angst, not voiced hatred, are what matters more.

Rather than account for his relationship with a hate-monger, Obama will enlighten you, as your teacher, why you are either confused or too ill-intended to ask him to disassociate himself from Wright.

The Obama apologia was a “conversation” about moral equivalence. So the Wright hatred must be contextualized and understood in several ways that only the unusually gifted Obama can instruct us about:

1) The good that Rev. Wright and Trinity Church did far outweighs his controversial comments, which were taken out of context as “snippets” and aired in the “endless loop” on conservative outlets.

2) We are all at times racists and the uniquely qualified Obama is our valuable mirror of that ugliness: Wright may say things like “God damn America” or “Dirty Word” for Israel or “Clarence Colon,” but then it must be balanced by other truths like Obama’s own grandmother who also expresses fear of black males (his grandmother’s private angst is thus of the same magnitude as Wright’s outbursts broadcast to tens of thousands).

3) We don’t understand Wright’s history and personal narrative. But as someone who grew up in the hate-filled and racist 1960s, it was understandable that he was bound to mature into his present angry anti-American, anti-Israel, anti-white mentality. (As if all blacks did?)

4) Indeed, Wright does nothing that much different from radio-talk show hosts and those of the Reagan Coalition who thrive on racial resentments. But whereas Wright has cause as a victim, his counterparts are opportunists who play on white fears.

5) And if we wish to continue to express worries about Obama’s past relationships with Wright — never delineated, never explained in detail — in trite and mean-spirited ways such as replaying the Wright tapes, then we have lost a rare opportunity to follow Obama into a post-racial America.

6) We, both black and white alike, are victims, victims of an insensitive system, a shapeless, anonymous “it” that brings out the worst in all of us — but it will at last end with an Obama candidacy.

The message? Some of us are never quite responsible for what we say. And Obama has no responsibility to explain the inexplicable of how he closely tied himself to someone of such repugnant and racist views. We will never hear “It’s time for Rev. Wright and me to part our separate ways, and here’s why.”

Instead, the entire Wright controversy evolved due to America’s failure to understand Wright’s past and the present status of race. No doubt, the next time some public figure utters a racist comment — and it will happen — we will then expect to hear about context that explains and excuses such an apparent hurtful outburst.

Obama is right about one thing: We are losing yet another opportunity to talk honestly about race, to hold all Americans to the same standards of public ethics and morality, and to emphasize that no one gets a pass peddling vulgar racism, or enabling it by failing to disassociate himself from its source — not Rev. Wright, not even the eloquent, but now vapid, Barack Obama.

©2008 Victor Davis Hanson

1. UNLEASH was hot! Thanks again to EVERYONE at NewSpring. I just noticed what the horizontal menu at www.newspring.cc says: “Engage - Enlarge - Endure - Enable.”  Amen.

2. This looks interesting: Modernparable.com

3. I continue to find better ways to use my iGoogle home page. I have my calendar agenda module, weather module, feed-reader module, gmail module, etc… This is cool: Add full web pages to iGoogle

4. Recommended blog: http://www.michaelyon-online.com

5. Top iGoogle gadgets for productivity: iGoogle gadgets for productivity/

6. The Law of Large Numbers: “If the probability of a given outcome to an event is P and the event is repeated N times, then the larger N becomes, so the likelihood increases that the closer, in proportion, will be the occurrence of the given outcome to N*P.” (Probabilitytheory.info)

7. Interesting: Lifechurch.tv

8. Lyrics to one of my favorite songs [Written by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio]:

You are my supply my breath of life
Still more awesome than I know
You are my reward worth living for
Still more awesome than I know

You’re my sacrifice of greatest price
Still more awesome than I know
You’re my coming King You’re everything
Still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for
All of me for every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

9. Writing in the present tense: Grammar Girl

10. Redivivus (adjective): living again; revived.

Regarding Perry Noble – Perry is none of the following: suave, urbane, predictable, warm, fuzzy, conventional, unarmed, boring, or detached. Perry is the following: focused, relevant, real, spicy, honest and vivacious. Perry is not perfect, but he understands that it isn’t about him. Does he know the Gospel? Does he preach the Gospel? Would I sit under his teaching? Yes, yes, and yes. I give Perry an A. (Perry, my Pastor needed that ending session, thank you!)

Regarding the breakout sessions – The morning session on blogging with Tony Morgan was excellent. I learned several things that can be applied immediately and I left with some ideas and things to investigate. I would suggest that blogging, communications, and community building could be expanded for Unleash 2009, done of course with Tony’s flamboyant style.

The afternoon session on music and production was, as far as I could tell, very good. I should have picked another breakout as this is not my forte. Our Sunrise worship leader was there and I believe it helped him.

The Home Groups session was overflowing and that’s probably where I needed to be. For next year the breakout sessions need to be structured a little better… perhaps an advanced signup so space and facilities can be adjusted. Overall, I give the breakout sessions a B+.

Worship music – I enjoyed the worship sessions, but NewSprings’ music is not really to my taste. Not being a music person it’s hard to describe exactly what it is that I don’t like. It may just be personal preference more than anything. Overall, I give the music a B-. However, putting my taste aside, the musicianship, production, spirit and attitude deserve an A.

NewSpring people (staff, volunteers, everyone I saw) – You guys rock.

Moving right along… music and production breakout was WAY over my head, but our worship leader, Lee, had it covered. The Sunrise guys and our friends from DaySpring got a kick out of Unleash.

We can’t wait to get back and put new ideas to work. Thanks again to NewSpring.

Unleash! - what a rush! Many thanks to my friend and Pastor, Rod Chaney, for the invitation to this conference. The morning session was terrific… Perry Noble was on fire

I went to the blogging and communication breakout session with the ever flamboyant Tony Morgan. I picked up on several things that will be useful for me and Sunrise.

