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Time to Take Notice (October 25, 2004)
My thought is that I appreciated the comments of Dr. Cheryl Sanders. She quite eloquently exposed the many dichotomies and nuances with which African Americans have had to deal. It would be highly profitable for the "majority" politicians to take the time to notice that African Americans are quite capable — and do so daily — of independent thinking and do not always look to so-called "leaders" to answers to their questions.
They observe what events are taking place in our nation and make their own conclusions. For instance, it is quite disturbing to me, at least, that George Bush keeps talking about his religiosity, as a reason for opposing stem cell research because it takes human life; but having no comparable regard for human life when he goes and bombs a country that didn't attack us and kills thousand upon thousands of innocent people. Again, please express my appreciation for Dr. Sanders' remarks.
Ola Jones-White
Indianapolis, IN (WFYI, 90.1 FM)
What a Blessing! (October 21, 2004)
Oh, praise be to God who calls us to love Him with all of our mind! I just found your Web site and program through a recent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life e-newsletter. I listened with great appreciation to your recent program, "The Other Religious America." I am a former Muslim and now a believing Christian elder. I am also an African American. I found the program stimulating, and am thankful for the nuanced voice you gave to this viewpoint.
I went to the "Science and Being" program and was completely inspired to praise the true and living God for all the complexity and marvel and glory found in His creation! Praise God that all the questions are not finally settled. What a wonderful program.
Thank you for putting thoughtful, extended discourse on the air and on the net. I'm always encouraged to find programming that is at once affirming and challenging. Be encouraged. You're doing an important work for people who struggle with the big questions — which is everyone.
Thabiti Anyabwile
Dumfries, VA (Listens via Web Audio)
Applause (October 24, 2004)
Another great, smart, more accurate idea about what would really make the world a better place.
James Thornton
Dearborn, MI (WUOM, 91.7 FM)
Asking Questions About a Particular Race (October 23, 2004)
One very important distinction needs to be made when speaking with the African-American minister is the fact that she is speaking for the African-American portion of the community that is Christian. Not all African Americans are Christian or "look to" ministers for moral guidance.
As I continued to listen, this last point did not annoy me nearly as much as your question "Who do Black people listen to?" Krista, is this a question you've asked your Caucasian guests — who do white people listen to? More importantly, why is there an assumption that Black people — as a monolith — all follow the words of ONE person or group of people? Whites don't.
I also found it very interesting (same show) when the Muslim scholar shared that he was very concerned about Bush's religiosity and the negative outcome it has had on Muslims (all of us, really). We've all seen what happens when religious zealots use religion to justify immoral acts — remember slavery.
Shawn Williams
Bronx, NY (WNYC, 820 AM)
Muslims in American Politics (October 24, 2004)
I just heard part of your program with the Muslim political science professor [Muqtedar Khan]. He made a statement about John Kerry that I must take exception to: he said Kerry voted for war in Iraq to save his own political career. This statement is a very bad one for two reasons:
- Kerry did not vote for war in Iraq. He voted to give the president authority to use force as a last resort so he could go to the U.N. to get weapons inspectors into Iraq. At the time, Bush promised he would use force only as a last resort. Kerry would not have voted for the war Bush waged.
- Only Sen. Kerry can know his reasons for his vote — your guest cannot possibly know his motivation. Kerry, being human like the rest of us, probably had many reasons for his vote, some conscious and many unconscious, shaped by his history and the current situation in America and the world. Your guest does an injustice to himself and everyone else when he imputes selfish motives to the decision.
What counts now is going forward. While Sen. Kerry has a similar position on the war and the Patriot Act as Mr. Bush, he would clearly be more supportive of individual rights than the current administration has been. He would also follow a more humane international policy, one which would reduce the need for desperate measures such as terrorism.
Your program is thought-provoking, and I am not able to listen to it as much as I would like. I was raised as a Roman Catholic, with 16 years of Catholic education and many years of activism in my parishes. Ten years ago I began a slow reevaluation of that affiliation, because of my work with battered women and my study of the history of violence against women. I began to understand that our organized religions are man-made structures with good ethical foundations that have been corrupted into power structures that often abuse and suppress the people who follow them.
I am no longer affiliated with any organized religion, but believe that an ethical life is rooted in care of our world and all the beings that inhabit it. This is where all religions started. Most have become corrupted by men seeking to use them to wield power. There are many very ethical people involved in all organized religions, like your guests, seeking to lead an ethical and worthy life. But not all such people are within the confines of organized religions. And not all seek to make others follow their lead.
Nanka Harrell
St. Louis, MO (KWMU, 90.7 FM)
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