I am a big fan, and likely always will be. I have a great amount of respect for you and think you're extremely intelligent. But you really screwed this one up. I don't disagree with your stance on religion, and hell, I actually agree with a large part of your article. However, you overstepped your bounds on the race issue.

I understand, there is no race, I agree in fact. I admire your attempts to bring this to light, including when you fill out forms and mark youself as human. But I also think this is a lot easier for you to do as a white male that was not born and raised in the United States. Race is an extremely sensitive subject, and I suspect it is more so for African-Americans in this nation than others (though Native Americans can surely one up this). You are not a stupid man Hitch, I expect that you have thoroughly researched black history from the founding of this country, to Reconstruction, to the Civil Rights movement and beyond. You mean to tell me, with that knowledge, you can not empathize or understand how a man such as Wright would be angry and bitter? Let's put religion aside for a second, because it truly isn't the real issue here. Think about it please.

We can not transend race in this country until we decide to properly address it. I thought Obama's speech was a small, but extremely good start. For you to not even acknowledge that is shameful. I really expected more from you. Perhaps this is a subject that you are not fully versed on. Maybe you should make an effort to seek out a perspective (the black perspective) different from your own so you can at least gain some understanding before you decide to judge.

Here, I read this today and thought it would do you some good: <link>