It's time we in the netroots reject (and denounce) concerted attacks on our candidates' families and friends, made by Fox News and spread throughout the blogs and onto mainstream media. It's time we as Democrats stop wasting our energy and outrage on right wing corporate "media." Let's invest in something better. As I say on my fundraising page:
We've continuously watched Barack Obama get unfairly trashed by conservative media over the past several months, but this time it's gone too far.
We can't stand by while Fox News is allowed to attack our Democratic candidate based on some fifteen second, completely out-of-context quotes made by his pastor, and friend of twenty years, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. We can't allow the media to continue to blatantly mislead the public into buying their false perception of events. We can't allow them to slime someone who has spent his life doing so much for others, who has lived and fought through the civil rights movement, and who has promoted open, honest discussion on race for his entire life.
We can own this discussion. We can own the rest of this election. We can show the media that once again their bias is shown and we're not investing anymore time or money in it - we're investing in something else. We can show that we realize that because of Wright's words, the discussion of race is making its way all over America again. We can recognize him as the catalyst for something good that's happening right now.
As opposed to the caricature media portrayal. (Please, PLEASE if you don't do anything today at all, please go readthis EXCELLENT diary about the blatant distortions of Reverend Wright's sermons and watch the longer videos included! You will learn a LOT from this.)
If you're with me please make a donation for Barack Obama's campaign in honor of Reverend Wright.
I'm doing this fundraiser because I strongly support Barack Obama's candidacy. I believe he's by far the best candidate on the issues. I believe he has the knowledge and foresight necessary lead us, but more importantly, I believe he has enough humility and confidence in the American people to let us make our own decisions, and to let us have input in his presidency.
I'm also doing this fundraiser because a great man, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, has been trashed and insulted by the media, and even by some in the blogs for far too long. Recent posts of the full YouTube videos show the context of many of his remarks, exonerating him from ridiculous charges of racism and anti-Americanism. They even proved that some of his "more insidious" quotes actually originated with Republican ambassadors who gave interviews on Fox News, which were then mocked by the network!
We cannot allow this to happen. We can't allow a great person's life and his legacy to be wrecked because of some fifteen second, out of context clips that originated on Fox News.
We need to realize something here: it was because of Reverend Wright that the national conversation about racism is starting to happen. He may not have wanted it this way, after all, it's happening because of a distortion of his words, but it is happening now. If there's anything we need to be doing, it's commending that man for being the catalyst for something for which he's been advocating all his life. So let's show him that we're listening and we thank him!
Lastly, I'm doing this because of the media. As I say on my page, we no longer need to waste time with them. We need to send a strong message to them that we will no longer invest in their tactics. We'll no longer allow ourselves to escape the substance of this political process in favor of shocking YouTube video. We are better than this, and we owe Reverend Wright so much. See this comment in my diary to send the Trinity United Church of Christ a donation, and you can send them a positive email as well, expressing your compassion for their situation.
If you're with me, give Barack some cash. Even $5 is enough. Even less. I want to send a message to everyone in the media that they're on notice!
That page links to the Grassroots Drive: Ignore the Media page that I've set up here!:
If you don't want to donate, or if you don't have money, that's completely understandable, but please see kath25's EXCELLENT diary about phonebanking today! We need your help! It's not just phonebanking, but writing letters to newspapers! It's really easy.
Here's some inspiration, about hope! Reverend Jeremiah Wright's sermon, "The Audacity to Hope." The speech that inspired Obama's book and 2004 Democratic National Convention speech.
Part one:
Part two:
If you want some more information on Reverend Wright, please see this diary, which mentions a story from last year.
