It Was Out of Context

Over the last few days I have had the opportunity to listen to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, 2008 Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's pastor, do an interview with Bill Moyer's and give two different speeches, one for the NAACP and one for the Press Club. Plus, I downloaded the interview with Bill Moyer and read the transcript. Although I didn't agree 100% with everything that Rev. Wright said, I found that I couldn't write down fast enough all the words of wisdom coming from his heart--thoughts and insights I wanted to remember.

Therefore, it was extremely disconcerting to me to later hear his speech critiqued by newscasters who obviously could only give their audience soundbites from the speech. As I listened it was a reminder that making a judgment after only hearing snippets of a situation that takes what was said out of context can give the wrong impression and cause one to come to a wrong, if not dangerous, conclusion. I would have had a whole different perspective if all I knew about Rev. Wright's words was what I had learned from the newscast.