On Washington Journal this morning, Minister Farrakhan was interviewed.
(Just to put this in context, I was born into a Jewish family and raised with some nominal religious training. Of course my general sense of Palestine-Israel, even as a child, of "Hey, what about those people who already lived there?" has put me firmly outside of that community.)
I found I agreed with Minister Farrakhan on some points (such as who cares what Mr. Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League has to say -- he's overused his authority with his continual shrieing and screaming until his howls of outrage are now little more than 'cry wolf' static, thereby completely devaluing anyone's VALID claims of anti-semitic bias), and I disagreed with him on some others (that the Irish and Italians and Jews in America were not denied employment and educational opportunities as was the case under the post-slavery Jim Crow laws and also since they were taken off the books.)
I decided Doing the Right Thing (which I think Minister Farrakhan is doing) is not the same as actually being right.
And that Speaking Truth (to Power) is not the same thing as Speaking FACTS (to Power). Truth can be subjective and still be true. Facts can not.
His energies are dedicated to his calling, and that concerns the treatment of and opportunities for people of color, and the role that Islam can play in improving them.
If he's not concerned with the treatment of White Folk, well, there are others who are looking out for them -- and it's pure chickenshit to criticize him on that basis.
(I remember when Jimmy Carter was running for President, and the New York Press criticized him harshly for not knowing enough Jews. His comment was "How many Born-Again Christians do THEY know?")
(Just to put this in context, I was born into a Jewish family and raised with some nominal religious training. Of course my general sense of Palestine-Israel, even as a child, of "Hey, what about those people who already lived there?" has put me firmly outside of that community.)
I found I agreed with Minister Farrakhan on some points (such as who cares what Mr. Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League has to say -- he's overused his authority with his continual shrieing and screaming until his howls of outrage are now little more than 'cry wolf' static, thereby completely devaluing anyone's VALID claims of anti-semitic bias), and I disagreed with him on some others (that the Irish and Italians and Jews in America were not denied employment and educational opportunities as was the case under the post-slavery Jim Crow laws and also since they were taken off the books.)
I decided Doing the Right Thing (which I think Minister Farrakhan is doing) is not the same as actually being right.
And that Speaking Truth (to Power) is not the same thing as Speaking FACTS (to Power). Truth can be subjective and still be true. Facts can not.
His energies are dedicated to his calling, and that concerns the treatment of and opportunities for people of color, and the role that Islam can play in improving them.
If he's not concerned with the treatment of White Folk, well, there are others who are looking out for them -- and it's pure chickenshit to criticize him on that basis.
(I remember when Jimmy Carter was running for President, and the New York Press criticized him harshly for not knowing enough Jews. His comment was "How many Born-Again Christians do THEY know?")
posted by Saintperle at
10:28 AM
