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Last update - 23:33 18/03/2008 In somber speech, Obama seeks to stem tide of racial division By The Associated Press Tags: Barack Obama, U.S.  Democratic Sen. Barack Obama on Tuesday tried to stem damage from divisive comments delivered by his pastor, while bluntly addressing anger between blacks and whites in the most racially pointed speech yet of his presidential campaign. Obama confronted America's legacy of racial division head on, tackling black grievance, white resentment and the uproar over his former pastor's incendiary statements. Drawing on his half-black, half-white roots as no other presidential hopeful could, Obama asserted: "This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected." Obama expressed understanding of the passions on both sides in what he called "a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years." Advertisement "But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races," he said in a speech at the National Constitution Center, not far from where the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Obama rarely talks so openly about his race in such a prominent way, but his speech covered divisions from slavery to the O.J. Simpson trial to the recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. He also recognized his race has been a major issue in the campaign that has taken a particularly divisive turn in the last few weeks as video of his longtime pastor spread on the Internet and on television. Obama said the sermons delivered by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright rightly offend white and black alike. Those sermons from years ago suggested the United States brought the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on itself and say blacks continue to be mistreated by whites. While Obama rejected what Wright said, he also embraced the man who inspired his Christian faith, officiated at his wedding, baptized his daughters and has been his spiritual guide for nearly 20 years. "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community," Obama said, speaking in front of eight American flags. "I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe." Obama said he knew Wright to occasionally be a fierce critic of U.S. policy and that the pastor sometimes made controversially remarks in church that he disagreed with, but he said he never heard Wright talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms. "The comments that have become a source of debate recently were not only wrong but divisive and have raised questions among voters, he said. "I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television and YouTube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way," he said. "But the truth is, that isn't all that I know of the man." He said he came to Wright's church because he was inspired by Wright's message of hope and his inspiration to rebuild the black community. Obama said Wright's comments have sparked a discussion that reflect complexities of race in the United States that its people have never really resolved. "We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country," Obama said. "But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow." Obama said anger over those injustices often find voice in black churches on Sunday mornings. "The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning," he said. Obama argued that the anger often distracts from solving real problems and bringing change. But he said it also exists in some segments of the white community that feels blacks are often given an unfair advantage through affirmative action programs at universities and work. "If we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American," Obama said, drawing a rare burst of applause in a somber address. Obama said one of the tasks of his campaign to be the first black president is to "continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. Bookmark to del.icio.us   My three homelands French Vogue chose Lizzie Doron as one of Israel's influential authors. President Barghouti Jailed Tanzim leader says he's considering running in next PA presidential elections.   1.   He Lost The Election 00:27  |  Yosemite 19/03/08   2.   After this Speech , Only the Most Naive Can Believe Obama 01:06  |  Tod Zuckerman 19/03/08   3.   What are you babbling about Yosemite? 01:14  |  Mark Lincoln 19/03/08   4.   Obama will win; good for America and Israel 01:30  |  David 19/03/08   5.   Jews and Muslims 01:37  |  heinz 19/03/08   6.   Begging to all Americans 01:55  |  Mark B. 19/03/08   7.   Jews should embrace the speech 01:58  |  Bob 19/03/08   8.   A proud moment to be an American 02:18  |  Jon 19/03/08   9.   All i`m interested in knowing is how the righties will spin 02:20  |  Pablo B 19/03/08   10.   #7--Bob--You haven`t yet heard the anti-Semitic rantings 02:27  |  US Citizen 19/03/08   11.   Mark Lincoln Babble Babble 02:29  |  Yosemite 19/03/08   12.   Obama is PsyOps agent. 02:42  |  Jeff 19/03/08   13.   Inspirational Speech 03:19  |  Nancy 19/03/08   14.   Translation - a yosemite fart 03:43  |  Mark Lincoln 19/03/08   15.   Pablo B. - it does not matter 03:48  |  Mark Lincoln 19/03/08   16.   stem tide 04:14  |  Shmuelshachor 19/03/08   17.   To "Mark Lincoln" 04:40  |  Gordon 19/03/08   18.   Obamamania is a dangerous cult 05:06  |  Disgusted 19/03/08   19.   Gordon (#17), not an imposter, just late in the day 06:02  |  Voice of Reason 19/03/08   20.   All smoke & mirrors, no substance! 06:17  |  Wise Saba 19/03/08   21.   Mark Lincoln - McBush a Panamanian manchurian candidate? 06:26  |  Pablo B 19/03/08   22.   Obama is racist and he was exposed 06:56  |  Mark 19/03/08   23.   a US President is more than any successful community organizer 07:18  |  samir 19/03/08   24.   Obama exposed! 07:21  |  Wise Saba 19/03/08   25.   BRAVO OBAMA, BRAVO, BROTHER 09:27  |  indrajaya 19/03/08   26.   Bravo for Rev Jeremiah Wright ! Keep it coming Rev! 11:50  |  Dutch 19/03/08

Today Online Tom Segev: Merkel slams Qassams, but ignores Israel's actions Responses: 109 Egypt brokering Hamas-Israel deal for long-term Gaza truce Responses: 38 High Court closes off use of major highway to Palestinians Responses: 66 Study finds Israeli Jews increasingly racist toward Arabs Responses: 56 Security forces fear double Hezbollah attack in Israel, abroad Responses: 33 Rosner's Domain McCain rep to Jewish crowd: Christian right 'serious problem' Were Shakespeare's Plays Written By A Jewish Woman? (WTR) Rosner's Mailbox: I used to believe that you just hated Hillary Poll: Is the "road map" still relevant? Did Iraq have ties to Al Qaeda? (WTR) More Headlines 11:18 Egypt brokering Hamas-Israel deal on Gaza truce 10:07 Security forces fear double Hezbollah revenge attack in Israel, abroad 12:04 J'lem police chief: Cop on duty should have stopped yeshiva attacker 10:53 High Court closes off use of major highway to Palestinians 11:56 PA official: McCain tells Abbas he is committed to peace talks 10:09 Study: Israeli Jews becoming increasingly racist toward Arabs 10:09 New Meretz chair: We won't join Olmert's government 10:00 U.S. slams Switzerland for signing huge gas deal with Iran 09:47 ANALYSIS: Merkel condemns Qassams, but ignores Israel's actions 11:51 Multi-denominational rabbinical school to graduate its first class 11:08 Jerusalem's first Palestinian Latin Patriarch to retire this year 11:00 Stocks rise after Wall Street recovery, dollar continues to drop 08:09 Tel Aviv setting up tent city for African refugees 08:04 Visa requirement for Russian tourists to be eliminated Previous Editions Select Day 18 mar 17 mar 16 mar 14 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar

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