Media Issues

This week, Barack Obama has come under fire because of belief by association. Sermons by his long-time pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, have come to light that include vitriolic statements that attack the American status quo. There are two issues to consider, the beliefs and the association.

If we allow the mainstream media's appetite for controversy to set the agenda for political discussion we will continue to find the suggestion that each candidate is responsible for all the beliefs of each person making an endorsement. It is not fair to assume, or for that matter even to accuse, that since Dr. Wright has apparently praised Louis Farrakhan that Obama somehow supports Farrakhan. Likewise, Rev. John Hagee's endorsement of John McCain does not lead to the conclusion that McCain shares Haggee's disdain for Catholicism. One could argue that Obama's connection to Wright is markedly different since as his pastor, Wright has influenced Obama's faith formation for a couple of decades. Certainly there is an important relationship here that Obama has stated numerous times. But to suggest that one is showing poor judgment by remaining a member of a church where the pastor makes a few controversial statements is to sorely misunderstand this church and its denominational tradition.

Annually, for the last twenty years Mordechai Vanunu has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. This year, Vanunu has been nominated by Bishop Desmond Tutu, who received the Nobel Prize in 1984, for his courageous and fearless opposition against the South African apartheid system.

On April 30, 2007 , in the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, Mordechai Vanunu was convicted on 14 [out of 21] counts of violating a court order prohibiting him from speaking to foreign journalists in 2004.

Please view the photo attached to first publication of article @:

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2007/04/08/good_...

Dear Mr. Bill O'Reilly and Mr. Sean Hannity,

I write to you both on Good Friday to tell you of another tomb and because that during my four trips to Israel Palestine, every Christian told me that the way to help them, was to tell their stories.

I've been wrestling with Jesus for almost 50 years.

I mean, the guy has this way of getting all over you, under your skin, moving inside your head and never letting go!

The longer I have studied, listened to and observed him in the biblical record, in terms of his historical impact and in regard to the effect he has had on my own life and world, the more convinced I am that most people don't really understand him, what he said or who he was.

Dear Crossleft Community,   The Institute for Progressive Christianity, fashioned out of the CrossLeft community approximately two years ago is a Christian think tank that ecumenically weaves together the progressive Christians of Orthodox, Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, and Liberal backgrounds.  In its two years of existence it has been gathering momentum toward a faithful, inspired, impassioned and yet reasoned and analytical articulation of Christianity as a progressive journey of greater love and justice toward others and a deeper personal communion with God.  The Academic Review Panel is the work group at the IPC charged with incubating, generating and supporting the products of the IPC.

The following is from Larry James' Urban Daily at www.UrbanDaily.org.

A Place to Call "Home"

"I sleep on the street," William told us. "I cover up with my blankets. My blankets are precious to me because of the cold. One night last week, I woke up and realized there was another person under my blankets with me! A perfect stranger just trying to stay warm. He meant me no harm at all!"

TORE TOIVICCOS BOYCOTT OF ROCK :

WARNING:This writing is forbidden for sensitive people or people un-der 18 years of age. It contains descriptions of brutal vio-lence,high degree of violence (including cruelty), intense horror, strong language and other disturbing content,which may make reader feel bad and loose their peace of mind or sanity.

With IPC's recent press release on global warming, it is quite interesting to see how--once again--it is not as much the Right-Wing Noise Machine that is the primary source for misinformation about Vice-President Al Gore's warnings on the danger of global warning, but the very mainstream (and supposedly liberal) New York Times.

I don't normally post something that is so off-topic, but we depend on people being able to call conference calls with their cell phones for our leadership and workgroup calls...

Your mainstream media is at it again, telling goofy stories about Obama and Hillary!

As always, Bob Somerby of the Daily Howler explains it all.

Eric Boehlert specifically details how they are distorting Hillary's position on Iraq.