An open letter to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Dear Reverend,

Please. Stop.

I didn't hold Obama's long association with you against him, and I still don't. He was a congregant, yes, but so were so many in the community. Your church was a sort of community center. He was an active member of the community, and he was there. And you were important to him, an important figure in his life. Whether he agreed with you or not is another matter, however. He agreed with you on some things and not on others. Given what I know of him, I suspect that he didn't agree with your various noxious prejudices, the ones that have become so public since you yourself became such a public figure last year during the campaign.

The right is vilifying you, of course, which is to be expected, but, personally, I don't think you're all bad, and I'm sure many of my fellow liberals are able to take a similarly nuanced view. From what I've read and heard, I, too, agree with you on some things and not on others.

But, seriously, the Jews? Or the Zionists? Or whomever you think is preventing you from seeing Obama. Is that truly what you believe, that there is some conspiracy to keep you out? First, they're not all Jews (or Zionists) -- even if they were, though, so what? Second, do you not think there might be good reason to keep you out? Do you not think that the president himself may think there are good reasons to keep you at a distance? What, after all, would he want from you at this point? Again, you're not all bad, but it's pretty clear that your prejudices have gotten the better of you, at least when you appear and speak in public.

So, again, please stop. Or, to put it another way, shut up. Or, if you can't, just go away. You're not helping. And you're just proving yourself to be, first and foremost, a bigot.

Yours truly,

(signed)

Michael Stickings