Interesting info about Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Posted by roderick on April 14, 2008Someone forwarded this to me earlier and I found it to be very interesting about Rev. Wright. I knew he had been in the Marine Corps but I didn’t know the whole story.
This is thought provoking…
1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F.
Kennedy’s challenge to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but
what you can do for your country,” gave up his student deferment, left
college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.
In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the
Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. (They provide
medical assistance to the Marines as well as to Navy personnel.)
The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian
and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was
assigned to the Navy’s premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval
Hospital , as a member of the c ommander in chief’s medical team, and
helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his 1966 surgery.
For his service on the team, which he left in 1967, the White House
awarded him three letters of commendation.
What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and
Navy not many years after the two branches began to become integrated.
While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice
President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/
sailor, received five deferments, four for being an undergraduate and
graduate student and one for being a prospective father.
Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both five years younger
than the African-American youth, used their student deferments to stay
in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty through
family connections.
Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to
ser ve his country for six years or our three political leaders who beat
the system? Are the patriots the people who actually sacrifice
something or those who merely talk about their love of the country?
 After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American
finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained
as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of
America ’s biggest cities.
This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United
Church of Christ.
Great job Brother.
I appreciate you sharing that about Rev. Wright. It is amazing that so many of our country’s leaders have beaten the system and now are running the show. I guess it shows through some of the choices that have been made during their tenure in office. It is sad that Rev. Wright gets so much attention for being controversial with out any mention of his wonderful background. I wonder how much of it is driven by the media and if Rev. Wright is taken out of context at times. I don’t know much about Rev. Wright so thanks Rod for sharing this. Living in the South, I haven’t heard much about Rev. Wright until this election and I know that the media paints a picture to show controversy because that is what sells when what is really needed is an unbiased presentation of facts so that the individual can make their own decision. Great job.
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