I truly believe that slavery in the America was wrong, and between 1861 and 1865, 625,000 Americans died fighting over slavery. It started out as "States Rights", mainly the right of the Southern States to keep slaves, but at the end of the war, defeated, the South changed it's tune. The fight was not about slavery alone.

Lincoln's main goal was to keep the Union whole, and would have allowed slavery to exist if he could accomplish his main objective. When he issued the Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862, it freed all the slaves in the Southern territory, but was actually done to keep England out of the War, on the Confederate side of the conflict.

The problem was that Lincoln knew that even though freed, the blacks would never be accepted into society, and should be returned to Africa. He tried to get the slaves sent back, Liberia was one success, but he did not live long enough to completely accomplish that task.

If Lincoln had been successful in repatriating the blacks back to Africa, people like The Right Reverend Wright would not be shooting his Anti-American, racist mouth off from his church. If you think about it, if his ancestors were from Africa, and world history changed, and there was no slavery, the Reverend's relatives may not have survived in Africa. They couild have been killed by another tribe, died of some horrible disease, or killed by some wild animal, and joyfully, we would not have to listen to his crazy rants about 9-11, jews, "God Damn America", etc.

In the end we were wrong to bring slaves here, we were right to free them, but we were wrong again not to send them back. I would be more then willing to pay Reverend Wright's plane fare, one-way of course, back to anywhere in Africa, where he thinks he can get a better deal then he's gotten while living in the United States.

P.S. Barack H. Obama just blew his chances of victory by not completely denouncing the Reverend.

Um...I'm hoping I've misunderstood this post -- are you really saying that blacks who are critical of US policy should all go back to Africa? Do you hold this position for all critics of US policy? How about the followers of Jerry Falwell, who famously blamed the 9/11 attacks on American immorality -- where should they return to?

Funny, I've always been a patriot because I'm so enamored of the free speech rights we enjoy here. But I can see from this post that I've got it wrong -- apparently, real patriotism means silencing critical voices and even better, shipping them off to distant shores.

Lizzie:

They were free to go, they didn't. Folks like Reverend Wright have been bitchin' since 1870, and they haven't changed a damned thing. I was not forcing anyone out.

If you can't change the situation, then change your situation, or SHUT UP!!

The Reverend would not have the right to speak as he has in most other countries. I just view him as another loud mouth, disgruntled minority, speaking from a position of "power", to folks who need leaders, not hate mongers. They think the Reverend is a leader, and they think that Obama is a leader. They are wrong on both counts.

Excuse me, Bull, but after helping to build this country to what it was, why in the hell should the former slaves have "gone back to where they came from"? As for white Americans so distressed with freed slaves that they had to enact inhumane, discriminatory laws: why couldn't they have gone back to Europe? We all have an investment in America: if you're ready to walk away because people speaking their mind upsets you, then leave...please.

Well Gil, my grandparents "worked through" the slings and arrows cast at them. They came here because they wanted to build a better life for themselves and their children, and their dream was successful. They never took a hand-out, or complained. They did without until they could afford what they needed. Learned the language. Obeyed the laws, and taught their children to work hard, to love and appreciate this country.

So you see I'm happy here. I would alot happier if people like Reverend Wright rethought their position, and tried to work within the system, instead of trying to "work the system".The Reverend, and people like him have had over 140 years to pull themselves up, but most of them would rather blame "THE MAN" for their own failures and shortcomings. Blacks should learn a lesson from their Latino brothers...work, work, work. Raise a family, stay with the family, learn the language, instead of trying to create a "new one", and eventually you are no longer "the" minority in America.

I don't give a shit if you're purple...if you think you can get a better "deal" somewhere else, move your ass there, and give your space to someone who's productive, and appreciates what can be accomplished here.

Bull:

Also, Rev. Wright was working in his community, setting up daycare programs and prison ministries and other outreach programs - in other words, pulling himself up along with his community. Nowhere has it been alleged that he tried to "work the system" - I wonder why you make that leap? Could it be racism? (well, he MUST be like Marion Barry because, well, they're both black!)

This is what Obama is trying to speak to in his speech, by the way - which is why it is so powerful. You're focusing on people you think are trying to get a free ride, and I'm focusing on someone who seems racist - but probably isn't a bad person if (s)he just took time to think. America belongs to both of us - even if my people, both black and white, were here before your people (in fact, your people would have had not country to come to were it not for my people). The legacy of racism and the reality of poverty (of all races) is something we all have to deal with. If you don't want to, the country would be much better off without you...

Bull - when you decry someone else "working the system" you're forgetting that we have a nation founded on the flexibility of the system. So, you can let that hidden fascist in you cry "wolf" at anyone who doesn't meet your standard of patriotism that is expressly yours, or you can admit that we are the closest thing to a free democracy going and our most precious tenet is the freedom of speech. The system, in theory, can only be changed (not "broken", not "worked") by majorities, because the system IS CHANGE.

And, from the looks of it, your ideas are only making a compelling argument for why you are in the minority.