"Middleclassness" bad, "richness" good
By J.J. Jackson
web posted March 31, 2008
 Sen. Barack Obama and Rev. Jeremiah Wright during happier times in 2005 |
Barack Obama's pastor, excuse me "former" pastor - like that makes a difference, the hate spewing Reverend Jeremiah Wright has made a career of telling his congregation to avoid "middleclassness" as well as preaching to them from the pulpit about the superiority of being "black" and embracing "black" values above other values. Because, as we all know, "blacks" are superior. Right?
Now however the Reverend's work is done. He is retiring after imparting his message and at the same time causing much consternation to his star pupil, Barack Obama, who we are expected to believe never really ever listened to or believed anything his spiritual mentor said.
Jeremiah Wright's work is done now. He's gone. Nothing to see here. Move along. That's all in the past.
But this is the story that just keeps on giving. Despite all his rants against white devils and a pursuit of material things over the years, the Reverend Wright apparently is taking advantage of a loophole in his church's doctrines and his own messages big enough to fly a 747 through. See, the good Reverend and his church only railed against pursuing "middleclassness" and "rich white people" with the occasional jab at those blacks that he believed embraced heinous white cultural norms and betrayed their race. But when it comes to being a "rich black person" who refuses to embrace white culture? That is a-ok.
The details of Reverend Wright's retirement package paid for by the good people of Trinity United Church of Christ? Well, I thought you would never ask! Try this on for size: 10,000+ square feet of luxurious living space, four bedrooms, and a total price tag of $1.6 million. But wait ... there's more! This is not all the Reverend wins on today's episode of Overly Vocal Hate Peddlers. Nope. The church also has a $10 million credit line attached to the property for purposes unknown reports Jeff Goldblatt.
Middleclassness is bad. Rich white people are bad. But fleecing your flock and retiring in luxury is apparently good. Reverend Wright will no doubt enjoy his stay in a home with such a hefty price tag in a gated community beyond the prying eyes of the little people and wining and dining those he deems fit to grace his presence. I doubt Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powel, Thomas Sowell or Walter E. Williams will be on any of the guest lists however.
Now, to the good Reverend's credit, he was rather generous in that he actually sold this property to his church for less than he purchased it for. But he still came out in the end so don't think this was a charitable act on his part. Sure he lost $40,000 on the sale which netted him a cool $308,000. But he also gained a sweet pad where he can kick it back with his homies. Homies like Louis Farrakhan and Barack Obama.
And while he is retired in luxury his flock will be able to take a bus tour of his new estate. But they won't be allowed inside the gates of course. Perish the thought. And while on the tour they will be able to listen to sermons of the Reverend telling them all about how it is the evil white folks that have all their money and even be able to purchase a few DVDs just so they can remind themselves of it time and again.
I'm sure $1.6 million could have gone a long way towards much more noble of a cause, such as helping the poor which liberals like Reverend Wright always tell us are suffering and how we should give more and go without. But apparently not in the Reverend's eyes. He can't go without his swanky new home.
The poor? The disadvantaged? Pffft. Forget about helping the poor and the downtrodden that "whitey" has kept down. Hey, Reverend Wright has given his all! He deserves this! After all, he has dedicated his life to uncovering scandalous government plots like the creation of AIDS to kill blacks and telling people that if you don't have what you want it's because the man is keeping you down. Heck, he's earned his sprawling palace with a lifetime of such service.
Hypocrisy? Nope. Just a skillfully crafted exception to the rules.
Like most liberals, the Reverend Wright doesn't want to live in the same world he prescribes for the rest of us because he knows that world, one of poverty and forced coercion by government, really stinks. So the good Reverend is getting himself a nice retirement home that his flock, and dare I say most Americans, can only dream of.
David Hannum was right. There is a sucker born every minute and apparently they have found themselves a church at which to congregate and be with their fellow suckers.
Now kindly remove your nose from between the bars in the gate before the hounds are released to keep you rift raft from getting to close to his majesty. 
J.J. Jackson is a libertarian conservative author who has been writing and promoting individual liberty since 1993 and is President of Land of the Free Studios, Inc. He is the lead editor of Conservative News & Opinion – The Land of the Free and also the owner of The Right Things – Conservative T-shirts & Gifts (http://www.cafepress.com/rightthings). His weekly commentary along with exclusives not available anywhere else can be found at http://www.libertyreborn.com