NewSpring folks have a great spirit. Hats off to them for hosting 2000 visitors. Nice job! -jw

1. Pray often. ‘nuff said.

2. I’m seeing an increase in the use of the word “Meme” (pronounced “meem”). It is a word made out of whole cloth by Richard Dawkins to express the idea that cultural values, ideas and behaviors are passed from person to person, replicating as genes do or as viruses do. “Memes” are part of a belief system that says “cultural evolution” is analogous to “biological evolution.” Please understand what this word means and be very cautious about using it.

3. Recommended blog: http://www.michaeltotten.com

4. Good info:Grammar Tips

5. Laptop Computers: It is probably not the best time to buy a laptop, at least not a budget laptop. However, there are some good systems in the $500-$600 range if you know what to look for. Acer makes a good laptop… sometimes the big box stores put one of their models on sale pretty cheap.

6. Read this: American Christianity and the “Culture of Customization”

7. Digital cameras rock. They get better and cheaper all the time. I’m not fond of camera phones… I guess I’m old school, but I think serious cameras should be stand alone devices. NewEgg.com camera deals.

8. This is a very good book: Reinventing Jesus

9. I find this disturbing: Some Southern Baptist leaders embrace “global warming.” I certainly believe in good stewardship, but it sure is strange to join this bandwagon now just when we’re beginning to see the “global warming” hoax unravel.

10. Have “Nigerian” scam email letters seen their apex? I hope so. If you receive anything by email that sounds too good to be true, IT IS!

A good column by Mona Charen via Townhall.com
Friday, March 7, 2008

Barack Obama’s words are often attractive but oddly concealing. His speeches are all balm and mood. It’s all very well to seek, as Obama claims, to transcend old categories, to reject the “old politics.” But then what? This graceful rhetorician leaves you wondering: Who is he really? What does he want for himself and for his country?…

The rest of the story.

The Other Obama
by Lauren Collins
The New Yorker
5 March 2008

… Obama begins with a broad assessment of life in America in 2008, and life is not good: we’re a divided country, we’re a country that is “just downright mean,” we are “guided by fear,” we’re a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents. “We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day,” she said, as heads bobbed in the pews. “Folks are just jammed up, and it’s gotten worse over my lifetime. And, doggone it, I’m young. Forty-four!”

From these bleak generalities, Obama moves into specific complaints. Used to be, she will say, that you could count on a decent education in the neighborhood. But now there are all these charter schools and magnet schools that you have to “finagle” to get into. (Obama herself attended a magnet school, but never mind.) Health care is out of reach (“Let me tell you, don’t get sick in America”), pensions are disappearing, college is too expensive, and even if you can figure out a way to go to college you won’t be able to recoup the cost of the degree in many of the professions for which you needed it in the first place. “You’re looking at a young couple that’s just a few years out of debt,” Obama said. “See, because, we went to those good schools, and we didn’t have trust funds. I’m still waiting for Barack’s trust fund. Especially after I heard that Dick Cheney was s’posed to be a relative or something. Give us something here!” …

The full article is here.

From John at powerlineblog.com
March 4, 2008

The 2008 International Conference on Global Climate Change, sponsored by the Heartland Institute, has been going on in New York for the last couple of days. …snip… A highlight of the conference is the release of the Summary for Policymakers of a report by the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC). The document is, among other things, a rebuttal of the reports released by the United Nation’s heavily politicized Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

…snip…

The report is full of data and addresses such questions as, How much of modern warming is anthropogenic? How much is due to natural causes? How reliable are climate models? How much do we know about carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? Why is sea level rising? Will the economic effects of continued warming be positive or negative? The science is up to the minute–unlike the UN’s report, which deliberately disregarded the most recent studies and data. It’s an excellent place to learn the basics of the global warming controversy.

… snip …

Is the current warming mostly human-caused, or is it mainly a continuation of the natural recovery from the Little Ice Age? Your children’s economic future may depend on how carefully policy-makers study that question.

The full story is here.

Oh, gee, this is swell…

http://sandbox.blog-city.com/speaking_truth_to_power.htm

I’m not sure I’m on the same page in all matters with Mr. Norris, but this is a good critique:

By Chuck Norris
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 via Townhall.com

On March 3, a live 10-week webinar hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle, author of “A New Earth,” began. Both the book and the online course purport to be able to awaken you and our world to life’s grand purpose.

Since Oprah’s endorsement of Tolle’s book a month ago, about 3.5 million copies of his spiritual self-help guide have been sent out to enlighten the minds of people around the globe. More than 500,000 people in 125 countries have signed up for the World Wide Web seminar.

But will this religious text and its subsequent Internet churchlike gathering really lead you and our world to God’s gates of splendor? Is it merely a coincidence that…

The rest of the story…

Dr. Albert Mohler via albertmohler.com:

Peggy Noonan is right. At some point, in some moment, all of us must admit that something remarkable has happened to American culture. Mrs. Noonan, a former presidential speechwriter, recalls that this moment came for her during a high school graduation in the early 1970s. A young girl walked across the stage to received her diploma. The girl was obviously pregnant. Noonan recalls that her first impulse was admiration for the girl’s grit and determination against social disapproval. “But,” recognized Noonan, “society wasn’t disapproving. It was applauding.” As she reflected, “Applause is a right and generous response for a young girl with grit and heart. And yet, in the sound of that applause I heard a wall falling, a thousand-year wall, a wall of sanctions that said: We as a society do not approve of teenaged unwed motherhood because it is not good for the child, not good for the mother, not good for us.”

The rest of the story…