MUST READ: Open letter to racist Republicans in Black Commentator

[Julius Civitatus]

A truly must-read open letter to some a-hole freeper-type that was loudly ranting in a public restaurant against those "sub-humans," and "animals" looting in NOLA. This gigantic a-hole and his very Xtian entourage were loudly ranting about shooting "those people" on sight, not before they blessed the food they were about to munch, and thanking Jesus for their meals. They obviously didn't care if African Americans were sitting there with their families, just trying to eat their meals while hearing this nasty racist rhetoric out in the open.

It's one of he most truthful, in-you-face rebuttals to those BASTARDS that are bringing out all the racist venom they were keeping in their closets:

Blasphemy About New Orleans: A God With Whom I Am Not Familiar With

by Tim Wise

This is an open letter to the man sitting behind me at La Paz today, in Nashville, at lunchtime, with the Brooks Brothers shirt:

You don't know me. But I know you.

I watched you as you held hands with your tablemates at the restaurant where we both ate this afternoon. I listened as you prayed, and thanked God for the food you were about to eat, and for your own safety, several hundred miles away from the unfolding catastrophe in New Orleans.

You blessed your chimichanga in the name of Jesus Christ, and then proceeded to spend the better part of your meal – and mine, since I was too near your table to avoid hearing every word – morally scolding the people of that devastated city, heaping scorn on them for not heeding the warnings to leave before disaster struck. Then you attacked them – all of them, without distinction it seemed – for the behavior of a relative handful: those who have looted items like guns, or big screen TVs. (...)

I heard you ask, amid the din of your colleagues "Amens," why it was that instead of pitching in to help their fellow Americans, the people of New Orleans instead – again, all of them in your mind – choose to steal and shoot at relief helicopters.

I watched you wipe salsa from the corners of your mouth, as you nodded agreement to the statement of one of your friends, sitting to your right, her hair neatly coiffed, her makeup flawless, her jewelry sparkling. When you asked, rhetorically, why it was that people were so much more decent amid the tragedy of 9-11, as compared to the aftermath of Katrina, she had offered her response, but only after apologizing for what she admitted was going to sound harsh.

"Well," Buffy explained. "It's probably because in New Orleans, it seems to be mostly poor people, and you know, they just don't have the same regard."

She then added that police should shoot the looters, and should have done so from the beginning, so as to send a message to the rest that theft would not be tolerated. You, who had just thanked Jesus for your chips and guacamole, said you agreed. They should be shot. Praise the Lord.

Your God is one with whom I am not familiar.

(...)

Read the whole thing; it's priceless:

http://www.blackcommentator.com/149/149_think_wise_new_orleans.html

I strongly suggest you read the whole article. It minces no words, truly. It seriously tells these false so-called "Christians" that are all talk, but no truly Christian action.

[xray s]

1. they will get their due

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

[AspenRose]

7. Guess what our reading was in church today?

Luke 6:32-36

Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? Even the sinners do that! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return. Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from Heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

(I believe this is the "Message" translation)

Hebrews 13:16 says:
But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased (NKJV).

[Seabiscuit]

15. Hmmmmm.........

This is one reason I no longer attend church:

"Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay."

OK, Ken Mehlmen, I love you, I love Bush, Cheney, Rove, et. al!!! What good deeds can I do for you and the Republican Party to ensure that the neo-con revolution remains in control for the rest of my lifetime? Here, accept my entire life savings as a loan... and don't worry about repaying it - Just rewrite the tax laws so I can deduct a portion of it each year for the rest of my working days until I deduct it all. And God Bless You and the RNC!!!


"Then your reward from Heaven will be very great...."

Will I be rewarded with 100 virgins too?

[AspenRose]

16. Considering a good portion of white conervatives consider poor blacks

"the enemy," and since so many of them profess to be Christian, I thought this was right on the mark.

And whether YOU like it or not, God and the church are still important in black culture, as the author of the article seems to illustrate. Nonviolent social justice is what MLK advocated for, which included "loving your enemies." Snide comments like yours are a good reason why some blacks of faith may hold their nose and vote Democratic but are registered Independents, and why some even did the unthinkable and went to the other side, because Republicans are very good with illusions and language concerning issues of faith. Unfortunately it's not really representative of Christianity, but at least they aren't poking fun at other peoples' faith.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. Read the article

Thanks for the link. I don't know this guy's god either. And I think there will come a time when he finds out that god doesn't know him.

[howmad1]

3. Eeee Gads, So many right wing Christian whackos.........

so few lions.

[Aviation Pro]

4. A conservative writer....

...by the name of Fred Reed asked a few of his (mostly white) readers recently why they won't take a walk at night in places like Southeast DC, or across 135th St. in Manhattan.

The palpable anger of Mr. Wise reflects not only the black community but also the poor white and righteous community as well.

Their God - the one Wise speaks of - is a false one and will lead them to their own destruction.

[iconoclastic cat]

5. Could that "god" be....Satan?

[Julius Civitatus]

6. Kick --

Read this article. It's quite a satisfactory reading.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

8. The minister from my church was at the Astrodome a week ago, and

today the first words on their tv broadcast was a welcome to the Hurricane survivors who have come to our state.

That was a wonderful essay, article!!!!

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. Steve Bell has it right in this powerful painting. Life & liberty are not

for all equally, and the storm aftermath has brought that into such sharp, clear focus that only the willfully blind cannot see it.

I know there were many white casualties, but so far, all the drowned bodies I've seen have been of black people. I know that's what he had in mind here:



Here is a DU thread on this painting
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4720110

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. The totally racist callousness in God's name even of Congress members

is too blatant to whitewash. For example, here's a 10-term Republican from Baton Rouge, overheard by a WaPo reporter while he was talking to lobbyists. (Clearly, he knew the lobbyists felt exactly the same way.):

(snip)

The latest elected official to step into the swamp was Rep. Richard H. Baker, a 10-term Republican from Baton Rouge. The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that he was overheard telling lobbyists: "We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did."

(snip)

Baker issued a lengthy statement saying he was "taken aback" by the Journal's brief item. "What I remember expressing, in a private conversation with a housing advocate and member of my staff, was that 'We have been trying for decades to clean up New Orleans public housing to provide decent housing for residents, and now it looks like God is finally making us do it,' " Baker wrote. "Obviously I have never expressed anything but the deepest concern about the suffering that this terrible catastrophe has caused for so many in our state."

(snip)

The sanctimonious denial is just as bad as the original ugly honesty: he's a liar and he will continue to try to harm anyone who is not useful to him. He must realize that what he is doing is OBVIOUSLY against all the teachings of Jesus.

These quotes and more in the article cited in the opening post of this thread, currently on the DU home page:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1768731

[Spiffarino]

11. I have no idea who they think they are praying to

They pray loudly, then they bash the "least of my brothers." What do they do...tear all pages out of their Bibles after Leviticus until they get to Revelation? Oh, I forgot...they make sure to leave in all of Paul's stuff about women and homosexuals.

Heed the words of your own Lord:

Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.
Not everyone who says to me,'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will tell me in that day,'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?'
Then I will tell them,'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.'

[NVMojo]

12. KICK! Read it last week and it is POWERFUL!!!

[texpatriot2004]

13. I knew that they had the right to stay...and I'm thrilled to know that

the Gov. will pick up the tab on their right of return. The Gov. owes them much, much more for this atrocity.

[Cronus Protagonist]

14. There are too many withs in your title, but great article anyway

:kick: