I have been very troubled by the way I have seen Rev. Jeremiah Wright characterized recently in print and TV media: a wacko racist anti-American hate monger.  This characterization is almost always reinforced by snippets of his most inflammatory comments,  and if that was an accurate representation of the man and his views then I would have nothing to say.  But if you watch his speeches last week to the NAACP or the National Press Club on YouTube or read the transcripts of them (see links below), you will almost certainly find more that you agree with than you disagree with. 
transcript of speech to National Press Club:   http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/04/28/transcript-rev-wright-at-the-national-press-club/
transcript and video of speech to NAACP:  http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/28/wright.transcript/
transcript of interview with Bill Moyers:  http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04252008/transcript1.html

It would appear that like politicians who are afraid to speak the truth for fear of losing votes, mainstream media are afraid to report the truth for fear of losing advertisers and viewers/subscribers.  This, unfortunately, is having a strong influence on the outcome of our presidential campaign which, in turn, will have a strong influence on every citizen of the US and of the world.   Why does mainstream media insist on vilifying Rev. Wright as a wacko racist anti-American hate monger? I have watched his recent speeches at NAACP and National Press Club and found many great examples of historical insight, prophetic truth telling, and yes, even compassion. It is sad that these are being hidden from the public in favor of only the most inflammatory comments. 

I believe TV news and print media need to start showing some other "sound bites" from Rev. Wright's speeches like these to the NAACP (time location in speech in parentheses): 

• “Many of us are committed to changing how we see others who are different. Number one, many of us are committed to changing how we see ourselves, not stepchildren, number two but God's children. Many of us are committed to changing, number three, the way we treat each other. The way black men treat black women. The way black parents treat black children. The way black youth treat black elders and the way black elders treat black youth. We are committed to changing the way we treat each other. “ (34 min.) 

• “Many of us are committed to changing how we see ourselves. Many of us are committed to changing the way we treat each other. Many of us are committed to changing the way we mistreat each other. And many of us finally are committed to changing this world that we live in so our children and our grandchildren will have a world in which to live in to grow in, to learn in, to love in and to pass on to their children. We are committed to changing this world that's God's world, in the first place. Not ours. And I believe we can do it. It's going to take hard work, but we can do it.” (37 min.) 

Or these from the National Press Club:

• " The prophetic theology of the black church in our day is preached to set African-Americans and all other Americans free from the misconceived notion that different means deficient.  Being different does not mean one is deficient.  It simply means one is different, like snowflakes, like the diversity that God loves....Black worship is different from European and European-American worship.  It is not deficient; it is just different.  Black preaching is different from European and European-American preaching.  It is not deficient; it is just different.  It is not ‘bombastic’; it is not ‘controversial’; it’s different.” (13 min.)

• "The prophetic theology of the black church has always seen and still sees all of God’s children as sisters and brothers, equals who need reconciliation, who need to be reconciled as equals in order for us to walk together into the future which God has prepared for us.  Reconciliation does not mean that blacks become whites or whites become blacks and Hispanics become Asian or that Asians become Europeans.  Reconciliation means we embrace our individual rich histories, all of them.  We retain who we are as persons of different cultures, while acknowledging that those of other cultures are not superior or inferior to us.  They are just different from us…And we recognize for the first time in modern history in the West that the other who stands before us with a different color of skin, a different texture of hair, different music, different preaching styles, and different dance moves, that other is one of God’s children just as we are, no better, no worse, prone to error and in need of forgiveness, just as we are.”  (25 min).

Does this sound like hate speech?  It seems to me the media are more responsible for hate mongering than Rev. Wright.  They are failing in their job of presenting people and events accurately.  I believe the public needs to demand that newspapers and cable news channels stop pandering to conservatives and start presenting more “fair and balanced” reporting.  Any media website should at least include links to places where people can see transcripts of the entire speeches and sermons.

I’d like to suggest that we change the way we talk about Rev. Wright. Instead of focusing on what he said that we disagree with, let’s focus on what he said that we agree with.  Anyone who looks at his entire speeches and sermons will probably find more that they agree with than they think:  powerful and positive ideas about reconciliation and transformation.  The idea that different is not deficient.  The idea that we need to change the way we treat each other and mistreat each other.  That is, I believe, what we need to do to get beyond the many things that are dividing us now and keeping us from becoming “a more perfect union.”  It is always harder to go for substance rather than superficiality, but I believe the American people are up for the challenge.